A back and tricep workout pairs a pulling muscle group with a pushing one instead of the usual back and biceps combo. It works because triceps get a break from being a secondary mover (like they are on push day) and can be trained fresh, while back exercises don’t fatigue the same elbow flexors you’d need for a heavy bicep session right after. At FitStrot we program this split for clients who want more frequency on pressing muscles without adding an extra gym day, or who need a fresh way to break a plateau on either lift.
Why Would You Train Back and Triceps Together?
The traditional pairing is back and biceps, because both are pulling muscles and biceps assist on rows and pulldowns anyway. Back and triceps flips that logic. You’re combining a pull day muscle with a push day muscle, which means the exercises don’t compete for the same joint action. When you row, your triceps are barely involved. When you do a heavy tricep pressdown after, they’re completely fresh instead of pre-fatigued from curls.
We build this split for clients running a 4 or 5 day split where the math doesn’t divide neatly into classic push/pull/legs. It’s also useful if someone already trained biceps earlier in the week with arms or with a push day that included some curls, and you don’t want to double up. In that case, moving triceps into the back session balances out weekly volume without stacking two arm-heavy days back to back.
Is It Actually Good to Train Back and Triceps in the Same Session?
Yes, for the right person. It’s not the default recommendation for a beginner running a simple push/pull/legs split, because that structure already groups triceps with chest and shoulders on push day. But for intermediate and advanced lifters juggling more variables (recovery, joint stress, weekly frequency targets), back and triceps is a legitimate and often smarter option.
The biggest advantage is joint freshness. Heavy pulling doesn’t pre-exhaust your elbows or wrists the way pressing does, so when you get to tricep work you can actually load it properly. Compare that to a chest and tricep session, where by the time you reach pressdowns your elbows have already taken a beating from bench and incline work. If you want to see how that pairing is usually built, we’ve laid it out in our chest triceps workout guide, which is still the more common way people train triceps.
When Does This Split Make the Most Sense for You?
We recommend back and triceps in a few specific situations. First, if you’re training 5 or 6 days a week and need a way to fit two extra sessions without doubling up on the same joints twice in one week. Second, if you’ve noticed your triceps are lagging and you want to hit them with more frequency without adding a dedicated arm day. Third, if you’re coming back from elbow irritation and heavy pressing bothers you more than pulling does, this lets you keep training triceps with less joint stress since pulling movements don’t load the elbow the same way a bench press does.
It’s not the right call for someone on a 3 day full body or basic push/pull/legs program. In that case, stick with the standard pairing, which you can read about in our back and biceps workout article. That’s still the better default for most people starting out because it keeps pulling volume together and lets you finish the session with a pump in the muscles you just worked hardest.
Should Triceps Be Trained With Back or With Chest?
Honestly, chest is the more natural pairing biomechanically, since triceps are a prime mover in every pressing exercise. That’s why chest and triceps is the default split most gyms and programs use. But back and triceps has a real advantage that chest and triceps doesn’t: your triceps show up completely unfatigued.
Think about it this way. After a chest session, your triceps have already done heavy work as a secondary mover on bench, incline, and dips. By the time you isolate them, you’re training with tired joints and reduced strength output. After a back session, your triceps haven’t been touched at all. You can load pressdowns and extensions with full strength and better form. If your goal is pure tricep growth or strength, back and triceps can actually out-perform chest and triceps for that specific muscle, even though chest and triceps makes more sense from a “which muscles work together” standpoint.
How Should You Structure a Back and Tricep Session?
We always program the session in three parts. Start with your heaviest back compound movement while you’re fresh, whether that’s a deadlift variation, a barbell row, or a pull-up progression. Move into secondary back work, mixing vertical pulls (pulldowns, pull-ups) with horizontal pulls (rows, cable rows) to hit both the lats and the mid-back thickness. Then finish with triceps, going from a compound pressing movement like close-grip bench into isolation work like pressdowns and overhead extensions.
The order matters. Doing triceps first would pre-fatigue your grip and elbow stability before your heaviest pulling sets, which tanks your rowing and deadlifting numbers. Save the smaller muscle group for last, every time.
What Does a Full Back and Tricep Workout Look Like?
Here’s a sample session we’d build for an intermediate client training this split. Adjust load based on your own strength level, but keep the exercise order and rest periods roughly as they are.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Deadlift or Rack Pull | 4 | 5-6 | 2-3 min |
| Weighted Pull-Up or Lat Pulldown | 4 | 8-10 | 90 sec |
| Barbell or Chest-Supported Row | 3 | 10-12 | 90 sec |
| Single-Arm Cable Row | 3 | 12-15 | 60 sec |
| Close-Grip Bench Press | 4 | 8-10 | 90 sec |
| Overhead Rope Tricep Extension | 3 | 12-15 | 60 sec |
| Cable Tricep Pressdown | 3 | 12-15 | 45-60 sec |
That’s seven exercises, four for back and three for triceps, which is a ratio we like because back is a bigger, more complex muscle group that needs more total volume to grow. If you want more row and pulldown variety to rotate into this session, our cable back workouts guide has a full list of cable-based options that pair well here.
How Many Exercises Should You Actually Do for Back and Triceps?
For back, aim for 4 to 6 exercises depending on your split frequency, covering both vertical and horizontal pulling angles plus at least one heavy compound lift. For triceps, 2 to 3 exercises is enough, one compound-ish movement like close-grip bench or dips, followed by one or two isolation moves that hit different heads of the muscle (overhead extensions bias the long head, pressdowns bias the lateral head).
Going beyond 4 tricep exercises in a session that already includes heavy back work is usually overkill. We see clients try to cram in five or six different tricep movements because they read that variety builds bigger arms, and they end up too fatigued to finish their back work properly, or they show up to their next pull session still sore. Quality of execution beats exercise count every time.
How Do You Warm Up Before This Session?
Don’t skip a proper warm-up here. Start with 5 minutes of light cardio to raise your heart rate, then move into band pull-aparts and scapular retractions to wake up your upper back. Before your first heavy pull, do 2 light warm-up sets of that exact movement at 40-50% of your working weight. Before close-grip bench, do the same with a few light sets to prep your elbows, since that joint takes real stress in this session and skipping the warm-up is how people end up with nagging tendon issues.
What Mistakes Should You Avoid on This Split?
A few mistakes show up again and again on this split:
- Doing triceps first because they “feel like the smaller, easier muscle to get out of the way.” Don’t do this. It weakens your grip and pressing stability for the heavy back work that should come first.
- Copying a pure pull day workout and just tacking triceps onto the end without adjusting total volume, which leaves you either under-training triceps or overtraining your whole session.
- Neglecting mid-back thickness work in favor of only lat-focused pulldowns, which leaves your upper back flat even as your lats grow.
Ready to Build a Program Around This?
Getting the split right is one part of the puzzle. The bigger factor is whether the exercise selection, volume, and progression actually match your body and your schedule week over week. That’s the part a template can’t do for you. If you want a coach to build and adjust this kind of session around your actual recovery and goals, check out our 1-on-1 personal training service, where we design your full weekly split, not just one workout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it good to train back and triceps together?
Yes, especially if you’re training 4 or more days a week and want your triceps to be fresh instead of pre-fatigued from pressing. It’s less common than back and biceps or chest and triceps, but it works well because pulling doesn’t tire out the elbows the way pressing does, so your tricep work stays high quality.
What is a good back and tricep workout?
A good session starts with a heavy compound pull like deadlifts or weighted pull-ups, follows with 2-3 more back exercises covering both vertical and horizontal pulling, then finishes with 2-3 tricep exercises moving from a compound press like close-grip bench into isolation work like pressdowns or extensions. The sample workout table above is a solid template to start from.
Should triceps be trained with back or with chest?
Chest is the more traditional pairing since triceps assist on every pressing movement anyway. But back and triceps has a real benefit: your triceps arrive completely fresh instead of already fatigued from bench and incline pressing. If your priority is training triceps with maximum strength and focus, back and triceps can work better. If you’d rather keep things simple and conventional, chest and triceps is the safer default.
How many exercises should you do for back and triceps?
Aim for 4 to 6 back exercises and 2 to 3 tricep exercises in one session. Back needs more total volume because it’s a larger, more complex muscle group with multiple distinct areas (lats, traps, rhomboids, lower back). Triceps respond well to less volume when they’re being trained fresh, so 2-3 focused exercises is usually enough.
Can beginners use a back and tricep split?
It’s not the first split we’d recommend for a true beginner. A simple push/pull/legs or full body routine builds the base strength and movement patterns you need first. Once you’ve got a few months of consistent training behind you and want more frequency or a fresh stimulus, back and triceps becomes a smart option to add in.
