12 Best Chest and Triceps Exercises (With Workout Routines)

If you are looking for the best chest and tricep workout, then you have come to the right place. Combining chest and tricep workouts in a single session has proven to maximize muscle development and strength gains.

The connection between the chest and triceps is undeniable. These muscles work together during exercises like bench presses and push-ups.

While the chest muscles are the primary movers, the triceps play an important supporting role. This natural partnership makes training them together a cornerstone of modern bodybuilding routines.

This article covers everything you need to know about training chest and triceps at the gym and home. 

Why You Should Train Chest and Triceps Together in the Same Workout

During compound exercises, multiple muscles work together, with the primary muscles driving the movement and the synergistic and stabilizer muscles supporting it.

During pressing movements like bench press or push-ups, the main actions are elbow extension (straightening of the arm), driven by the triceps muscles, and horizontal adduction (arm towards the body’s midline), driven by the chest muscles. However, other muscles, such as the shoulder and forearm, work in this motion.

This is why bodybuilders have been training chest and triceps together for ages.

While isolating a single muscle is possible, it doesn’t fully engage these secondary muscles, even though they contribute to some extent.

It’s important to let you know that we strongly believe in first training your chest before your triceps during your workout routine. This is because your chest muscle will need your full energy and is most likely the heaviest to train and gain in terms of muscle.

How To Train Chest and Tricep For Mass And Strength

Some people prefer to perform chest and tricep exercises and workouts for strength, while others are more interested in workouts for building muscle.

Again, the different training goals will mostly affect the number of reps, sets, and weights used for the chest and tricep workouts.

Strength and muscle mass training have many similarities but also some differences. In this chest and tricep workout, you will target both gains.

• Strength training involves lifting heavy weights. Powerlifters and weightlifters routinely train with weights in the 1–5 repetition range (>85% of 1RM). Although higher rep ranges (less than 6 reps) have also been proven effective for strength gains.
• Muscle growth training has more to do with challenging and tiring out your muscles. As long as you push your muscles close to failure. You will obtain best muscle growth in the range of 5–12 reps per set (~60–85% of 1RM).
• For endurance, do the 15 to 20+ reps.

12 Best Chest And Triceps Exercises

So, here’s a list of a few of the best chest and triceps workouts for you to build up a strong and healthy body and muscle.

1. Bench Press
2. Incline Bench Press
3. Decline Bench Press
4. Machine Fly
5. Parallel Bar Dip (Chest Dip)
6. Incline Dumbbell Fly
7. Triceps Pushdown
8. Lying Triceps Extension
9. Overhead Barbell Triceps Extension
10. Bench Dip
11. Dumbbell Tricep Extension
12. Diamond Push-Ups

1. Bench Press

The bench press is one of the best chest muscle-building exercises. It should be the center of all your chest workouts. It is a fundamental exercise for the upper body and should be a part of any best chest and tricep workout regime.

That’s why, for overall chest and tricep development, the barbell press always remains on the top of the list.

To increase the variety, you could try:

• Dumbbell Bench Press
• Neutral Grip Dumbbell Press
• Cable Bench Press
• Single-arm dumbbell Press

How To Do It

1. Lie flat on the bench, keeping your feet on the floor for better balance.
2. Lift the bar off the rack and hold it at arm’s length above you.
3. Now lower the bar under controlled motion until it touches above the chest (around the nipple area).
4. Now, raise it until your arms are nearly locked out.

2. Incline Bench Press

If you’re looking for straightforward barbell upper chest exercises to add to your routine, the Incline barbell press is a great staple exercise to get you started.

It’s a variation of the traditional flat barbell bench press, where the bench is set to an inclined position.

The angle of the adjustable bench in this variation puts more tension on your upper chest muscles than a flat bench press would.

To increase the variety, try:

• Incline dumbbell bench press
• Incline cable Press
• Hammer grip Incline dumbbell Press

How To Do It

1. Lie back on an incline bench. Ensure the bench is adjusted to 30-45 degrees on an incline.
2. Lift the bar from the rack using a shoulder-width overhand grip on the bar.
3. Hold it over yourself with your arms locked.
4. Bring the bar down slowly until you feel the bar on your chest. Pause slightly at this point.
5. Raise your arms until they are nearly locked out.

3. Decline Bench Press

The decline press is much better than the flat bench press for building your lower chest muscles, which gives your chest a fuller, denser, more attractive look.

To do the decline bench press, you’ll need a specialized decline bench that puts the back pad at about a 15-30 degree angle. 

You can do this exercise with a variety of grips and different equipment. 

• Decline dumbbell bench press
• Incline cable Press
• Hammer grip Incline dumbbell Press

How To Do It

1. Lie on a decline bench and secure your legs at the end.
2. Lift the bar from the rack using a shoulder-width overhand grip on the bar. Hold it over yourself with your arms locked.
3. Bring the bar down slowly until you feel the bar on your chest. Pause slightly at this point.
4. As you exhale, move the bar back up to the starting position.
5. Use your chest muscles to push the bar. Hold for a second, and then slowly lower it again.

4. Machine Fly

The machine chest fly is a popular exercise in gyms and fitness centers because it isolates the chest muscles. This means the exercise only works the chest muscles without actively working the triceps or shoulders.

Since the exercise is fully seated and supported by a back pad, it is easy to practice good posture and form while using the machine.

There are many kinds of flying machines that you can try out.

How To Do It

1. Adjust the seat so that your feet are flat on the floor.
2. Ensure that the handles are at chest level or slightly below.
3. Sit on the machine with your back firmly against the backrest.
4. Grab the vertical handles with elbows slightly bent.
5. Keep your chest lifted, shoulders down and back, and core engaged.
6. Exhale as you slowly bring the handles together in front of your chest.
7. Once the handles are together, pause briefly at the fully contracted position. Squeeze your chest muscles and feel the tension in the target area.
8. Inhale and gradually release the handles, allowing your arms to return to the initial position.

5. Parallel Bar Dip (Chest Dip)

The Parallel Bar Dip, also known as the Chest Dip, is a compound bodyweight exercise primarily targeting the chest (lower chest muscles), shoulders, and triceps.

Unlike regular dips, which focus more on the tricep muscles, the chest dip requires leaning forward and flaring your elbows a bit. This small change focuses more on the chest muscle.

When you perform dips, you can hit the outer area of your pec muscles much more easily than with bench presses or push-ups.

How To Do It

1. Hold on to the parallel bars and raise yourself at arm’s length.
2. Lean slightly forward to emphasize chest engagement.
3. Slowly lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms parallel the ground.
4. Press back up and feel a good chest contraction in addition to your triceps.

6. Incline Dumbbell Fly

The incline dumbbell fly is an isolated strength exercise that targets the upper chest muscle.

Because of the incline bench position, it allows for the isolation of the harder to develop upper pec that is not achievable performing a basic flat bench fly.

To increase the variety, try experimenting with:

• Decline Dumbbell Fly
• Standing Dumbbell Fly
• Incline Cable Fly
• Incline Chest Fly

How To Do It

1. Set an incline bench at a 30-to 45-degree angle. Lie on the bench with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Lift your arms straight up from your shoulders and the dumbbells directly over your upper chest.
3. Slowly lower your arms to your sides until your wrists reach about shoulder level or slightly above.
4. Bring your arms back toward the midline of your body, focusing on using your pec muscles to draw them back together.

7. Triceps Pushdown

The triceps pushdown is the best exercise for the triceps. Unlike barbell or dumbbell exercises, the cable provides a uniform resistance throughout the movement, where the resistance varies during the help.

It can be performed with different grip positions and using different angles and attachments. 

• Reverse grip
• Single-arm pushdown
• V-grip,
• Rope attachment,
• Long bar……. get creative!

How To Do It

1. Stand facing a high-pulley cable with a short straight bar attached to it.
2. Slightly bend your knees and feet, which should be about shoulder-width apart.
3. Grasp the Short bar with a pronated grip (palm down) and hold the bar at chest level with your elbows tight against your sides.
4. Keeping your elbows stationary, straighten your arms until they are fully extended.
5. Pause at full arm extension, flex your triceps, and slowly return the bar to the starting position.

8. Lying Triceps Extension

The lying tricep extension is one of the most effective tricep-building exercises.

This exercise can be performed while lying on a flat bench using a flat barbell, EZ bar, dumbbell, or two dumbbells.

How To Do It

1. Lie on a flat bench with your feet on the floor.
2. Hold a barbell at full arm extension over your chest.
3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower your lower arms to bring the bar down to your forehead, then push it back up.
4. Do not lock your elbows out, and repeat for desired reps.
5. This exercise should be done slowly and carefully under good control.

9. Overhead Barbell Triceps Extension

The Overhead Tricep Extension, is a relatively simple yet effective isolation exercise for developing the triceps.

It works all three heads (long head, the lateral head, and the medial head) of the muscle, especially targeting the long head of the triceps.

There are many ways to do this exercise:

• Dumbbell Overhead Tricep Extension
• Cable Overhead Tricep Extension

How To Do It

1. Sit on a bench/stand upright and hold a barbell overhead, holding it with a shoulder-width grip.
2. Keep your upper arms right beside your head.
3. Keep your body and upper arms still. Only your forearms should move.
4. Slowly lower the bar behind your head until your elbows form 90-degree angles, then lift it back to full arm extension.

10. Bench Dip

Bench dips are one of the basic and best bodyweight exercises. They mainly target the triceps, but they also hit the chest and anterior deltoid, or the front part of the shoulder.

Elevating the feet brings more chest and shoulder into the movement. It also allows for extra weight on the hips.

How To Do It

1. Place your hands on the side of a flat bench so that your body is perpendicular to the bench when you place your feet out in front of you.
2. Sit on one bench and place your feet on the edge of the other bench so that your legs are suspended between the two.
3. Your arms should be fully extended with your palms on the bench.
4. Bend your elbows to lower your body down until your elbows reach 90 degrees.
5. Now, extend your arms to lift your body back to the starting position, flexing your triceps hard at the top.

Know More: Tricep Dips At Home For Beginner For Bigger Arms

11. Dumbbell Tricep Extension

The seated dumbbell tricep extension is one of the best exercises for isolating the triceps muscles.

Overhead extension exercises are beneficial in targeting the long head of the triceps muscle. A larger and denser long head will give you the overall appearance of a larger tricep.

How To Do It

1. Sit on a flat bench, grab a dumbbell with both hands
2. Keep the head in a fairly neutral position.
3. Lift the dumbbell until your arms are fully extended with palms facing the roof and elbows pointing forward.
4. Bend at the elbows and squeeze your triceps, slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head.
5. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat the desired number of sets and reps.

12. Diamond Push-Ups

Diamond Push Ups, also known as triangle push-ups, are a more advanced variation of the classic push-up.

If you’re looking for a good body weight movement to train and work your triceps and chest, then diamond push-ups are it.

To make the diamond push-up easier, perform it on your knees.

How To Do It

1. Get on the floor with your hands together under your chest.
2. Position your index fingers and thumbs, so they’re touching, forming a diamond shape.
3. Now, extend your arms to elevate your body and form a straight line from your head to your feet.
4. Lower your chest towards your hands, ensuring you don’t flare your elbows to the sides and keep your back flat.
5. Stop just before your chest touches the floor, then push back up to the starting position.

Read More : Best Tricep Workout At Home Without Equipment For Bigger Arms

How To Schedule A Chest and Tricep Workout

There are numerous workout splits. However, they would all fall into one of two categories.

1. A body part split: Workout routines that train related muscle groups on separate days.
2. A Push Pull Legs split: Workout routines that train related muscle groups on the same day.

You can use this with any other program you have.

To give you an idea of how this workout can fit into various programs, I wanted to give you a rough estimate of how often you could do it without interfering with other workouts.

Body Part Routine Split

If you have a 4 or 5 day body part split:

• Day 1: Back and Bicep Workout
• Day 2: Chest and Tricep Workout
• Day 3: Legs and Shoulder Workout
• Day 4: Back and Bicep Workout
• Day 5: Chest and Tricep Workout

Push Pull Legs Routine Split:

You could do a 5 or 6-day PPL split:

5 Days Workout Plan:

• Day 1: Push Day (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps Workout)
• Day 2: Pull Day (Back And Bicep, Rear Delt Workout)
• Day 3: Leg Day (Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings, Core Workout)
• Day 4: Push Day
• Day 5: Pull Day
• Day 6-7: Rest
• Note: Start the following next week with Leg Day. 

6-Day Workout Plan:

• Day 1: Push Day (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps Workout)
• Day 2: Pull Day (Back and Bicep, Rear Delt Workout)
• Day 3: Leg Day (Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings, Core Workout)
• Day 4: Rest
• Day 5: Push Day
• Day 6: Pull Day
• Day 7: Leg Day
• Day 8: Rest
  — Repeat

Chest and Tricep Workout Routine For Beginner

It’s time to share a workout routine with you. It is a beginner’s level chest and tricep workout. Below, you will find an easy-to-understand workout routine for beginners.

To make this a real mass-builder, choose weight loads that cause failure within the rep ranges listed.

If you get less than 10 reps on the exercises, don’t worry. The next time you complete this workout, you will know what to expect and be mentally and physically stronger.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Bench Press	4	8-12	60-90 sec
Dumbbell Pullover	4	10-12	60-90 sec
Dumbbell Fly	3	8-10	60-90 sec
Triceps Pushdown	4	8-10	60-90 sec
Lying Triceps Extension	4	8-10	60-90 sec

Workout Routine For Intermediate

Pyramid up in weight from 30 to 50% of your one-rep max. Keep the working sets to no higher than 80-85% of your one-rep max.

Train to failure for each set and allow 3–4 days of rest between workouts for the same muscle group.

Here is the updated workout routine in tabular form, including the rest period:

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Bench Press	4	8-10	60-90 sec
Incline Bench Press	4	10-12	60-90 sec
Decline Bench Press	3	8-10	60-90 sec
Dumbbell Fly	3	8-10	60-90 sec
Triceps Extension	4	8-10	60-90 sec
Triceps Pushdown	4	10-12	60-90 sec
Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension	3	8-10	60-90 sec

Chest and Tricep Superset Workout Plan

 A superset is doing two different exercises without enough rest in between.

1. Incline Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-12 reps, superset with,
   • Incline Tricep Extension: 4 sets of 6-8 reps.
2. Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps, superset with,
   • Triceps Pushdown: 3 sets of 8-10 reps.
3. Machine Fly: 3 sets of 8-12 reps, superset with,
   • Two Arm Dumbbell Extension: 3 sets of 6-8 reps.

FAQs

Sets and Reps You Do For Chest And Tricep Exercise?

Do you remember that the triceps are involved in most chest exercises?

If you were to do 10-20 sets for the chest each week, you would not also need 10-20 sets for the triceps because the tricep would already receive a lot of secondary volume while training the chest.

If your goal is to achieve both strength and muscle growth, I would begin with some heavier sets with low reps (around 5 reps/set) in the bench press and then go up a little higher in reps (6–20 Reps/set) in the last 2–3 exercises.

For the triceps, you do 2 to 3 sets (6–20 Reps/set) of isolated triceps exercises.

Can you train chest and triceps together?

Yes, you can train the chest and triceps together in your workout regime. Many fitness gurus and bodybuilders prefer this approach since chest work already involves working the triceps.

How Many Sets and Reps Should I Do?

For almost every exercise of chest or triceps, 3–4 work sets (the real work you do, not warm-up sets) is a good choice. But rep ranges fluctuate. You can go as low as 5 reps on heavy presses and up to 15–30 reps for accessory work.

Is Chest And Tricep A Good Workout?

Yes, you can train your chest and tricep together in your workout regime to gain mass. Many fitness gurus and bodybuilders prefer to train them together since you are already working the tricep when doing chest.

Which Exercises Should I Perform To Train My Chest And Triceps?

Weight-lifting exercises like the bench press, push-up, and dip are great for developing chest and triceps strength.

Conclusion

You have already been introduced to the best chest and tricep exercises for building muscle mass and strength. Please ensure you do these exercises correctly, which will greatly impact your progress.

You have also been shown three types of chest and tricep workout routines.

Depending on your preference, you can try out one of these and then let us know how it has worked for you.

Thanks for reading, enjoy your Workout

STAY FIT, LIVE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY LIFE

References

1. Int J Exerc Sci. 2020 Aug 1;13(6):859-872. Effects of Horizontal and Incline Bench Press on Neuromuscular Adaptations in Untrained Young Men.
2. Strength and Conditioning Journal: October 2017 – Volume 39 – Issue 5 – p 33-35. Large and Small Muscles in Resistance Training: Is It Time for a Better Definition?
3. J Strength Cond Res. 2020 May;34(5):1254-1263. Varying the Order of Combinations of Single- And Multi-Joint Exercises Differentially Affects Resistance Training Adaptations.
4. J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2018, 3(2), 28. Triceps Brachii Muscle Strength and Architectural Adaptations with Resistance Training Exercises at Short or Long