Back And Tricep Workout For A Stronger And Leaner Upper Body

Anatomy | Exercises | Sample Plan | Why Pair Back And Tricep Workout

Chiseled back muscles, horseshoe triceps, and a powerful upper body; a good back and tricep workout can help you develop all of these. 

Pairing back and triceps exercises can go a long way in achieving both aesthetic and strength-building goals. This pairing makes sense after all since tricep muscles are inevitably involved in all pulling exercises that target the back muscles. 

To get you started, we have 6 back and tricep exercises that have been expertly curated to help you reach your fitness goals. 

Anatomy of the back and tricep region

The two muscle groups in question (back and triceps) often work together when it comes to lifting and moving objects, so understanding their anatomy and how the muscles fit into a back and tricep exercise is essential. 

Tricep muscles

The triceps brachii, ^[1]National Library of Medicine: Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Triceps Muscle muscle, commonly known as the triceps, is a large, thick muscle group made of 3 heads. It is located on the upper arms. 

The triceps brachii extends the forearm at the elbow joint. They also stabilize the shoulder joint and help in doing fine movements like writing. Here are the three heads of the triceps muscle group:

• Lateral head: Located on the outer portion of the upper arm, this part of the tricep is responsible for extending the forearm at the elbow joint. The lateral head is considered the strongest of the three heads of the tricep brachii.
• Medial head: The medial head is also responsible for extending the elbow joint. It is located in the inner region of the arm and is mostly covered by the lateral and long heads.
• Long head: The long head of the tricep runs along the inner side of the humerus, also responsible for extending and adducting the forearm at the shoulder joint.

Back muscles

The back muscles are comprised of both the superficial and deep muscles, which are responsible for providing strength, stability and postural support to the body. The three main muscles in the back ^[2]Cleveland Clinic: Back Muscles are:

• Latissimus dorsi: The largest and the most powerful muscle in the back, responsible for drawing your arms towards your torso and rotating your shoulder joint.
• Rhomboids: Located between the shoulder blades, the rhomboids are responsible for pulling the shoulders back and maintaining proper posture.
• Trapezius: This is a large, triangular muscle that extends from the neck to the middle of the back. The trapezius is responsible for moving the shoulders and supporting the arms.

Best back and tricep exercises

Listed below are the best multi-joint exercises that can effectively target both the tricep and back muscles and improve your upper body strength and shape. Add these to your back and triceps workout routine for maximum results.

1. Diamond pushups

Target Muscles: Triceps, pectoralis major, and anterior deltoids

How to do:

1. Begin in a high plank position on your hands and toes.
2. Move your palms closer and form a diamond shape using your index fingers and thumbs.
3. Lower your chest towards the floor while keeping elbows close to your sides throughout the movement.
4. Once you reach the bottom of the movement, hold for one count before pushing back up to the starting position with your arms completely straight at the top of the movement.
5. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Summary: Simple, yet challenging, diamond pushups are an excellent exercise for targeting various upper body muscles. For an added challenge, try performing this exercise in an elevated position.

2. Bench dips

Target Muscles: Triceps, anterior deltoids, and latissimus dorsi

How to do:

1. Sit in front of a flat bench such that your body is perpendicular to the bench. Keep your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
2. Grip the bench with your palms facing downwards.
3. Begin raising your body by pushing off with your arms until your legs and arms are extended. 
4. Slowly lower your body until there is a 90-degree angle between your upper arm and forearm. 
5. Push back up, ensuring you fully extend your elbows at the top of the movement.
6. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Summary: Bench dips are great for building arm and shoulder strength. These are simple but effective bodyweight exercises that can be performed almost anywhere and with many potential modifications in terms of the equipment used and intensity of exercise.

3. Pull ups

Target Muscles: Lats, rhomboids, biceps, triceps, deltoids, and core

How to do:

1. Grab the pull-up bar with an overhand grip wider than shoulder width.
2. Begin to pull your body up until your chest touches the bar and fully extend your elbows at the top of the movement.
3. Lower your body back down slowly while keeping your core tight and elbows close to your sides.
4. Repeat for the desired number of reps, then switch hand grip if needed (palms facing each other).

Summary: Pull-ups are an excellent closed-chain exercise for targeting various upper body muscles including the lats, rhomboids, and biceps. Experiment with different grips and hand position widths for added challenge and intensity.

4. Banded tricep pushdown 

Target Muscles: Triceps brachii, lats, and traps

How to do:

1. Grab a resistance band and secure it around a sturdy post and grip it with both hands.
2. Keeping your elbows close to your body and your core tight, slowly lower the band towards your thighs until you feel a stretch in your triceps muscles.
3. Hold for one count, then use the triceps muscles to release the band back up in a controlled movement.
4. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Summary: Banded tricep pushdowns are an excellent exercise for targeting the triceps muscles. Make sure to keep your core tight throughout the movement while lowering the band towards your thighs.

5. Overhead tricep extension

Target Muscles: Triceps brachii, deltoids

How to do:

1. Start by holding a dumbbell with both hands above your head, making sure to keep your elbows tucked in and close to each other as you grip the weight.
2. Keeping your core tight and elbows in place, slowly lower the weight behind your head until you feel a stretch in your triceps muscles.
3. Hold for one count, then use the triceps muscles to push the weight back up and extend arms above the head until elbows are locked out at the top of the movement.
4. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Summary: Overhead tricep extensions activate the long head of the triceps brachii during the shoulder-level elevation phase and the medial head when the elevation rises to 90 degrees or above the shoulders. In addition to the triceps, this extension exercise uses the core and shoulder muscles for stabilization.

6. Lateral pulldown

Target Muscles: Latissmus dorsi, teres major, triceps, pecs, traps, and rhomboids.

How to do:

1. Set up a cable pulley machine with a handle attachment at chest height.
2. Maintain a neutral spine and tighten the core while gripping the handle with a wide overhand grip.
3. Keeping your elbows close to your body and shoulders steady, slowly pull down the handle until it reaches just below chin level.
4. Hold for one count, then slowly return to the starting position in a controlled manner.
5. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Summary: Lateral pulldown is a compound exercise that primarily targets the latissimus dorsi. You can modify the exercise by trying different grips(overhand, wide-grip, narrow-grip, and neutral-grip). Studies have shown that wide and medium tend to increase the activation of the lats and the biceps.

Sample 1-week back and tricep workout plan

Here is a simple one week back and tricep workout routine based on the exercises listed above:

Day	Exercises
Monday	Diamond pushups – 3 sets of 10 reps Lateral pulldown – 3 sets of 12 reps
Tuesday	Pull-ups – 5 sets of 10 reps Overhead tricep extension – 4 sets of 12 reps Banded tricep pushdown – 3 sets of 15 reps
Wednesday	Rest day
Thursday	Diamond pushups – 3 sets of 10 reps Bench dips – 3 sets of 15 reps
Friday	Pull-ups – 5 sets of 10 reps Overhead tricep extension – 4 sets of 12 reps Banded tricep pushdown – 3 sets of 15 reps
Saturday	Diamond pushups – 3 sets of 10 reps Lateral pulldown – 3 sets of 12 reps
Sunday	Rest day

Why train the back and tricep muscles together?

Anatomically speaking, it makes sense to pair back and tricep muscles in workouts. This is because both muscle groups are involved in similar pulling motions.

The back muscles pull the arms towards the body. The triceps or the muscles at the back of the upper arm are responsible for the extension of the elbow joint. Both muscle groups are often used in many compound exercises like dips, rows, and pull-ups. 

Training these two together increases overall volume and intensity, leading to quicker muscle growth and strength gains. It also helps to prevent imbalances that can cause injury. 

Other benefits include improved posture, stability, and a better range of motion in the upper body. 

Conclusion

By following a back and tricep workout plan, you can achieve a stronger, leaner and more balanced upper body. Remember to combine the above exercises with adequate nutrition, rest and recovery for best results.