Chest and Back

12 min

6 exercises

Dumbbell Pullovers

3 sets

12 reps

Incline Bench Dumbbell Flyes

3 sets

12 reps

Low Cable Back Rows

3 sets

15 reps

Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns

3 sets

15 reps

Reverse Flyes

3 sets

12 reps

Supermans

2 sets

10 reps

This Chest and Back 12 min gym workout plan effectively targets your back, chest and shoulders. Easily follow this workout with confidence on your phone or printable exercise program with our clear exercise demonstrations. You can also look up step-by-step instructions for each of the 6 exercises and see which muscle groups they target. Enjoy!

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Chest and Back

12 min

6 exercises

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Dumbbell Pullovers

3 sets

12 reps

Set 1 of 3

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Chest, Upper Back & Lower Traps

Secondary:

Abs, Shoulders, Triceps

Lie with your upper back perpendicular on a bench.
Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor and flex your hips so that your body is in line.
Grasp a dumbbell between your hands under the inner plate, palms facing up.
Position the weight over your chest with your elbows slightly bent.
Keep your elbows bent as you lower the dumbbell over your head until your upper arms are in line with your torso.
To return to the starting position, pull the dumbbell up and over your chest.

Try to avoid raising your hips and maintain a small bend in your elbows throughout the movement.

Primary muscle group(s):

Abs, Chest, Shoulders, Upper Back & Lower Traps

Secondary:

Biceps, Forearms, Triceps

With slightly bent knees and a tight core, hold a medicine ball in front of you at hip-level.
Begin by raising the medicine ball upward above your head with both hands.
Keeping your elbows bent, forcefully throw the ball at the ground.
Catch the ball as it bounces back up, and bring it back up above your head.
Repeat this slam and catch movement.

Incline Bench Dumbbell Flyes

3 sets

12 reps

Set 1 of 3

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Chest

Secondary:

Abs, Shoulders

Set up an incline bench at about 30 degrees.
Lie on the bench and hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
Make sure you keep your back flat and your shoulders pushed back
Turn your hands in so that your palms are facing each other, holding the dumbbells over your chest with your elbows slightly bent and pointing outwards. (As if you are hugging someone)
Lower the dumbbells out to the side of your shoulders, while keeping your elbows slightly bent in a smooth arcing motion.
Continue lowering them until you feel a stretch in your chest and shoulders. Pause for a count of one.
Bring the dumbbells back to the starting position in the same smooth arc with your elbows slightly bent until the dumbbells are nearly touching.
Repeat

Primary muscle group(s):

Chest

Secondary:

Abs, Shoulders, Triceps

Holding a pair of dumbbells, sit on a flat bench and slowly lower yourself back.
Keep a tight core as you push the dumbbells above your chest. The dumbbells will be facing one another and held together.
With a slight bend in the elbow, open up your chest and slowly lower the dumbbells to the sides.
When the dumbbells are parallel with the ground, pause, and return to the starting position.

Primary muscle group(s):

Chest

Secondary:

Shoulders, Triceps

Sit on a pec deck machine with your back flat against the back rest.
Grip the handles and make sure your arms are parallel to the floor. If not parallel,adjust the seat or handles accordingly. This is the start position.
Exhale and slowly push the handles together squeezing your chest to the middle as you do so. Hold for a count of one.
Inhale as you return to the starting position in a controlled movement.
Repeat.

This exercise can be performed using an exercise band or pulleys. There are a variety of different machines with different placement of your forearms. With these, place your forearms on the pad, with your elbow bent to 90 degrees. Perform the exercise by squeezing your elbows together.

Primary muscle group(s):

Chest

Secondary:

Abs, Shoulders, Triceps

Stand between two cable stations with the dumbbell grip handles attached to the high pulleys on each side of you.
Hold the handles with an overhand grip. Your arms should be outstretched.
Bend your knees and hips slightly so that you are leaning forward, but not too far.
Bend your elbows slightly and rotate your shoulders in towards the centre of your chest a little. Your elbows should be slightly behind you.
Use a hugging motion, keeping your elbows in a fixed, bent position to bring the grip attachments together in front of your chest.
Slowly return to the starting position until you feel a slight stretch in your chest muscles.
Repeat.

Low Cable Back Rows

3 sets

15 reps

Set 1 of 3

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back

Secondary:

Biceps, Shoulders, Upper Back & Lower Traps

Connect a V-bar attachment to the low pulley on a cable station or cable rowing machine.
Sit down at the station and place your feet on the foot pads or crossbar provided, while keeping your knees slightly bent.
Lean forward, keeping your back straight and grip the V-bar handles with both hands.
Keeping your arms fully extended pull back until your torso is at a 90-degree angle from your legs.
Your back should be slightly arched, with your chest should be pushed out. This is the start position.
Keeping your torso stationary, pull the handles back towards you while squeezing your back muscles.
Keep your arms close to your sides until your hands reach your abdomen. Exhale as you perform this movement.
Hold for a count of one.
Inhale as you return to the start position in a smooth movement.
Repeat.

Do not swing or rock back and forth as you perform this exercise. Doing so can cause lower back injury. <strong></strong> You can perform this exercise using a straight bar instead of a V-Bar. You can use an underhand or overhand grip.

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back

Secondary:

Abs, Biceps

Stand tall with a tight core and flat back. Hold a pair of dumbbells at your side with an overhand grip. Bend slightly at the knees as you push your hips back. Keep your chest and head up. Upper body should be almost parallel with the floor.
With your elbows at a 60-degree angle, bring the dumbbells up. Pause when your upper arm is parallel with the floor. Contract the muscle then slowly return the dumbbells to the starting point.

Primary muscle group(s):

Middle Back / Lats, Upper Back & Lower Traps

Secondary:

Biceps

Stand tall with a tight core and flat back. Hold a pair of water bottles at your side with an overhand grip. Bend slightly at the knees as you push your hips back. Keep your chest and head up. Upper body should be almost parallel with the floor.
With your elbows at a 60-degree angle, bring the water bottles up. Pause when your upper arm is parallel with the floor. Contract the muscle then slowly return the water bottles to the starting point.

Primary muscle group(s):

Middle Back / Lats

Secondary:

Abs, Biceps

Begin the movement by stepping on to a resistance band with your feet at shoulder-width, toes pointed slightly out.
Bend slightly at the knees and forward at the hips. Maintain a braced core and flat back throughout.
Leading with your elbows, pull the handles of the resistance band back, bringing your shoulder blades closer together. Hold this contraction and slowly release to the starting position.

Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns

3 sets

15 reps

Set 1 of 3

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back, Middle Back / Lats

Secondary:

Abs, Biceps

Set up a cable station with a straight bar attached to the top pulley.
Sit on the seat facing the station. Keep your feet flat and planted firmly on the floor.
Using an overhand grip, hold the bar as wide as comfortable. (Your hands should be about 1 1/2 – 2 times body width apart.)
Lean back slightly without arching your back.
Pull the bar towards the top of your chest using your shoulders while arcing your elbows out to the sides of your body.
At the end of the movement squeeze you shoulders together slightly and hold for a count of one.
Return to the start position by arcing your elbows forward while relaxing your shoulders.
Repeat.

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back, Upper Back & Lower Traps

Secondary:

Biceps, Forearms, Shoulders

Standing under a pull-up bar, reach up and hold onto the bar with an overhand grip. Make sure your hands are about twice your shoulder width apart.
Keep your arms straight and hang from the bar so that your arms are taking all of your weight.
Keeping your body straight and not swinging your weight, pull your body up towards the bar by pulling your elbows down towards your torso at an angle.
Continue lifting until your chest is nearly touching the bar. You should feel a “squeeze” at the base of your lats (about midway down your back and to the side) as they contract.
Once your lats have completely contracted at the top of the movement, slowly lower your body to the starting position.
Repeat.

By using a wide grip, your lats are doing most of the lift, rather than your biceps. It doesn't matter if you keep your legs straight or bent at the knees with your feet crossed. The important thing is that you do not use your legs to assist in lifting your body weight. As your strength increases, you can add weight by using a weight belt.

Reverse Flyes

3 sets

12 reps

Set 1 of 3

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Shoulders

Secondary:

Abs, Upper Back & Lower Traps

With a dumbbell in each hand in a neutral grip, lie face down on an incline bench. Your palms should be facing inwards.
Extend your arms out in front of you so that they are at right angles to the bench. Keep your legs stationary but with pressure on the balls of our feet and toes. This is the start position.
Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, move the weights away from each other in an arcing motion exhaling as you do so.
Continue expanding your arms until they are parallel to the floor.
Hold and squeeze your shoulder blades together
Return to the starting position inhaling as you do so.
Repeat .

Primary muscle group(s):

Shoulders

Begin by holding a pair of dumbbells and standing with a braced core. Bend at the knees slightly and lean forward from the hips. Maintain a flat back throughout.
Keeping your elbows slightly bent throughout the movement, lift the dumbbells up and out to the side. Be sure to focus the contraction in the back of the shoulders.
Pause at the top of the movement then slowly bring the dumbbells to the starting position.

Primary muscle group(s):

Upper Back & Lower Traps

Secondary:

Middle Back / Lats

Adjust the cables so that the handles sit at chest height.
Grip the handle, across your body in a neutral grip, with both hands.
Keeping only a slight bend at your elbow, pull the cable back across your body using the muscles in your back.
Hold the flexed position for a full second before allowing the cable to pull you slowly back to the starting position.

Primary muscle group(s):

Shoulders

Adjust the seat on the Rear Delt Machine so that your chest is against the padding and the handles are at shoulder level. Tighten your core throughout the movement.
Holding on to the handles in front of you, engage your rear delt muscles (back of the shoulder). Pull the weight, focusing all of the tension in your shoulder muscles.
Pause when the handles are at your sides then slowly return to the starting position. Do not allow the plate to touch the weight stack.

Primary muscle group(s):

Upper Back & Lower Traps

Secondary:

Shoulders

Begin by holding a pair of water bottles and standing with a braced core. Bend at the knees slightly and lean forward from the hips. Maintain a flat back throughout.
Keeping your elbows slightly bent throughout the movement, lift the water bottles up and out to the side. Be sure to focus the contraction in the back of the shoulders.
Pause at the top of the movement then slowly bring the water bottles to the starting position.

Supermans

2 sets

10 reps

Set 1 of 2

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back

Secondary:

Abs

Lie face down on a mat, with your arms fully extended above your head and your legs fully extended behind you.
Lift your chest, arms and legs off the floor by arching your back. Only the tops of your quads and your lower abdomen should be in contact with the floor.
Hold for a count of 2 while squeezing your abdominals and obliques.
Return to the starting position for a count of one, then repeat.

This exercise can be done using one arm and it's opposite leg at a time. For example, right arm and left leg raised while your left arm and right leg remain on the floor. This method of execution allows you to use the free hand to push down on the floor to lift your chest higher from the ground.

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back

Secondary:

Glutes & Hip Flexors, Hamstrings

Lie face down on a hyper extension bench with your upper thighs and lower hips on the support pad. You must be able to bend at the waist freely.
Lock your ankles under the footpads.
Start with your body in a straight line head to toe.
Place your arms across your chest, behind or at the side of your head.
Slowly bend forward by relacing your, back and abdominal muscles.
Continue as far as possible without rounding your back or raising your thighs from the support pad. You should feel a slight stretch in your hamstrings.Hold for a count of one.
Return to the start position by contracting your back and abdominal muscles until your body is once again straight. Do not arch your back up at the end of the movement. Pause and repeat.

As your strength and flexibility increase, you can hold a weight plate against your chest for extra resistance.

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back

Lie prone on a swiss ball with your feet hip width apart. You can place your feet against a wall for better stability. Clasp your hands behind your head with elbows pointing out.
Engage your abs and raise your torso off the ball, hyperextending your spine.
Return your torso to the ball to the starting position.

Workout done!

Exercises done

of 6

Total time

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