Chest and Triceps Resistance Band Workout

May 18, 2021

Chest and Triceps Resistance Band Workout

In the quest for an athletic physique, building a bigger chest is usually the first point-of-call. Like Kanye West said, “I hit the gym, all chest no legs.”

Are you trying to build a bigger chest?

Looking for a tricep workout for mass?

Need a chest and tricep home workout?

If so, you’ve come to the right place. In this article we are going to cover everything you need to know about how to get a bigger chest and triceps at home, using only resistance band exercises.

Do you have an underdeveloped chest and triceps?

Even though every day is national chest day, poor form and a lack of training principles, makes the chest one of the most common weak points among lifters. Similarly, the triceps are a muscle that are often forgotten in the face of big biceps, and as a result, the arms look disproportionate.

The goal with bodybuilding is to build a symmetrical, well-developed physique that encompasses growth in each muscle. Huge biceps without triceps, or enormous arms without a chest, will not give you the upper body look you’ve been dreaming of.

It’s time to fix your underdeveloped chest and triceps

If you are looking to fix your lagging chest and triceps, you need to adjust your training to better target, activate and overload these muscles. One of the most effective ways to do this is to use resistance bands.

But before we get onto the benefits of using resistance bands for a chest and tricep workout, let’s first cover some basics of muscle building.

How to get a bigger chest and triceps at home

Here’s the truth: it’s difficult to build muscle from home. Reason being, is that if you do not have access to weights; you are only working against your body weight. To build muscle, you need to work against a resistance. In the early stages of training, your body weight acts as a sufficient stimulus to cause muscle damage and micro-tears. This helps you build strength and perhaps some muscle mass, depending on your genetics.

But after a short time, your body weight is no longer a big enough training stimulus. In short: it’s not enough resistance to trigger hypertrophy (muscle growth). So your progress plateaus, which can be demoralizing.

With chest exercises, there is a law of diminishing return for how many reps you perform for building muscle. A set of pushups performed for 100 reps might build muscular endurance but it will lead to minimal muscle growth.

You come to a crossroads: either join a gym, or purchase a dumbbell set for home workouts. But there are issues with both outcomes: you have to spend money on a membership or on weights. Often, this is the point at which people give up.

If you’re not in either of these camps, and have been consistently training at the gym but still have an underdeveloped chest or triceps; the answer is still the same.

Here’s the answer: you need to increase the level of resistance used in training, and you need to learn how to better activate, target and recruit the dormant muscles. Even if you’re benching heavy, your pecs might not be activated properly, causing support muscles to step in. So how do you do this? Resistance bands.

How do resistance bands work?

Resistance bands work similar to free weights with one key difference: they provide resistance throughout the range of motion. This occurs in both the concentric and eccentric part of an exercise, maximizing mechanical tension. This is because when using a resistance band in an exercise, it causes a ‘variation’ in the load being lifted throughout the range of motion.

Unlike free weights that only provide resistance when working against gravity, exercise bands provide resistance across multiple movement planes: frontal, sagittal and transverse.

What is the benefit of using resistance bands for chest and tricep workouts?

If you have an underdeveloped chest and triceps, you are failing to activate and recruit them completely during an exercise; even if you are doing a chest/tricep focused movement.

Resistance bands enhance the mind-muscle connection during exercise, which can have a drastic benefit to muscle activation and motor unit recruitment. A study published in 2016 in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, conducted an experiment that asked resistance-trained men to perform two bench press repetitions. Per repetition they were asked to focus on different muscles: their chest and triceps.

The researchers found that tricep and pectoral muscle activity significantly increased when they could form a strong mind-muscle connection. Over time, this tool helps to build a bigger chest and triceps.

Another benefit of using exercise bands is exposing yourself to higher resistance. If you buy a set of resistance bands, you can progressively overload your muscles to see consistent growth by alternating between different intensities.

Chest and triceps resistance band home workout

Resistance Band Chest Exercise Program

Resistance band chest press: 3 sets x 25 reps

Place foot over long resistance band, holding the handles
Place one foot in front of the other, shoulder width distance apart
With hands in front of shoulders, press forwards

Resistance band chest push ups: 3 sets x 25 reps

Start on knees if necessary
Retract each shoulder blade so that the chest muscles are closest to the ground.
Squeeze the glute and abdominal muscles to maintain good posture
Have hands far away as comfortable from your body, positioned parallel to the chest
Lower body until as close to the ground as possible, keeping the body straight

Resistance band chest fly: 3 sets x 10 reps

Loop a band around a solid pole or wall anchored eye bolt at chest height
Holding the band with one hand, stand far enough away that you feel tension in the band
Maintain a wide stance to help keep you stable through the movement
Slightly bend in the arm, pull the band out in front of you while squeezing your pectoral muscles
Slowly let the arm go back to the starting position

Resistance Band Tricep Exercise Program

Resistance band overhead tricep extension: 3 sets x 20 repetitions

Stand on resistance band with your heels and place the handles in hands
Have upper arms next to your head directly in line with your body
Extend at the elbow with hands behind you, squeezing your triceps until you reach the top
slowly lower the arms back down to the starting position

Tricep push ups: 3 sets x 25 reps

Perform on knees if necessary
Have hands as close as possible to the body, either side of chest
Lower body until as close to the ground as possible, keeping the body straight

Tricep dips: 3 sets x 20 reps

Position your hands shoulder-width apart on a secured bench or stable chair
Slide your butt off the front of the bench with your legs extended out in front of you
Straighten your arms, keeping a little bend in your elbows to keep tension on your triceps and off your elbow joints

Resistance band tricep kickback: 3 sets x 15 reps

Place your left foot or right foot out in front and bend the knee
Put the band under the foot and squeeze the band approximately 1/3 of the way down with the same hand as the leading foot
Wrap the band around your hand one time to secure it in place
Kick the arm back so that the triceps flex
Slowly return the arm back down to the starting position

We hope this triceps workout and chest workout gives you the inspiration and strength training plan to build bigger using only your bodyweight and a single exercise band! If you need a high quality set of resistance bands, we’ve got you covered!

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