6 Best Chest Exercises For Women
Build upper-body strength, improve posture and tone your arms with this chest-focused workout featuring 6 of the best women’s chest exercises. Using just a set of dumbbells, this efficient routine targets the chest, shoulders and triceps, with push-ups strategically programmed between strength sets to maximize muscle fatigue in under 30 minutes. This workout is ideal for women looking for an effective, equipment-minimal upper body session at home or in the gym.
Improve posture and build a strong chest with 6 of the best dumbbell chest exercises for women.
I program chest exercises into my workouts because strengthening the pectoral muscles (the large muscles that sit beneath the breasts) improves posture, supports shoulder stability and builds real upper-body strength. Some of my favorite chest exercises for women include dumbbell chest presses, chest flys and push-ups because they effectively target the pec major and minor while also engaging the shoulders and triceps for balanced strength.
I think there’s a common misconception that women shouldn’t train their chest, but I’ve found the opposite to be true. Training chest doesn’t change breast tissue, but building the muscle underneath can create a stronger, more lifted appearance and better overall definition.
When I want to lift and strengthen the chest, I prioritize controlled dumbbell bench presses and push-ups, focusing on a full range of motion and time under tension. I typically recommend 2-4 sets per exercise in the 8-12 rep range for strength and muscle definition, training chest about 1-2 times per week for best results.
Beyond aesthetics, I’ve seen chest training improve push strength, enhance performance in other upper-body workouts and help counteract the forward-rounded posture that’s so common from daily life.
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Workout Specifics
Sculpt your upper body and build strong, defined arms with the best chest workout designed for women. While it primarily targets the chest muscles, it also engages your other push muscles, including the shoulders, triceps and upper back for balanced upper-body strength.
Add this home workout to your workout routine 1-2 times per week, alternating with lower-body or full-body workouts and allowing at least 48 hours of rest between upper-body sessions. Those with shoulder, chest or elbow injuries – or those recovering from upper-body surgery – should consult a healthcare professional before attempting this workout.
Workout Equipment:
Medium to heavy set of dumbbells. I suggest anywhere from 8-25 lbs. I used 15-30 lb dumbbells for this chest workout.
Workout Instructions:
Follow along with the guided Chest Workout video on YouTube, led by me — your certified personal trainer(CPT), Lindsey Bomgren.
Your Workout Looks Like This:
- 6 Dumbbell Chest Exercises
- Timed Intervals (40 seconds of work per exercise, followed by 20 seconds of rest)
- Strict Sets (repeat each chest exercise x 2 sets, back-to-back)
- Perform 10 push-upsafter each chest exercise
Note: I re-filmed this chest workout to improve video and sound quality (and changed up some of the moves). You can find the original best chest exercises for women video here if you’d like to compare them.
Chest Workout Outline
1. Dumbbell Chest Press
Targets: Chest (pecs), shoulders (deltoids) and triceps.
How to Do a Dumbbell Chest Press
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Hold 1 dumbbell in each hand (palms facing knees), elbows bent at 90 degrees.
- Exhale as you push both dumbbells overhead. The dumbbells are stacked over your shoulders at the top of the press. Make sure your wrists are strong and in line with your shoulders.
- Lower the dumbbells back towards your chest with control.
2. Dumbbell Chest Fly
Targets: Chest muscles, both the larger pectoralis major (upper chest and lower chest) and the smaller pectoralis minor.
How to Do a Dumbbell Chest Fly
- Lie flat on your back with 1 dumbbell in each hand, arms extended above your shoulders, palms facing in towards each other. Press your feet firmly into the floor.
- Inhale as you slowly open your arms, lowering the dumbbells in a wide arc until they reach shoulder level (or the ground). Your elbows should remain soft.
- Exhale as you pull the dumbbells back to the starting position and squeeze your chest. Keep your chest puffed out and your elbows slightly bent.
3. Standing Chest Fly
Targets: Upper arms, chest, shoulders, abs and core.
How to Do a Standing Chest Fly
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold 1 dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing out (underhand grip). Shoulder blades are pulled down towards your hips.
- Squeeze your chest as you lift your right hand across your midline to perform a single-arm chest fly. Bring the dumbbell parallel to your left shoulder. Think “right pinky finger to left shoulder.” Palm faces up towards the ceiling.
- Keep a soft bend in your elbow as you lower the dumbbell back to the starting position with control.
- Repeat on the left arm, alternating arms with each rep.
4. Dumbbell Svend Press
Targets: All heads of the shoulder muscles, including the anterior deltoid, medial deltoid and upper portion of the pecs, abs and deep transverse abdominal core muscles.
How to Do a Svend Press
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent and core engaged. Hold 1 dumbbell in each hand at your sides vertically; palms face in towards the body. Your shoulder blades are pulled down towards your hips. Press the dumbbells together so they’re touching.
- Then press the dumbbells straight out in front of you at shoulder height, keeping a slight bend in the elbows.
- Hold for a moment, then pull the dumbbells back in towards your chest. Brace your core tightly as you push the dumbbells away and pull them back.
Modification: Option to hold 1 dumbbell vertically with both hands.
5. Diamond Chest Press
Targets: Chest, shoulders, triceps, upper back, mid-back, abs and core muscles.
How to Do a Diamond Chest Press
- Lie flat on your back with 1 dumbbell in each hand, elbows pinned at your sides, dumbbells at mid-chest and palms facing in toward each other. Press your feet firmly into the floor.
- Exhale as you press the dumbbells up in a straight line, ending with your arms straight overhead and your wrists over your shoulders.
- Lower back to the starting position and repeat.
6. Alternating Reverse Grip Chest Press
Targets: Pectorals (chest), deltoids (shoulders) and triceps.
How to Do an Alternating Reverse Grip Chest Press
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- Hold 1 dumbbell in each hand in a reverse grip (palms facing in towards you), arms extended and dumbbells in line with your shoulders.
- Inhale as you lower the dumbbell in your right arm towards the ground, elbow bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Exhale to push the dumbbell overhead, returning to the starting position.
- Repeat, this time lowering the dumbbell in your left arm towards the ground. Then exhale as you push it up and return to the starting position.
FAQs
How can women build a stronger chest at home without equipment?
I recommend starting with bodyweight movements like push-ups, incline push-ups, decline push-ups, plank position shoulder taps and slow, controlled tempo push-ups to build strength without equipment. Focusing on a full range of motion and time under tension can make these exercises incredibly effective. As you get stronger, you can increase reps, slow the tempo or elevate your feet to continue challenging your chest muscles.
Can chest exercises help improve posture for women?
Yes, strength training the chest, along with the upper back and shoulders, can support better posture. Strong pectoral muscles help stabilize the shoulders and improve upper-body strength, which makes it easier to stand tall and maintain proper alignment. I’ve found that pairing chest work with back exercises is especially effective for correcting rounded shoulders and providing stability across the large upper-body muscle groups.
Will chest workouts make my chest appear smaller?
Chest workouts with dumbbells do not reduce breast tissue, since breasts are primarily made up of fat and glandular tissue – not muscle. Building the pectoral muscles underneath can create a firmer, more lifted appearance, but it won’t directly make your chest smaller. Overall body fat loss, not chest exercises alone, would influence breast size.
Are bodyweight or weighted chest exercises better for women?
Both are effective, and I like to include a combination of each. Bodyweight exercises like push-ups are great for building foundational strength and endurance, and weighted exercises such as barbell bench presses and dumbbell flys allow for progressive overload to build more muscle. The best option depends on your current strength level and goals.
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10 comments
Just did this amazing workout this morning. I had to start with doing wall push ups, but I’ll get there.
So glad you enjoyed this workout, Lori! Way to crush it! -Lindsey
Awesome chest workout!!! Wicked core workout with the standing chest moves! This is definitely a new fav! Although I loved the OG, I think this one tops it. Thanks Lindsey and Rachel. 🙂 And P.S. I did all pushups from my toes…whoop whoop! You gals rock! Thanks for the great pump up!
Sue! So glad you loved this chest workout! And WAY TO GO on the push ups — that’s a huge accomplishment — so strong! Keep up the great work! -Lindsey
Just finished this workout before my kids woke up and feel so proud (and shocked!) to report I did all 60 pushups from my toes!! Caveat being, I did drop to lighter weights for sets 3, 4, and 6. Even so — I didn’t think I had it in me. Thanks for showing me I’m stronger than I think 🙂
Yeah Ann!! You should be so proud of yourself! All 60 push ups from your toes — that’s amazing!! Keep up the great work strong mom! -Lindsey
You are the BEST trainer!!
I have been following you since Covid-19 won I set up a small ‘gym’ in my family room at home. I’m a competitive runner and built strength in my upper body doing your videos— which really helped my running. Thank you!!!!!!
Barb! You are so kind! I’m so glad you’re loving the workouts and love that you’ve set up a home gym too! You are so awesome. Keep up the great work and keep coming back for more! -Lindsey
Ugh, pushups! 🙂 Thank you for this post. How would you incorporate this with your workout calendar? Just after all the upper-body only videos? Thanks!
Hi Karen…I had to laugh, you’re not alone in disliking push ups that’s for sure. But I’m glad you find this post helpful. Fortunately, most of these exercises are included in the ‘arm’ and ‘total body’ workouts on the 30-Day Calendar so GOOD NEWS, you’re covered! That said, if you’re specifically striving to get off your knees with push ups or improve push up form you could tack-on an additional set of push ups (10-20 reps) daily or every other day. I hope that helps + keep up the great work! -Lindsey