A chest and back workout split can produce awesome results and huge muscle growth in your chest and back. I’ll give you the scoop about why it works so well and give you some ideas for chest and back workouts to start using today!
You may know Arnold Schwarzenegger from The Terminator–or as a popular politician. However, as a man of many hobbies, Arnold was first famous for winning Mr. Universe five times and Mr. Olympia seven times. Neither of these accolades could have been accomplished without his dedication to bodybuilding.
While you may not have aspirations of being an actor, a politician, or even a bodybuilder, we can all learn from much of what Arnold has shared about his workout routines.
One of his most famous is his chest and back workout–where he uses a split, superset style of workout, combining push (chest) and pull (back) for the ultimate body pump!
But famous chest and back workouts didn’t stop there.
Later, Tony Horton of P90X came out with his own 50-minute version, using similar principles as Arnold with his chest and back workout split.
At Back Muscle Solutions, we believe that a strong back is key to unlocking your full potential in the gym. Whether you're pushing through intense chest presses or pulling through heavy back rows, having a solid foundation is crucial for performance and injury prevention. Our mission is to provide you with the tools, tips, and techniques to keep your back muscles strong, pain-free, and ready to tackle any workout challenge—just like the chest and back supersets featured here!
Can You Train Your Back and Chest Together?
Most workouts have a “push” day and a “pull” day, and it can be rare to see the two combined.
Part of the reason why a back and chest workout split is such a clutch combo is the fact that these muscles are antagonists.
I know that with this word, we all instantly picture our favorite TV villain, but in this case, we are talking about opposites. And it’s the opposite nature of these muscles that makes a chest and back workout split so powerful!
While you work out your chest with one exercise, your back gets to rest. And vice versa. So while you’re giving your muscles rest throughout the workout–by the end–your entire upper body should be on fire!
Chest and Back Workout Supersets
Typically, we all complete a set of 10-12 reps in an exercise…then rest.
If you’re like me, you use your phone’s timer to keep track of the rest because if not, you’re likely to rest a bit too long. No judgement!
But in a superset, no phone timer is needed…at least not right away.
It is literally a set but–it’s “super” or basically, a little more intense. [1]
Any time you pair two exercises together with minimal rest between the two, this is called a superset. In an antagonist superset, these exercises will each target a separate muscle group, so you keep your body working–but with different muscles.
Here’s an example of how this would work:
- Perform one set of bench presses to work out your chest.
- Instead of resting after this, go directly into a lat pulldown to work out your back.
- Now that you’ve completed the superset of two exercises, rest.
- Then repeat it all over again.
A chest and back workout is the perfect opportunity to add supersetting into your workout because–when you combine these two muscle groups into one workout–you can alternate between the two without resting.
Benefits of Chest and Back Workout Supersets
Save Yourself Some Time
Well first, it’s more efficient. Resting is an important part of exercising and maximizing muscle growth, but if you want to use your gym time more efficiently, supersetting is a great option!
Get More Pump!
Moving from one muscle to the next can be challenging because you’re not giving your body immediate rest after the exertion of one rep. This creates more of a pump in your muscles. You’ll feel it. And this increased intensity improves your ability to rise to the challenge of an intense workout and succeed!
Burn More Calories
The increased heart rate resulting from the superset can help your body work harder–overall burning more calories!
Build Your Muscle Endurance
Supersetting can lead to increased muscle endurance as you’re engaging your body in movement for longer periods of time without rest!
Give Your Upper Body Some Attention
When you perform a chest and back workout superset, you focus on your entire upper body all at once, including your arm muscles as well!
8 of the Best Chest and Back Workout Exercises
So now that we know what a superset is–and why Arnold and P90X have taken advantage of the chest and back split–let’s get into some of the best chest and back workout exercises to use for that upper body mass!
Chest Exercises
Chest & Back Workout Exercise #1: Chest Press Machine
This machine is easy to find at your local gym, easy to use, and you’ll feel the burn in your chest pretty fast!
How to Perform this Chest and Back Workout Exercise:
- Using a chest press machine at the gym, grasp the handles with a neutral grip.
- Push outward on the handles, fully extending your arms and keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
- Pause. Then, return to the starting position, bending your elbows with this motion.
- Repeat to complete a full set. [2]
Chest & Back Workout Exercise #2: Chest Fly Machine
The chest fly machine is a great option because usually, these machines are dual-function–meaning you can switch the handle position for a reverse fly to hit your back as well!
How to Perform this Chest and Back Workout Exercise:
- Using a chest fly machine at your gym, grab the handles with a neutral grip.
- Bring the handles together in front of your chest, keeping a soft bend to your elbows.
- Pause at the top of this motion to really feel it in your chest.
- Then, slowly return to the starting position, keeping your chest open and your elbows bent.
- Repeat to complete a full set.
Chest & Back Workout Exercise #3: Single-Arm Dumbbell Benchpress
To account for any muscle strength discrepancy, working out one pectoral muscle at a time can be a great way to offset any strength imbalances. If you’re getting bored with a regular bench press, this can also be a great exercise to switch it up!
This is also a great chest and back workout exercise from home because all you need is a bench and a dumbbell.
How to Perform this Chest and Back Workout Exercise:
- Hold a dumbbell in one hand, sitting on a bench.
- Lie back on the bench, holding the dumbbell above you.
- For good form, retract your shoulder blades, creating a slight arch in your back.
- Lower the dumbbell down to the side of your chest, keeping your elbow tucked.
- Now push the dumbbell back up, extending your arm and pushing through your chest.
- Slowly lower to the starting position, and repeat.
Chest & Back Workout Exercise #4: Dumbbell Pullovers
This is another great option for a chest and back workout from home because–similar to the last exercise–all you’ll need is a dumbbell and a bench.
How to Perform this Chest and Back Workout Exercise:
- Sit with your back against a bench.
- Hold a dumbbell in both hands, cupping one of the weighted ends.
- Now, bridge your body up, so your shoulders are resting on the bench, your head is hanging over one side of the bench, and on the other side, your legs are bent–feet flat on the floor.
- With this motion, hold the dumbbell above your chest, fully extending your arms.
- Bend at your shoulders and keep your arms straight as you lower the dumbbell back behind your head.
- Slowly raise the dumbbell back to the starting position, and repeat.
Back Exercises
Chest & Back Workout Exercise #5: T Bar Row
Depending on your gym, you can perform this chest and back workout exercise using a traditional T Bar Row machine or also a landmine attachment. For the instructions below, I’ll focus on how to use a landmine attachment.
How to Perform this Chest and Back Workout Exercise:
- Put weight at the end of a landmine attachment.
- Straddle the landmine attachment, standing with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Hook a V-grip handle under the bar.
- Hinge at your hips, bending your knees slightly and pushing your butt back, maintaining a flat back and a tight core.
- Grab the ends of the V-grip handle, and pull the weighted end up toward your chest.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you complete this motion, pausing for a moment.
- Slowly lower back to the starting position, and repeat.
Chest & Back Workout Exercise #6: Seated Cable Row
You’ll need a cable machine at your local gym for this move.
How to Perform this Chest and Back Workout Exercise:
- Find a built-in bench at a cable station.
- Attach a narrow handle to the cable.
- Sit with an upright posture, puffed chest, shoulders back, and tight core.
- Learn forward slightly.
- Pull the handle towards your stomach, leaning back as you perform this motion and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Slowly return to the starting position, and repeat.
Chest & Back Workout Exercise #7: Straight Arm Pulldown
While you’re at the cable station, you may as well throw in the straight-arm pulldown–another great addition to your chest and back workout.
How to Perform this Chest and Back Workout Exercise:
- Attach a straight bar to the highest pulley setting at a cable station.
- Grasp the handle with palms down–keeping your hands shoulder-width apart.
- Step back to feel some tension on the cable.
- Hinge at your hips, leaning forward about 30-45 degrees.
- Drive the bar down to your thighs, keeping your arms straight.
- Slowly allow the bar to return to the starting position. Then repeat. [3]
Chest & Back Workout Exercise #8: Machine Reverse Fly
Remember the chest fly machine? Set the handles further back, switch positions in the seat, and you’re now ready to work out your back!
How to Perform this Chest and Back Workout Exercise:
- Face the fly machine with your chest against the pad.
- Grab the handles with a neutral grip.
- Extend your arms out, contracting your deltoid muscles with this motion and keeping your elbows bent.
- Slowly bring the handles back to the starting position, and repeat.
Lower Back Pain During Chest and Back Workout Day?
So, you’ve figured out a chest and back workout that works for you.
But I'd be remiss to not bring up a key issue that often stops people from pushing it hard at the gym like our buddy, Arnold.
Low back pain.
My low back pain started because of improper lifting during a move, and it lasted for nearly a year. One of the keys to getting me out of pain...wasn't sitting around and waiting for the pain to go away.
It was getting back to the gym.
So, if you’re not able to push yourself to your max due to lower back pain, it’s worth getting educated on ways you can strengthen and support your lower back.
The answer to lower back pain does NOT need to be a sedentary lifestyle. Instead, it’s just the opposite. You’ll bulletproof your back through purposeful exercises designed to help you build strength against potential lower back injuries and nagging pain.
At Back Muscle Solutions, we created a system to get you back to feeling the pump at the gym instead of feeling your back.
You can check out the full system here:
Specifically, I recommend our program, Back of Steel.
Back of Steel:
We've got a lower back strengthening program called Back of Steel 2.0. Created by our founder, Ben, who overcame years of debilitating back pain, this program focuses on strengthening key muscles, improving endurance, and correcting habits to "bulletproof" your back.
- Take out the guesswork of which exercises will help your back strengthen.
- Get back to pushing it hard at the gym.
- Easily complete this from home without a huge time commitment; just 15 minutes, 3 days a week, using dumbbells, kettlebells, and resistance bands.
Or you can check out some of our other top back exercise articles below!
Chest and Back Workout FAQs
Here are some common questions people ask when considering a chest and back workout.
Is it OK to work chest and back together?
Absolutely! It’s a killer combination for more muscle mass.
What Exercises Build Chest and Back?
Great question: In this article, I covered my top 4 chest exercises and top 4 back exercises.
How should I structure my chest and back day?
I recommend a chest and back workout superset. This means alternating between chest and back exercises with a rest after.
How often should you train your chest and back?
Hitting any muscle group twice per week is usually recommended.
[1] https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/how-to-superset-exercises
[2] https://youtu.be/xUm0BiZCWlQ
[3] https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/straight-arm-pulldown