Barbell chest and triceps workout: 5 exercises, sets and reps

Barbell chest and triceps workout

5 exercises 16 sets about 40 min a barbell, plates, a rack and a bench

The classic pairing: the triceps already work in every chest press, so training them directly afterwards finishes what the presses started. Two presses and a fly for the chest, then three triceps movements.

A barbell, a rack and a bench is the classic garage setup. It is short on isolation work, so this session leans on big lifts and makes up the difference in load.

Start this workout free Creates your account with these 5 exercises already loaded. Free to log, no card.

The workout

Bench Press4 × 8Pinch your shoulder blades together, lower the bar to mid-chest and press up and slightly back.2 min rest
Incline Bench Press3 × 10Bench at 30 to 45 degrees. Bring the bar down to your upper chest with elbows about 45 degrees from your sides.90 s rest
Bench Dip3 × 12Hands on the bench behind you, legs out in front. Bend the elbows straight back to 90 degrees and press up.90 s rest
Skull Crusher3 × 12Lying on the bench, lower the bar towards your forehead by bending only at the elbows, then extend.60 s rest
Close-Grip Bench Press3 × 12Hands shoulder-width apart, elbows tucked close to your ribs all the way down and up.60 s rest

Muscles worked

Front

Back

Triceps12.5
Chest10
Shoulders6.5

Sets per muscle. A muscle that only assists in an exercise counts half.

How to run it

Before the first exercise, do two lighter sets of it: one at about half your working weight and one at three quarters. Rest for the time shown next to each exercise; the heavy lifts at the top need more than the smaller ones at the end.

Aim to finish each set with one or two reps left in you. If every set reaches its target easily, the session is too light. Barbells reward small jumps: add 2.5 kg (5 lb) in total once every set reaches the target, and stay there until it does again.

Once or twice a week, with at least two days before you press heavy again. It pairs with a back and biceps day and a leg day in a three-day split.

If something is taken

Bench Press→Push-Up

Keep the same number of sets. In the app you can swap an exercise for one session without changing the program.

In myreplog

It is already set up. These 5 exercises arrive in your account as a program, with the sets and reps above.
Tap, do not type. Set your weights the first time, then mark each set done as you finish it.
Records count themselves. From your second session, a lift that beats your best is marked as a personal record on the spot.
See what you trained. The session ends with this muscle map, drawn from the sets you actually did.

Logging is free for good. The first 14 days also include Pro, where a coach reviews each session and suggests the weights for the next one. No card needed.

Questions

How long does this chest and triceps workout take?

About 40 minutes. That is 16 working sets with the rests listed next to each exercise, plus five minutes to warm up.

What muscles does it work?

Mostly the triceps, chest and shoulders. The map on this page shades each muscle by the number of sets that reach it.

What equipment do I need?

A barbell, plates, a rack and a bench.

Why train chest and triceps together?

Every pressing movement for the chest also uses the triceps. Training them on the same day means they are worked hard once and then rest, instead of being half-used on two different days.

Should I train triceps before chest?

No. Tired triceps give out before the chest does on a bench press, so the chest gets less work. Chest first, triceps after.