9 Exercises For Firming The Chest

Pregnancy, weight loss, poor posture and aging are all factors that influence the loss of firmness in the chest. Find tips for firming the chest here.

The exercises in this article are very effective for firming the chest. If this is your wish, you cannot miss out on these exercises. You don’t even have to go to a gym… You can practice them at home!

Before embarking on an exercise routine, whether for firming your chest or for any other part of the body, it is necessary to start with a five-minute warm-up. This will prevent muscle damage .

Also, remember to maintain good posture: keep your back as straight as possible.

Thanks to these exercises, you will strengthen your pectorals.  To achieve satisfactory results, you should practice these exercises at least three times a week.

You can start without weights or with light dumbbells (a water bottle or one full of sand can do the trick). You will not only firm your chest: you will gain tone and strength.

1. Basic exercise to firm the chest

• Sit in a chair with your spine straight and resting against the back of the chair.
• Take a weight in each hand and lift it to shoulder height, above the chest. The elbows should form a 90 degree angle.
• Raise your arms but do not fully stretch them. Hold the position for five minutes, then slowly return to the starting position.
• First, do three sets of five repetitions. After a month, switch to three sets of ten reps.

2. The opening of the chest

• As with the previous exercise, sit down with a weight in each hand. Position the palms of the hands facing each other, keeping the elbows bent.
• Open your arms to the sides. When you do this movement, inhale. When you close your arms, breathe out.
• Do three sets of five repetitions the first week. Then move on to three sets of eight repetitions. After a month, do three sets of ten reps.

3. Flexions help firm the chest

It is a very effective exercise, which requires some technique and practice. You don’t need anything in particular. You can therefore practice it at any time of the day, without any problem.

• Face a wall.
• Spread your feet. The gap should match that of the hips.
• Press the palms of your hands against the wall at shoulder height. The arms should be stretched out and parallel.
• Bend your elbows slowly, doing bends, without lifting your hands from the wall.
• When you’re as low as possible, count to three, then go back up.
• Do three sets of ten repetitions. Rest for a minute between each set.

4. Stretching the arms

This is a simple popular exercise.

• Obtain two dumbbells of two kilos each.
• Sit in a chair with your back straight and the soles of your feet firmly on the floor.
• Take the dumbbells with the hands and stretch the arms. The arms should remain straight and touch the ears.
• Join the dumbbells overhead. Count to 3 and return to the starting position.
• Do three sets of eight repetitions with a 30 second rest period between each set.
• For starters, you can also do this exercise without dumbbells.

5. Lifting dumbbells

This is a somewhat complex exercise that you may be able to practice when the others become easy.

• Sit down with your back supported and hold a dumbbell with a weight of between two and five kilos in each hand, depending on your capabilities.
• Stretch your arms out to the sides and bend your elbows to make a right angle. 
• Raise your arms above your head while keeping them stretched out, then return to the starting position. Be careful not to lower them too much: they should always be at shoulder height.
• Do three sets of eight or ten repetitions. Rest for a minute between each set.

6. Butterflies on a flat weight bench

• Lie on your back with a small dumbbell in each hand.
• Extend your arms over your chest and then lower them to the sides, making a small curve with the elbows, until the arms are parallel to the floor.

7. Making butterflies while standing help firm the chest

• Stand with your legs apart (same shoulder width apart), knees slightly bent, and a dumbbell in each hand.
• Stretch your arms to shoulder height, then bring them to the center of the chest. The arms should always be parallel to the ground.
• Do three sets of eight repetitions.

8. The pressure of the palms helps to firm the chest.

• In a sitting or standing position, which is most convenient for you, bring the palms of the hands together in front of your chest. The elbows must be detached from the body, as in the position of salvation in Eastern countries.
• Touch your chin with the tips of your fingers. Exert some pressure for twenty minutes, then rest.
• Start again and repeat the exercise three consecutive times.

9. Weights forward

• Sitting on a chair, hold dumbbells in your hands.
• Extend your arms forward.
• Lift the dumbbells up to your cheeks, then return to the starting position (at chest height).
• Do three sets of ten reps.