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Train your push and pull strength

Best Chest and Back workouts

Chest and back workouts combine two major upper body muscle groups into one efficient training session. By pairing pushing movements (like bench presses and push-ups) with pulling exercises (like rows and pull-downs), you challenge the front and back of your upper body in balance. This approach boosts strength, improves posture, and supports a well-developed physique. Whether you're short on time or looking to increase training frequency, chest and back pairings are both practical and effective.

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Workout

Workout 1 Chest & Back (Maximum Strength)

This chest and back workout builds maximum strength by alternating push and pull exercises with heavy weights and a low number of repetitions (6-8). You train opposing muscle groups consecutively, allowing one group to rest while you train the other, enabling you to handle heavier weights throughout the entire workout. The combination of bench presses, pull-ups, and rows targets the largest muscles of your upper body for significant strength gains in both pushing and pulling movements.

The benefits of chest and back workouts

Improve upper body strength, symmetry, and posture

Combining chest and back in a single workout trains your body through opposing movement patterns: pushing and pulling. This leads to more balanced muscle development, better posture, and improved joint health. It also allows for active recovery between sets: while your chest rests, your back works, and vice versa. These workouts are ideal for improving strength, mass, and efficiency in your training routine.

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Workout

Workout 2 Chest & Back (Muscle Building)

This chest and back workout focuses on building larger muscles by utilizing higher rep ranges (10 repetitions) and more total sets than strength-focused routines. You'll alternate chest and back exercises to keep both muscle groups engaged while the other rests, allowing you to maintain good performance throughout the entire workout. The moderate weights and higher volume provide the muscle pump and fatigue needed to stimulate growth in both your pushing and pulling muscles.

Workout

Workout 3 Chest & Back (Muscle Definition)

This chest and back workout focuses on muscle definition and shape by utilizing controlled movements and perfect execution to create better muscle separation and more detail. You will use moderate weights with deliberate tempo control, with the real focus being on feeling every muscle work throughout the entire range of motion. Repetition counts vary from 8 repetitions for compound exercises to 12 repetitions for isolation exercises, allowing you to shape and define both your chest and back muscles.

Balance push and pull forces

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FAQs: The Best Chest and Back Workouts

How often should I train chest and back together?

Once or twice a week is a solid frequency, especially if you’re following an upper/lower or push/pull split.

Should I do chest or back first?

Either works, but some lifters prefer to alternate each workout to ensure balanced effort and recovery.

Can I superset chest and back exercises?

Absolutely, supersetting a push (like bench press) with a pull (like barbell row) is a great way to save time and keep intensity high.

 

How many exercises should I do for each muscle group?

A balanced session might include 3–4 exercises for chest and 3–4 for back, depending on your time and training goals.

 

Is it effective to train chest and back together?

Yes, pairing push and pull movements in one session helps balance muscle development and can improve overall training efficiency.

Press, push and enlarge your breast volume

Related Chest and Back Workouts

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Best Chest workouts

Chest workouts focus on developing the pectoral muscles, which are essential for upper body strength, posture, and aesthetics. In these workouts, you’ll combine heavy compound lifts and targeted isolation exercises to build balanced muscle and improve pressing power. Movements like the bench press, incline dumbbell press, and dips create a strong foundation by engaging the chest along with shoulders and triceps. These are complemented by exercises such as chest flyes and cable crossovers to target different angles and enhance muscle detail. Whether you’re training for strength or physique goals, chest-focused workouts are key to a complete upper body routine.

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Best Back workouts

Back workouts target the major muscles responsible for posture, pulling strength, and total-body power: including the lats, traps, rhomboids, and erector spinae. In this training plan, you’ll combine heavy compound lifts with precise isolation work to build thickness, width, and strength. Foundational movements like deadlifts, pull-ups, and barbell rows help develop overall mass and power, while exercises like face pulls and lat pulldowns refine shape and control. Whether your goal is to lift heavier, improve athletic performance, or enhance your physique, focused back workouts are key to long-term progress.

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Best Upper Body workouts

The upper body consists of several major muscle groups, including the chest, shoulders, biceps, triceps, and abs. In these workouts, the muscles are trained together as part of an upper/lower split routine. Core compound movements such as the bench press, incline bench press, and shoulder press form the foundation of your session, helping you build strength and size efficiently. These are complemented by isolation exercises like bicep curls and tricep pushdowns to target specific muscles and improve definition. 

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Best Chest and Triceps workouts

Chest and triceps workouts are commonly paired because both muscle groups are activated in pressing movements. By training them together, you maximize efficiency and allow for focused recovery on pull days. These routines combine compound lifts like the bench press and dips with isolation moves such as cable flyes and tricep pushdowns. Whether you're building size or improving performance, a strong chest and powerful triceps enhance your push strength, posture, and overall upper body development.

Train your upper body with the chest in the spotlight

Chest Routines

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Chest & Back Builder (2x/week) routine

Want to build a stronger, more muscular upper body without training every day? This focused two-day routine targets your chest and back with the precision and volume needed to drive serious growth. Perfect for those with limited time but big goals, focused workouts per week, perfect for those with limited time but big goals.

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Upper Lower Split (4x/week) routine

This is the program of choice for building both muscle size and real strength, allowing for high training frequency with adequate rest days for performance recovery. You train for intermediate lifters looking to gain muscle mass and built strength in a focused, sustainable way by balancing compound movements with targeted assistance exercises. The schedule provides excellent muscle development and increased size.

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Push Pull Legs (6x/week) routine

Training six times a week requires smart structure, balance, and recovery. This push/pull/legs split maximizes training frequency while allowing complete recovery between sessions. The push and pull muscle groups get 48-72 hours for taking your lower body splitting into two dedicated leg sessions. This program uses compound movements, targeted assistance work, and systematic progression to build muscle through consistent work. Sessions are designed for balanced development while respecting the individual recovery needs between muscle groups.

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Barbell Only Split (4x/week)

This 4-day split is all about moving the biggest loads with the classics. No machines, no isolation fluff, just the foundational compound movements that have built athletes for decades. Whether you're training at home with a simple setup or prefer the simplicity of barbell-only sessions, this program delivers complete body development using nothing but the most effective compound lifts. With four focused sessions across the week, you'll hit every major movement pattern while allowing proper recovery between training days.