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Push-ups are the simplest chest builder.

If you’ve started to feel self-conscious in a tee shirt, then take a look at my chest muscles exercise idea. You might be surprised by how one simple exercise can correct sagging pecs and help anyone feel proud of their chest!

Men and women can both benefit from chest-focused exercises. It’s never too late to add exercises aimed at firming the pectorals (your chest muscles) to an exercise regimen, and I have a solution for everybody—whether they are new to exercise or a weekend warrior looking for new fitness ideas.

Problem body areas affect so many people

I have to say that I hate the phrase ‘problem body areas.’ Let’s focus on what we love about our bodies and enjoy getting fit! But I know that there are people out there who want help targeting a particular body issue. In exercise, there are no quick wins and we can’t magically spot-burn fat. However, we can use exercise to build muscle in key areas, and any exercises that burn fat will help you tone up all over.

So, if you have concerns over a sagging chest or droopy pecs, here’s my solution: push-ups! Pecs need exercise just like any other muscle. While it’s easy to feel self-conscious about a sagging chest, it’s a surprisingly easy fix! Push-ups are a tried and true technique that will build up your spirits and your chest muscles.

I’m sure some of you were hoping for some kind of modern chest-lifting exercise or gadget, but the truth is that sometimes the basics really are the best. In today’s world, we tend to approach exercise with an “out with the old, in with the new” attitude, but there are few exercises around that can beat a simple push-up in terms of building chest muscles. Just as a sports bra provides support, the physical act of doing a push-up helps build your chest muscles to give your chest a natural lift. Many times, a saggy chest is due to lack of muscle tone, which a simple push-up may help build.

Doing push-ups as part of your fitness routine may be an age-old classic, but they certainly don’t have to be boring! Over the years, fitness trainers and exercise enthusiasts have been adding their own style to their push-up technique in order to target specific chest muscles and keep this old school move feeling fresh.

Give one of these eight specialty push-ups a try. Or, mix and match your favorites to create a workout that will lift your pecs and fix that saggy chest.

Eight chest building exercise ideas

Up on your hands and toes, slowly lower your chest to the floor. Check out my video on how to do the perfect push-up.

Modified push-up:

If you don’t have the strength to support your body off the floor, sit up on your knees instead of on your toes then slowly lower your chest to the floor.

Wide stance

Spacing your feet out to shoulder-width apart takes a little stress off the core muscles, and creating a wider base with your feet requires a little less balance. Combined with a wider hand position, this move is great for putting an emphasis on the outer pecs.

Diamond push-up

Place your hands close together to create a diamond shape where your arms bend. This adds a greater physical challenge, because the narrow base challenges your core. Additionally, the hand position places an added emphasis on the inside (cleavage area!) of the pec muscle.

Plyometric push-up

With this move you get a lot of muscle strength, because it requires power and control. To perform a plyometric push-up, start by doing a standard push-up, then push hard with your hands to get a little air time as you push your chest up from the floor. Try to get both hands up off the mat for the greatest challenge! And for an added flourish, this is the move that lets you add a hand clap if you can find the power to get high enough off the floor.

One leg raised push-up

Perform a standard push-up, but lift one leg about an inch off the floor to add extra resistance and a balance challenge. You’ll definitely feel this one after a few reps! As you advance, bring that leg up a little higher.

Feet up push-up

Elevate both feet on a box to increase the resistance on the shoulder and chest muscles, as you perform an otherwise standard push-up. (Stay safe with this move and make sure the box is sturdy and on a non-slip surface.)

Medicine ball push-ups

Place one hand on a medicine ball and one hand on the floor. This uneven surface will challenge one pec more than the other (be sure to alternate!), as well as deeply work your core muscles.

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My favorite push-up challenge is to see how many I can do while keeping good form,. I try to beat my personal record every few days or weeks. Try it yourself! I think you’ll be surprised at just how effective this old-school, chest-lifting workout can be. When you mix it up with some of the variations I mentioned, you’re working more than just your chest—you can work your abs, arms, and legs, too! In fact, I consider push-ups to be the perfect total body time-saving hero move.