Chest day provokes the images of gym bros racking as many plates as possible on the barbell for the bench press. Whilst the bench press is a great chest exercise, there are several other exercises that target the chest and triceps without the need for loads of equipment. Here at Mirafit, we’ve put together a list of our 10 favourite chest and triceps exercises that you can do at home without the need for specialist equipment such as a tricep machine.

Anatomy of the Chest and Triceps

The chest and triceps muscles are responsible for forward pushing movements and also aid the shoulders with overhead pressing. Because of this, exercises such as push ups and bench press are commonly used to build strength in the chest and triceps.

Pectoralis Major

The is the largest and most superficial (closest to the skin) muscle in the chest. The pec major muscles are a triangular shape and span from the armpit all the way to the sternum and clavicle. Because it’s the biggest muscle, it is easy to target when training.

Pectoralis Minor

This muscle lies underneath the major and is a small muscle that spans from the rib cage to the scapular. It helps to stabilise the scapular.

Serratus Anterior

The serratus anterior is a peculiar muscle because it is a fan shape that runs along the rib cage. This muscle helps to stabilise the scapular as well scapular protraction and upward rotation.

Subclavicus

The smallest of the chest muscles, the subclavius resides directly under the clavicle and helps to keep it in place.  

The triceps are just one muscle, however, they are separated into three heads with different origin points. The muscle converges into one tendon and inserts into the ulna (forearm).

• Long head - originates from the scapular.

• Medial head - originates from the humerus.

• Lateral head - originates from the humerus.

Because there are several muscles at the chest and triceps, it’s important to incorporate a variety of movements into your training that move through different planes of motion.

Should Men and Women Train Chest Differently?

The short answer? No.

Both men and women should focus on working on a well-rounded training program that revolves around both upper and lower, and push and pull movements. Although chest and triceps workouts are mainly associated with men, women should also train these muscles to build upper body strength and avoid the risk of muscular imbalance.

How you train shouldn’t depend on your gender, but multiple other things such as your goals, experience level and training history.

10 Great Chest and Triceps Exercises

To perform a chest and triceps workout you need minimal equipment. If you’ve got access to Dumbbells, a Barbell, Plates and a Bench then you can put together a full push session.

1 - Dumbbell Bench Press

The bench press is the most popular horizontal push movement because it works on your pectoralis major, minor and the triceps muscles. There is also some work being done with your anterior deltoids (shoulder muscles). You can perform this exercise with either dumbbells or a barbell depending on the equipment you have available. 

2 - Dumbbell Flys

Flys are a fantastic exercise to work on strengthening the pectoralis minor muscles. Often when doing compound movements, the minor isn’t worked as well, therefore completing a fly where the minor moves through a full range of motion is excellent for improved range and strengthening this area.

3 - Barbell Close Grip Bench Press

The close grip bench press consists of holding the barbell two thumbs width apart as opposed to the traditional bench press method. This takes the focus away from the chest muscles and hones in on the triceps. Because of this, it’s likely that you’ll load with a much lighter weight than a conventional bench press.

4 - Lying Triceps Extensions

Lying triceps extensions can be performed with a barbell, dumbbells or by holding a plate. This exercise targets the triceps muscles. To ensure that you’re getting the most out of the exercise, allow your arms to extend backwards as much as possible to lengthen the triceps.

5 - Dumbbell Floor Press

The floor press is another alternative to a conventional bench press. The movement is similar, with the only difference being a reduced range of motion. Because of this, the chest muscles don’t hit the lengthened position that they would when on a bench and so there is more focus on the triceps. You can incorporate both into your training to switch up the muscle focus.

6 - Incline/Decline Push Ups

Push ups are the ultimate bodyweight exercise for your upper body. They primarily target the chest and triceps muscles, however you can perform different variations to focus on specific areas. If you want to regress the push up, place your hands on the bench and perform an incline push up. To progress, switch it around and place your feet on the bench for a decline push up.

7 - Overhead Triceps Extensions

The tricep extension is great for muscle hypertrophy because of the extended position the triceps are placed in at the beginning. It’s important to brace your core throughout the movement to stop your back from arching.

8 - Dumbbell Pullovers

This is one of few exercises that solely focuses on the serratus anterior. The overhead movement allows for full extension of the muscles that doesn’t happen in many other upper body movements. 

9 - Bench Dips

Bench dips target the triceps and are a great regression if you’re working towards full dips using parallettes. When focusing on form, make sure you’re bending at the elbow joint and keep your back close to the bench. 

10 - Triceps Dumbbell Kickbacks

The triceps kickbacks isolate the triceps for maximal muscle hypertrophy. You can perform this as a bilateral exercise or rest on the bench and perform it as a unilateral movement. Using a bench can help support the body so that you can really focus on extension at the triceps.

Now you know the exercises, it’s time to put together a workout. Choose a combination of chest and tricep exercises for a full push workout. You can go even further by incorporating some of these exercises into a full body training session.

For more content, follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and on our official Mirafit Facebook page.

Tags: Equipment > Bars & Weight Plates ; Equipment > Benches/span> ; Equipment > Dumbbells ; Exercise Type > Strength