Are you looking for a simple and effective chest and tricep workout at home? One you can do with little to no equipment?
If so, you’re in luck. Today’s post will cover a few practical ways to train your chest and triceps at home, regardless of your current fitness level.
Let’s dive in.
Why Train The Chest and Triceps Together?
Training your chest and triceps is a natural fit because many exercises require the two muscle groups to work together.
Take the push-up as an example. The exercise primarily works the chest, but the triceps assist because they are solely responsible for elbow extension (straightening of the arms), which occurs on every rep.
A ‘push’ day is when you train your chest and triceps together. It can consist of various exercises, depending on your goals, available equipment, schedule, and preferences.
In contrast to push days, we have ‘pull’ workouts, where you train the muscles responsible for pulling motions, such as pull-ups, bent-over rows, and bicep curls. Such workouts include exercises that train the back and biceps, which work together well, like the chest and triceps.
A List of Exercises For The Chest and Triceps
The following table breaks down some of the best exercises for the chest and triceps:
| Chest and Tricep Workout With Dumbbells |
|---|
| CHEST |
| Dumbbell Press (on a home bench or steps) |
| Dumbbell flyes (on a home bench or steps) |
| Dumbbell floor press |
| TRICEPS |
| Seated Dumbbell Overhead Extensions |
| Dumbbell Kickback |
| Chest and Tricep Workout Without Dumbbells |
|---|
| CHEST |
| Standard Push-up |
| Incline Push-up |
| Decline Push-up |
| Wide-stance Push-up |
| TRICEPS |
| Diamond Push-up |
| Tricep Dips (on a bench, chair, or table) |
| Feet-elevated Tricep Dips (a more advanced version) |
Practically speaking, each of the above exercises will train the chest and triceps, but some activities will emphasize the chest, whereas others will focus on the triceps.
For instance, diamond push-ups emphasize the triceps (the lateral/outside head), but they also work the chest.
Chest and Tricep Workout at Home: Sets And Reps
We recommend doing one to three sets per exercise for most people. If you’re new to weight training, start with less volume to ease into your training plan and control muscle soreness. As you gain momentum, work up to three sets per exercise.
As for recovery between sets, aim for around 30 seconds, especially on high-rep sets. For example, if you don’t have access to heavy dumbbells and must do 20+ reps per set, shorter rest periods will lead to higher metabolic stress and better muscle pumps. (1)
Still, if you want to do heavier sets (say, 6 to 12 reps), you can recover for up to two minutes.
Chest and Tricep Workout at Home: Which to Do First?
Always start your workouts by training the larger muscle groups first before concluding with the smaller ones. So train your chest first and do isolation work for your triceps near the end. (2)
This is a good rule with any workout, home or gym. Always train your larger muscle groups first, as they will put the highest drain on your body. So as you fatigue moving through your workout, you’ll have the smaller muscle groups near the end.
Safety And Warm-Up
As with any form of exercise, ensure safety by preparing your body before each workout. Warm up through a combination of light cardio, dynamic stretching, and warm-up sets. (3)
For example, you can do some high knees, jogging in place, and jumping jacks for a few minutes. Then, proceed to some arm swings and other dynamic movements to prepare your shoulders, elbows, and wrists.
Once you’re done with that, ease into your workout by using a lighter weight and doing controlled reps.
The entire process shouldn’t take you longer than five to ten minutes, but it will ensure a high-quality chest and tricep workout at home.
Click for more home workout routines.
Here are some more focused home workouts for chest and triceps that do not require any equipment.
Philip Stefanov
Philip is a fitness writer, blogger, certified personal trainer, and the founder of ThinkingLifter.com. He has spent the last seven years writing fitness content and training men and women in the gym, as well as online. His passion is fitness and exercise, and helping others improve their fitness and wellness.
References
- Editors, M. F. (2015, March 31). Rest periods between sets. Muscle & Fitness.
https://www.muscleandfitness.com/flexonline/training/rest-periods-between-sets/#:~:text=Short%20rest%20periods%20produce%20higher,seen%20with%20shorter%20rest%20periods. - Leaf Group. (n.d.). Which muscle group should you work out first, larger or smaller? | livestrong. LIVESTRONG.COM. https://www.livestrong.com/article/471151-which-muscle-group-should-you-work-out-first-larger-or-smaller/
- Elizabeth Quinn, M. S. (2020, March 13). Prevent injuries. Verywell Fit.
https://www.verywellfit.com/how-to-warm-up-before-exercise-3119266
