This workout will help you get those big, defined chest and triceps muscles. It features compound pull movements as well as isolated movements for your chest and triceps. You’ll also notice we’ve featured some dumbbell and barbell workouts. Adding a single armed exercise (where you push weight in each arm independently) will help you with your balance so that both your dominant and nondominant arm remain the same strength and symmetry.

Because there are a few intermediate, compound movements in this workout like skullcrushers and incline barbell bench press, go with higher reps and lower weights until you’re comfortable with the movement. This will also help you get nice toned muscles. Once you’re more comfortable, feel free to increase weight each time you workout and lower your reps. This will give you a nice pump to aid in your muscle gains.

For extra safety during higher weight sets, especially for the weighted movements (incline bench press, dumbbell bench press, etc.) consider using a spotter.

If you really want to challenge yourself, for the last set of each exercise, pick a lower weight – say 50% – 70% lower than your highest weighted set and rep out until failure.

A last pro-tip, is to warm up before your workout by stretching and doing reps with little or no weight. This will get your blood pumping and prevent injury on higher weighted exercises.

Exercise no. 1

Pec Deck

4 sets of 8-12 reps

Pec Deck is a great way to really stretch your chest and get a good pump.

  1. Sit down at the pec deck machine with your back against the back padding. You’ll want to position the seat so that if you put your arms on the handlebars they’re parallel to the floor.
  2. Adjust the machine so each of the handles are on your left and right side.
  3. Grip the handles and with your arms straight, but elbows slightly bent, push both handles towards the middle.You should feel your chest squeezing together. Hold this position for 1-2 seconds.
  4. Now slowly ease the handles back to their starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Exercise no. 2

Tricep Pushdowns

4 sets of 10 reps

  1. Attach an EZ bar or rope attachment to a high pulley. Stand 1-2 steps away from the pulley with your feet shoulder width apart.
  2. If you’re using an EZ bar hold the bar on the inside grips with your palms facing down and your hands in an almost upside down V following the natural curve of the EZ Bar. If you’re using a rope attachment hold the ends of the rope out in front of you in an upside down V shape.
  3. Keep your elbows into your body and your upper our stationary. While exhaling, slowly bring the EZ bar or rope downwards towards your legs as far as you can. During this movement it’s very important you keep your wrists as straight as possible – rotating them with the movement to avoid injury.
  4. When you get to the bottom of the movement pause for moment. Now slowly inhale while bringing the bar up towards the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired amount of reps.
Exercise no. 3

Tricep Dips

4 sets of 10 reps

  1. Place your hands shoulder width apart on a stable chair or a secured bench. Slide your butt off the seat with your legs stretched out in front of you. Straighten your arm while keeping just a small bend in your elbows to reduce elbow joint tension.
  2. Bend your elbows to lower your body until your elbows are at about a 90 degree angle. Make sure to keep your back as close to the bench as possible.
  3. Once you reach the bottom of the movement, press down into the bench to straighten your elbows, returning to the starting position. This completes one repetition.
  4. Repeat for the desired amount of reps.

Tips: Keep your shoulders down as you’re performing this exercise. You can also bend your legs to make the dip easier.

Exercise no. 4

Skull Crushers

4 sets of 10 reps

  1. Start by grabbing an EZ bar. Load weight if desired and lay flat down on a flat bench with your head almost touching the end of the bench. At this point you should be holding the EZ bar in your hands with your palms facing each other following the close grip, inward curls of the EZ bar.
  2. Keep your upper arms close to your body and raise the bar up so that your arms are perpendicular with your body.
  3. While inhaling, slowly lower the weight back backwards towards your head while keeping your upper arm and elbow still.
  4. Once you’re about to touch the top of your head pause, then exhale as your bring the weight back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired amount of reps.
Exercise no. 5

Incline Barbell Bench Press

4 sets of 10 reps

The Incline Bench Press is similar to a normal bench press, just on an incline bench instead of a flat bench

  1. Pick and load the desired amount of weight onto your flat bar. Sit down on the incline and grip the bar slightly more than shoulder width apart. It should seems as though you’re “punching” the ceiling. Lie back on the incline bench pushing the weight up over your head with your arms locked.
  2. From this position slowly bring the bar down until the bar almost or does touch your middle chest. Inhale through this movement.
  3. After a brief pause, push the bar to the starting place while breathing out. Concentrate on pushing using your chest muscles. Squeeze your chest at the peak position of the movement, hold for a second, then begin coming down again slowly for your next rep. Tip: Ideally, lowering the weight should take about twice as long as raising it.
  4. Once you’re done with the movement carefully place the bar back on the rack.
Exercise no. 6

Dumbbell Bench Press

4 sets of 10 reps

The Dumbbell Bench Press is similar to a normal bench press, just with dumbbells instead of a straight bar.

  1. Sit down on a flat bench with your desired weights resting on your knees. Lie back on the flat bench pushing the weight up over your head with your arms locked.
  2. From this position slowly bring the weights down until the dumbbells touch your middle chest. Inhale through this movement.
  3. After a brief pause, push the dumbbells to the starting place while breathing out. Concentrate on pushing on dumbbells using your chest muscles. Squeeze your chest at the peak position of the movement, hold for a second, then begin coming down again slowly for your next rep. Tip: Ideally, lowering the weight should take about twice as long as raising it.
  4. Once you’re down with the movement bring the dumbbells back onto your knees before setting them down to prevent any injury.
Exercise no. 7

Decline Push Ups

4 sets of 10 reps

Decline push ups, are similar to regular push ups, except your feet/legs are elevated to create a decline positions.

  1. Start by getting into pushup position with your arms shoulder width apart and your legs near a bench or box. Put your feet on top of this bench or box to create a declined position.
  2. While trying to keep your arms tucked in towards your torso and breathing in, lower your torso down to the floor until your chest almost touches the floor.
  3. Exhaling through the movement, push yourself back up to your initial starting position.
  4. Pause, then repeat the movement for your next rep.

Jael Lopez

I'm a 1x overall champion, and sponsored by WNC, having performed at multiple shows and trained multiple clients. My goal is to inspire people all over the world achieve their fitness goals.
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Kiyan Sheikh

My goal is to inspire others to reach their fitness goals and become a confident, better version of themselves. Being fit doesn’t just mean going from fatty to lean, people that are lean also need help increasing things like their cardio or endurance.
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