Chest and Tricep Split Workout


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About this workout

The chest and tricep workout is designed to specifically target these two major muscle groups in your upper body. The workout routine is typically split into 5-7 exercises, with most of these exercises targeting your chest.

If you use 6 exercises, you'll probably want 4 chest exercises (that may also hit your triceps as compound exercises), along with 2 isolation tricep exercises.

To plan your chest exercises:

  • Bench press or dumbbell press - It's a good idea to start with this compound exercise that works your pectoral muscles, and also involves your triceps and shoulders.
  • Incline press - The incline press is also a must-have, since this targets your upper chest, helping you develop a well-rounded chest physique.
  • Other chest exercises - For the other chest exercises, consider exercises that isolate further your chest muscles. Cable crossovers, dumbbell flyes or dips are good options.

For your tricep exercises, we recommend choosing two tricep isolation exercises. Have a look at tricep pushdowns or the many variations of tricep extensions.

All the exercises in Gym Geek's Chest and Tricep Workout are performed with 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps. Take 60-90 seconds rest periods.

Weekly schedule

You can incorporate a chest and tricep workout into a split routine. If you train 4 days per week, you can choose when to take your rest days. For example, a routine may look like this:

  • Monday - Chest and Triceps
  • Tuesday - Back and Biceps
  • Wednesday - Rest
  • Thursday - Legs
  • Friday - Shoulders
  • Saturday - Rest
  • Sunday - Rest

Chest and tricep exercises

illustration - Flat bench dumbbell press

The dumbbell bench press is a compound movement that is a staple in any chest and tricep workout routine. It works your chest, shoulder and triceps muscles. Dumbbells allow a greater range of motion and activate more of your stabilizing muscles. But you can use a barbell bench press if you prefer.

How to do

  1. Lie flat on your back on a training bench.
  2. Grip the dumbbells with your hands and hold at shoulder-width apart.
  3. Lift the dumbbells up and hold it directly over your chest with your arms fully extended.
  4. Inhale and lower the dumbbells slowly until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle.
  5. Now, exhale and push the dumbbells back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms without locking your elbows.

Read more: How to Do a Bench Press

Muscles worked

The pectoral muscles, commonly known as "pecs", are the muscles located in your chest area. They are made up of two parts:

  • Pectoralis major - This is the larger of the two muscles, and is the most visible muscle in your chest. It is fan-shaped and stretches from your collarbone and sternum to the humerus in your upper arms. It’s responsible for movements like pushing and pressing.
  • Pectoralis minor - This is the thin, flat muscle that's located beneath your pectoralis major muscles. It stretches from your ribs to your scapula. It plays a key role in the movement and stabilization of your shoulder blades.
diagram - Pectoralis major and pectoralis minor, the chest muscles


Training chest and triceps together

Split workout routines are the most popular way of training. A split routine allows you to achieve a higher training frequency in your routine. This is because they work specific muscle groups on designated days, allowing you to alternate between different parts of your body without overtraining.

Whether you train 3, 4, 5 or 6 days per week, you will need to decide which muscles to work on each day of your workout. Most people go for a push pull legs (PPL) split that sees you dedicate one day to push exercises, one to pulling exercises and another to leg day.

In PPL, a push day targets your chest, shoulders and triceps. Pull day targets your back, biceps and rear delts. And leg day is for your quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves, as well as your lower back.

Some people prefer to take shoulders out onto its own day, leaving a day dedicated to just chest and triceps. That means you have 4 days in your split, which is fine if you train 4 days per week. To train more often you can repeat the routine every 8 days rather than 7, and this will allow you to maintain a high training volume.

illustration - planning a Chest and Triceps workout in a 4 day routine

Reasons for a dedicated chest and triceps day

If you are specifically looking to develop your chest and/or triceps, having a separate chest and tricep routine allows you to specifically target this area. If you have an imbalance between your chest and your back and biceps, it can be a simple way to get more control over your strength and muscle growth.

It's equally true if you want to dedicate time to developing your shoulders. Adopting this style of training necessarily means you'll be training your shoulders separately.

Tips

Always warm up

Before you start your chest and tricep workout, it’s essential that you warm up first. Warming up will increase your heart rate, gently stretch your muscles and increase the blood flow to them. It also helps prevent injuries because your muscles are prepared for the coming workout.

Start with light cardio, for example a jog for about 5-10 minutes to get your heart rate up. Follow this by some dynamic stretching that focuses on your chest, shoulders and tricep muscles.

Maintain proper form

When performing your chest and tricep exercises, maintaining proper form can not only reduce the risk of injury, but it can also improve the effectiveness of the exercise. We recommend checking out the detailed guides for each of the exercises, and consult with a personal trainer if you are unsure about the movements.

photo - Man with chest muscles performs the dip exercise, one of the exercises in the chest and tricep workout
Written by

Gym Geek’s health and fitness editor.


Updated