When it comes to strength training, chest workouts are often overlooked - but building upper-body strength is essential for improving posture, supporting everyday movement, and creating a balanced fitness routine. 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through some of the best chest exercises for women, focusing on beginner-friendly movements that are effective, approachable, and easy to incorporate into your routine.

We’ll explain how each exercise works, the muscles it targets, and tips for getting the most out of every movement. And while this guide is a great starting point, remember that working with a qualified fitness professional can help you create a routine tailored to your individual goals and experience level.

Quick Summary

• Chest workouts help women build upper-body strength, improve posture, and support everyday movement.

• The chest is made up of several muscles, including the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior, and intercostal muscles.

• Beginner-friendly exercises like push-ups, chest flyes, dumbbell chest presses, and incline presses effectively target the chest muscles.

• Progress can be made by gradually increasing weight, repetitions, or workout intensity while maintaining proper form.

• Consistency, good technique, and a balanced fitness routine are key to building strength, improving muscle tone, and achieving long-term results.

Which Muscles Make Up the Chest? 

When people talk about "chest muscles", they are usually talking about the pectoral muscles, also called the "pecs." These muscles help you push, lift, and move your arms. They also play an important role in upper-body strength and posture.

• Pectoralis Major: The pectoralis major is the largest chest muscle and the one you can easily see on the front of the body. It covers most of the chest area and is mainly responsible for movements like pushing and pressing.

• Pectoralis Minor: Underneath the pectoralis major is a smaller muscle called the pectoralis minor. Even though it is not visible, it is very important for shoulder movement and stability. 

• Serratus Anterior: The serratus anterior sits along the sides of the ribs, just below the armpits. It is sometimes called the “boxer’s muscle” because it helps with punching movements.

• Intercostal Muscles: The intercostal muscles are found between the ribs. Their main job is to help with breathing by expanding and contracting the rib cage.

Benefits of Chest Exercises 

Chest training is so much more than building upper-body strength or improving muscle tone. Strong chest muscles can help support everyday movement, improve posture, and boost your overall fitness and wellbeing.

Let’s talk you through some benefits of chest exercises for women:

• Better posture: Strong chest and upper-body muscles help support proper posture and reduce tension caused by sitting for long periods.
• Improved upper-body strength: Chest exercises make everyday activities like lifting, pushing, and carrying much easier.
• Enhanced workout performance: Building chest strength can improve performance in other exercises such as push-ups, shoulder workouts, and upper-body training.
• Greater shoulder stability: Chest workouts help support the muscles around the shoulders, improving stability and reducing the risk of injury.
• Improved muscle tone and definition: Regular chest training can help create a stronger, more toned upper body and improve overall body confidence.
• Better balance and support: Chest muscles work together with your shoulders, back, and core to support balanced movement and overall strength.

Become the best version of yourself and start prioritising your upper-body strength because the long-term benefits of chest training go far beyond aesthetics.

Whether you prefer working out at home or training at your local gym, chest exercises can easily be adapted to suit all fitness levels.

Top Chest Exercises for Women

Building a stronger chest doesn’t require complicated routines - just a few key movements done well. In this section, we’ll break down four highly effective exercises that target your chest from different angles.

1. Push-Ups

Push-ups are a classic workout exercise that are hugely beneficial to the chest muscles and various torso muscle groups. If you have no experience in working out and your core strength could use improvement, these exercises are ideal for you. Not only will they help tone your body, but they’ll also help with arm and shoulder strength.

The best bit about push-ups is that they can be completed anywhere, be it in a gym environment or at home, so no matter how or where you choose to work out, they can easily be incorporated into your routine.

How to Do Push-Ups

• Start on all fours with your palms face down against the ground, shoulder width apart. Your legs should also be a shoulder width apart. Your torso and chest should be running parallel to the ground. Your arms should be straight.

• Extend your legs backwards one at a time, extending them to their full length but keeping them a shoulder width apart. You should be balancing on the balls of your feet and once both legs are extended, you should be holding your body up parallel to the ground.

• Keeping your back straight, gently lower your body by bending your arms and bringing your face down towards the ground. Get as close to the ground as you are able to while keeping your back and legs straight.

• Once you’ve reached this point, begin pushing down through your palms to raise your body back up to its original position. Keep your legs and back straight throughout this process. This is one repetition.

• Complete as many repetitions as required.

Top Tip: If you are struggling with a regular push-up, try widening your feet to give you more stability. If you are finding that your arms aren’t strong enough yet for a full repetition, perform the push-up in step one’s stance on all fours to build arm strength. This will help you progress to a full-body push-up.

For those looking to tone their shoulders, you should read our detailed blog about incorporating shoulder exercises into your workout routine.

2. Chest Flyes

Chest flyes are another great chest exercise that you can work into your routine. They are designed to help you train your primary torso muscles (also known as the pectoralis major) which will help with overall bodily strength and with toning your upper body.

Chest flyes are relatively easy to do but do require dumbbells. If you don’t own your own set of dumbbells yet, that is fine, as your local Village Gym will have dumbbells that you can use.

How to Do Chest Flyes:

• Before you begin, you’ll need to choose the right weight of dumbbell for you. This varies from person to person and will depend upon what's most comfortable for you as well as what your overall fitness goals are; whether you’re working for strength or endurance. For beginners, 1kg - 3kg should be fine.

• Lie down on a flat workout bench, with your torso facing the ceiling and a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your arms extended in front of your chest towards the ceiling with your palms facing in towards one another.

• Collectively lower your arms out to either side in a semi-circular fashion until your arms are level with the bench and at a 90-degree angle to the bench. Always keep a slight bend in your elbows.

• Now, raise your arms back up towards the ceiling in a semi-circular fashion to their starting point. This is one repetition.

• Complete your desired quantity of repetitions.

Top Tip: If you are training your torso for strength, use a slightly heavier weight and do a few repetitions. If you are training for muscular endurance, use a slightly lighter weight and do a higher number of repetitions.

3. Dumbbell Chest Press

A dumbbell chest press is very similar to chest flyes but they work your chest muscles in a different way. If you are looking to implement a comprehensive workout for your chest muscle groups, then pairing these two exercises is a great starting point to consider.

It is worth noting that the chest press machine is also available to help you with this movement, and will offer more options for improving chest strength or endurance. With dumbbells, the process is similar.

How to Chest Press:

• Much like the chest flyes, begin by choosing your appropriate weight and lying face up on a flat workout bench. Keep a dumbbell in each hand but start with your hands at chest level, elbows bend, and arms completely coiled inwards towards your body. Your palms should be facing in towards one another.

• Push the dumbbells directly upwards towards the ceiling from chest level until your arms are fully extended. Exhale during this process and be sure to lock your elbows at the top of the press.

• Hold them in this position briefly, and then slowly descend them back to their starting position, inhaling as you do so. This counts as one repetition.

• Repeat as many times as desired.

Generally, a set consists of 10 repetitions and for a workout routine you’d want to include around 3 sets. If you are training strength, you should do around 8 repetitions with a heavier weight. If training muscular endurance, you should do around 15-20 repetitions with a lighter weight.

4. Incline Dumbbell Press

Due to the way the upper torso is designed, from a muscular standpoint, many of the exercises you’ll do to improve these muscles will be different variations of the same exercise. It is worth noting that while they are slight variations, these variations are designed to place pressure on different muscles with the goal being to give you a holistic approach to a chest workout.

The next exercise is a variant of the dumbbell chest press. The incline dumbbell press works in a very similar way but you are inclined, changing what muscles you’ll use to lift the weights.

How to Do an Incline Dumbbell Press:

• For this exercise, you’ll want to select the appropriate weight like you would for both the chest press and chest flyes. However, you’ll also want to adjust the incline bench to about a 45-degree angle. Now sit down and take a dumbbell into each hand.

• Lie back on the bench with the dumbbells at chest level, palms facing forward. Keep your back supported by the bench but maintain a natural arch in your lower back.

• Press the dumbbells upward while exhaling, extending your arms fully without locking your elbows. Bring the dumbbells close together at the top but avoid letting them touch. Be sure to engage your core as you do so and contract your chest to make your muscle groups work.

• Now lower the dumbbells back to their starting position. Keep your elbows at a slight bend throughout the movement and aim to feel the stretch in your chest as you lower the dumbbells.

• Repeat for as many repetitions as desired.

Generally, 8-12 repetitions in each set is good for a beginner, depending on the weight and goal of your exercise. 

FAQs About Chest Exercises

Are chest workouts good for women?

Yes. Chest workouts are just as vital for health and well-being for women as they are for men. A holistic approach to fitness should include chest exercises.

What does chest workouts tone for women? 

Chest workouts will strengthen your pectoral muscles that form your torso; just like chest workouts do in men. This will help with body definition and overall torso strength.

How can women build chest muscles fast?

A tailored workout schedule and the dedication to follow through with every stage of this schedule will help you build your chest muscles quickly. For the best results, work with a personal trainer.

Do chest workouts lift breasts?

Chest workouts will help you develop stronger pectoral muscles, and this in turn can provide the appearance of fuller and perkier breasts. It is worth noting, however, that working out will not change the size or shape of your breasts.

Train Your Way With Village Health & Wellness

Working out at home and tailoring your own fitness journey to your needs is a great first step, but professional and curated advice for your journey exists with Village Health & Wellness Clubs. 

Village Gym has everything you’d need to get and stay fit, be it for chest workouts or any other kind of workout plan you envision. From expert personal trainers to state-of-the-art machines, you won’t find a better equipped gym and environment to reach your personal goals within.

Browse our different membership options and find your closest gym and book a tour. We’re more than happy to take you through our facilities!