An easy home chest and triceps workout with 9 exercises using body weight or dumbbells to help tone and strengthen your arms and chest.
If you’re looking for more at-home workouts, be sure to check out my 8 Minute Ab Workout or mine Bodybuilding Arm Workouts at Home.
Exercises to strengthen the chest and triceps
Like any other woman out there, I was always looking for ways to “get those guns” (ie arm definition). I’m a firm believer that lifting weights is one of those ways. But the good news is it doesn’t have to be crazy heavy. Consistency is key.
Why pair these two muscle groups?
Your chest and triceps are two separate muscle groups that don’t hinder or fight each other. So pairing these two muscle groups together is actually a great option. Most of the exercises for these two muscle groups are pushing exercises, making it another great pairing.
How can strengthening these areas improve health?
Your body has several major muscle groups, and your pecs are definitely one of them. Your pecs can do a lot of things. They help stabilize the shoulder joint and improve breathing in addition to improving posture. Strengthening and lengthening the chest muscles with exercises such as chest presses, chest butterflies, or push-ups can help support deeper breathing, which in turn supports overall health. It’s amazing what exercise does to our bodies, and it’s not just about “building muscle.” It’s about overall strength, health and wellness.
9 Exercises to Build Your Chest and Triceps
When it comes to chest and triceps workouts, these are some of the exercises I’ve found to be the most beneficial. I recommend doing 3 sets of each exercise for 10-12 repetitions per set.
Glute bridge with chest compressions – Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor, knees bent, and a weight in front of your chest. Squeeze your glutes as you push your pelvis toward the ceiling, forming a bridge. Keep your ribs aligned with your pelvis. Hold the bridge, press the weight to the ceiling directly above your shoulders, and lower in a controlled manner. repeat. Repeat 10-12 times.
hand release push-ups – Start in a plank position with shoulders over wrists and core engaged. Slowly lower your chest down to the floor, keeping your elbows at a 45° angle. Once you reach the bottom, lift your hands off the ground and hover for 1-2 seconds. Bring your hands back into a push-up position, engage your core and push yourself back into a high plank position. repeat. Repeat 10-12 times.
Plank Bear Shoulder Tap – Start in a high plank position with shoulders over wrists. Slowly step into your feet until your knees are directly below your hipbones. In this position, lift your right hand off the ground and tap your left shoulder. Put it back on the ground. Now, lift your left hand off the ground and tap your right shoulder. Repeat this process, always keeping the core engaged. Perform 15 repetitions on each side.
Closed Grip Chess Press – Start by lying on your back (on a bench or the floor) with the weight close to your chest. Once you’re in position, take a deep breath and push the dumbbell heads together so they touch each other. In one fluid motion, push the dumbbells up from the chest to directly overhead until the elbows lock out at the top. Continue to push the dumbbells together while lowering them under control. Once the dumbbells touch your chest, push them back to the starting position. repeat. Repeat 10-12 times.
dumbbell floor press – Start by lying on your back with your knees bent at 45 degrees and your feet flat on the ground. The weight will start from our chest. Contract the triceps and chest, and push the weight straight up to full extension. Slowly lower the weight until your elbows touch the floor, then push both dumbbells back to the starting position. repeat. Repeat 10-12 times.
chest fly – With your back flat on a bench or floor, place the dumbbells over your chest in a neutral grip. Push your shoulder blades back onto the bench to stabilize your shoulders. down to earth. Bend your elbows slightly, then lower the weights to the sides in unison, moving only on the shoulders. Lower the dumbbells until you feel a stretch in your chest, then raise the dumbbells back to the starting position. repeat. Repeat 10-12 times.
Triceps Dip: For this exercise, you’ll need to sit on the edge of a bench or chair and grab the edge with your hands near your hips. Your thumbs should be close to your hips and your fingers should be pointing toward your feet. Extend your legs so that your feet are hip-width apart, with your heels touching the ground. Look straight ahead. Slide forward far enough to let your glutes clear the edge of the bench or chair. Press yourself down toward the ground until your elbows are bent 45 to 90 degrees. Control movement throughout the entire range of motion. Slowly push yourself back until your arms are almost straight. repeat. Repeat 10-12 times.
Side Lying Tricep Pushups – Lie on one side with shoulders, hips and feet stacked. Place your upper hand on the mat, directly in front of your lower shoulder. The bottom hands will wrap around your waist just below your chest. Now, doing all of the work with your upper arm, press yourself up with that arm and lower down to the mat, returning to the starting position. repeat. Repeat on the other side. Perform 10-12 reps on each side.
Triceps Pushups – Place your hands directly under your shoulders, keep your neck and spine neutral, and bring your feet together in a plank position. Lower yourself to the ground like a regular pushup, but keep your elbows pinned to your sides and your upper arms straight back. Lower until your chest reaches the floor and return to start. repeat. (modification – exercise on knees) for 10-12 reps
