You’ve got a friend’s wedding in two months but you’re out of shape. It’s your first time stepping foot in the gym and you can feel everyone giving you the side eye (they’re not).
So you pick up a couple dumbbells before heading over to an empty bench. But then it dawns on you – what exercise should you do and how do you do it properly?
Great news! We’ve all been there, me included. That’s why I created this chest and triceps gym workout routine to help beginners get started, complete with video demonstrations and tips to avoid common mistakes.
Complete Chest and Triceps Workout at Gym for Beginners
For beginners, I recommend training your chest and triceps once or twice a week. The key is to always apply progressive overload, do the full range of movements with proper form, and be consistent.
You can also mix it up by incorporating supersets and drop sets to each exercise. This workout routine is designed to get you started in the gym by conditioning your body and muscles. After about a month, I highly recommend doing exercises with heavier weights like barbell bench presses for strength development.
Full exercise plan:
- Dumbbell incline bench press: 4 sets of 5 reps
- Dumbbell squeeze press: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Cable push down: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Single-arm overhead dumbbell extension: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Cable extensions (pronation): 3 sets of 15 reps
1. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
The incline angle specifically targets the upper chest, a frequently overlooked part of the pectoralis major. This exercise also helps in correcting muscular imbalances by ensuring that both arms exert independent effort.
One common mistake most beginners make is doing half or shallow reps. Sure, being able to lift heavier weights is great, but proper form is what’s going to develop your pec muscles to its fullest potential.
Sets and reps: 4 sets of 5 repetitions
Primary muscles: Upper pectoralis major (upper chest)
Secondary muscles: Triceps, anterior deltoids (front shoulders)
Step-by-step:
- Set an incline bench to 30-45 degrees. Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie back on the bench.
- Brace your core, arch your back slightly, and retract your scapula (shoulder blades).
- Press upwards until your arms are fully extended and squeeze your pecs at the top.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position.
Expert tips: Do the full range of motion with your shoulder blades retracted the entire time. This helps generate power and prevents using your shoulder. Also, control your breathing – exhale when pressing and inhale when lowering.
2. Dumbbell Squeeze Press
The dumbbell squeeze press isolates the chest muscles through a limited range of motion. Slow down during the eccentric/lowering phase for longer time under tension, which improves your gains. It’s one of my favorite chest exercises for getting that mind-muscle connection.
You’ll want to think of it as ‘crushing’ the dumbbells between your hands by contracting your chest muscles. Do this throughout the entire exercise while maintaining a tight grip to avoid dropping the weights.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Primary muscles: Inner chest
Secondary muscles: Triceps, shoulders
Step-by-step:
- Lie down on a flat bench squeezing a pair of dumbbells together straight above your chest.
- Lower the dumbbells over 2 seconds until they just slightly touch your chest.
- Press upwards within 1 second until your arms are fully extended, squeezing your pec muscles at the top.
Expert tips: As with a bench press, keep your shoulder blades retracted throughout the entire entire exercise. Your wrist should also be linear with your arms to avoid injury.
3. Cable push down
This exercise is a cable machine variation of a tricep dip. Both are great exercises, but the cable push down trains both your chest and triceps – somewhat like a combination of a dip and cable fly.
Avoid using spinal extension and flexion — your torso completely still throughout the movement. You’ll also want to retract your scapula to activate your chest muscles instead of deltoids.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Primary muscles: Triceps, pectoralis major (chest)
Secondary muscles: Forearms
Step-by-step:
- Stand in front of a cable machine with a bar attachment set at the top.
- Grip the bar with palms each other.
- Push the bar down by extending your elbows and squeeze your chest.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
Expert tips: Keep your elbows close to your body and maintain a neutral spine throughout the entire exercise. I recommend getting the hang of this movement with lower weights first because improper form will only invite injuries.
4. Single Arm Overhead Extensions
Overhead extensions isolate the long head of the triceps for complete development. I prefer doing them one arm at a time because it develops core stability and avoids muscle imbalance.
Do the full range of motion without relying on momentum or ‘bouncing’ the weight. Your hand should lower to about neck level and extend back up to around 90%.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 repetitions (no rest between each arm)
Primary muscles: Triceps (especially the long head)
Secondary muscles: None
Step-by-step:
- Grab a dumbbell and sit on a flat bench. Raise the dumbbell overhead with arm extended.
- Keeping upper arm still, slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head by bending at the elbow.
- Reverse the motion to full arm extension and flex the triceps.
Expert tips: Aside from your forearms, your entire body should be moving throughout the entire exercise. Your elbows should also be facing frontwards rather than flaring outwards.
5. Cable Extensions
Cable extensions are a great way to finish off the workout routine with constant tension isolated at your triceps. The cables provide resistance through the full range of motion and pronation at the end for enhanced muscle engagement.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Primary muscles: Triceps
Secondary muscles: Forearms
Step-by-step:
- At the cable machine, grab the rope and position your upper arms against your sides.
- Push the rope down until your arms fully extend without moving your elbows and upper arm.
- Slowly return to the start position
Expert tips: Focus on the wrist rotation at the end to engage the forearms and optimize triceps contraction.
Understanding the Chest and Triceps Muscle Group Anatomy
The chest is primarily made up of two muscle groups: the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor.
- Pectoralis Major: This is the large, fan-shaped muscle that covers the front of the upper ribcage. It has two distinct parts: the clavicular head (upper chest) and the sternal head (lower chest). The primary function of the pectoralis major is to bring the arm across the body (adduction) and rotate the arm inwards.
- Pectoralis Minor: Located underneath the pectoralis major, this smaller muscle connects the scapula (shoulder blade) to the rib cage. Its primary role is the downward motion of the scapula.
The triceps brachii, commonly known as the triceps, is located on the back of the upper arm and consists of three heads:
- Long Head: Originates from the scapula and is responsible for the extended range and power during exercises like overhead extensions.
- Lateral Head: Located on the outer side of the arm, it gives the triceps its horseshoe shape. This head is primarily targeted during pushdown movements.
- Medial Head: Positioned beneath the long and lateral heads, it plays a role in stabilizing the arm during fine motor movements.
Understanding the intricacies of these muscle groups can help in choosing the most effective exercises and ensuring that all parts of the muscle are adequately worked.
Key Takeaways
If you’re a beginner looking for a killer chest and triceps workout routine at the gym, these 5 exercises will fully develop your pec muscles and triceps.
- Dumbbell incline bench press: 4 sets of 5 reps
- Dumbbell squeeze press: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Cable push down: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Single-arm overhead dumbbell extension: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Cable extensions (pronation): 3 sets of 15 reps
Make sure to pair your chest and tricep day with proper nutrition! I highly recommend supplements from EHPLabs like OxyShred and Acetyl L-Carnitine.
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FAQ
What Are the Best Chest Exercises?
For chest, I recommend incline dumbbell press, dumbbell squeeze press, and cable flyes.
What Are the Best Triceps Exercises?
My top triceps exercises are single arm overhead extensions and cable extensions.
How Often Should I Train Chest and Triceps?
Ideally, train chest 1-2 times per week and triceps 1-2 times per week with at least 1 rest day between workouts.
Why Train Chest and Triceps Together?
Working out chest and triceps together is efficient because they’re synergistically activated in many upper body movements. Combining them maximizes training intensity and promotes muscle growth in complementary regions.