What’s the short answer?

The short answer: It’s highly unlikely that you’ll be able to alter the shape of your breasts naturally.

Changing the size and shape of your breasts often requires a surgical procedure, such as breast augmentation (aka implants).

That’s because the size of your breasts is determined by a combination of your:

• genetics
• hormones
• body weight
• lifestyle
• potential life stage, such as pregnancy

Is it possible to enlarge your breasts without surgery?

If breast enhancement surgery isn’t on your to-do list (fair!), you might be wondering whether there are natural ways to change your breast size.

The truth is that there are very few things you can do naturally that will increase the overall size of your breast or chest tissues.

That said, exercise can change the overall appearance of your pectoral muscles, which lie under your breast tissues. Targeting these muscles through strength training exercises (like the ones listed below!) can result in a change in chest-tissue size, density, strength, and tone.

SUMMARY

While these exercises are not likely to impact your cup size, they may shift the appearance of your breasts over time.

Wait, chest exercises can impact breast size?

Just as strength training canTrusted Source increase the size, strength, endurance, and tone of your leg or arm muscles, it can alter your chest muscles.

Isolation chest exercises like the chest press, pullovers, and flys, in particular, are likely to lead to changes in the shape and size of your pectoral muscles.

But changing your chest muscles is *not* necessarily the same as increasing breast size. It’s just an increase in the pectoral muscles, which lie underneath the breasts.

Sure, some people may be able to grow their chest muscles enough that they go up a bra size. After all, strength training — especially with heavy weights and/or high reps — can lead to muscle growth.

But just as not everyone who hits arm day will need to buy bigger shirts to fit their bicep muscles, not everyone who hits chest day will need bigger bras to fit their chest muscles. Makes sense!

SUMMARY

Strength training exercises can help increase strength and size in your chest muscles. But that’s different than changing the size of the breast itself.

The 7 best exercises for stronger, fuller chest muscles

Now that you know there’s a difference between increasing pec muscle size and breast size, do you still want to strength train your chest? Cool.

Read on for seven of the best movements you can do to boost strength and fulness in your chest muscles.

1. Dumbbell chest press

A home and gym-friendly exercise, the dumbbell chest press targets the pectorals as well as your shoulders, and triceps. Woot!

If you don’t have a set of dumbbells (or a set of dumbbells that’s light enough!) you can also use two soup cans or water bottles.

if you have access to a flat bench, you’ll lie on that. If not, you can do the exercise from the ground.

1. Grab a set of dumbbells and hold one in each hand. Choose a weight that you can press at least 8 times.
2. Lie with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and slightly apart.
3. Keeping your head on the floor or bench, begin the press by extending your arms over your chest, palms facing away from your face.
4. Brace your midline by thinking about drawing your belly button into your spine.
5. Slowly bend both elbows until they are parallel with the ground.
6. Pause. Then repeat, pressing the weight overhead until both arms are fully extended.
7. Do 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.

2. Dumbbell pec fly

Tell your ego to take a seat. The pec fly is *not* a movement that should be performed with heavy weight.

Unlike the chest press, which is primarily a strength movement, the pec fly is more of a stretch. When you try this exercise you’ll feel exactly what we mean.

With every rep, you’ll help ease the tightness in your pecs and front shoulder muscles.

Oh, and yes, you can do this move at home or the gym. All you need is some very lightweight dumbbells (or cans).

1. Grab a set of light dumbbells and hold one in each hand.
2. Lie on the floor or bench with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and slightly apart.
3. Begin the fly by pressing your arms over your chest, palms facing each other, elbows slightly bent.
4. Engage the core muscles by drawing your ribs down the body.
5. Keeping elbows stiff, slowly lower the dumbbells in an arc motion to nipple height. You should feel a stretch in the chest muscles.
6. Pause, then reverse the movement until your arms are extended. Squeeze the chest at the top of the movement.
7. Do 2 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.

3. Alternating dumbbell press

As you might guess, the alternating dumbbell press is the same as the dumbbell press except for the fact that you’re only moving one dumbbell at a time.

Single-limb movements like this, which call on one side to work at a time, require a tremendous amount of stability (read: midline engagement). As a result, in addition to working your chest, shoulders, and triceps, this movement also works your core.

In other words, you get a tremendous amount of bang for your buck.

You can do alternating dumbbell chest press move at home or in the gym. But if you’re doing it at the gym, use a bench for extra support.

1. Grab a set of dumbbells and hold one in each hand, palms facing one another. Choose a weight that you can press at least 8 times.
2. Lay with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor at hips width. Engage your midline.
3. Extending your arms over your chest. Keeping the left dumbbell where it is, slowly lower the right dumbbell toward the chest until your elbow is at or just below parallel with the ground.
4. Pause, then press the weight overhead until the right arm is fully extended and the right palm is facing the left palm.
5. Repeat, this time moving your left time.
6. Do 2 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions, on each side.

4. Push-ups

Push-ups may be an easy exercise to hate, but they are one of the most versatile chest exercises out there. Not only can you perform them anywhere, but you can scale them to any strength level.

Plus, they strengthen your entire body all at once — with a special focus on your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core.

You can also modify this move to better suit your current fitness level.

Rather than starting from a high plank position, try it on your knees. Just don’t forget to maintain that straight line from knee to head as you do. Or, start with pushups on the wall.

1. Start on the floor in a high plank position, wrists stacked under shoulders.
2. Press the ground away with your palms and brace your midline. Pull your shoulder blades away from your neck and down your back.
3. Squeeze your quads, glutes, and core. Then lower yourself toward the floor by bending at elbows along your body.
4. Lower down until your chest hovers about one to two inches from the floor. Pause, and exhale as you press your body back to the starting position.
5. Do 2 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions
6.