Are you wondering if you should be working your arms after chest day?

Or maybe you’re just looking to get that well-balanced and muscular physique and it just so happens that arms come after your chest day this week or maybe even every week, depending on your busy life.

Well, in order to get a well-balanced look, it is imperative (that word means important) for you to split your workouts up the proper way, and if you do not, you need to make sure you are at least going about it the right way. 

Arms and chest… For guys, this is going to be the two most important muscles you are going to want to get huge or at least decent in size if you want to build a muscle growth story for yourself or aiming to look good in a short sleeve shirt… it’s just that simple.

Just check out some of the most prominent bodybuilders, such as myself….what do you notice about me lol, but really what do you notice on the big guys like Rich Piana and such?

Arms and chest… But should you be working arms after a big chest day?

Here I am going to tell you if you should be working out your arms after chest day, as well as if you are going to do it, just how to go about it the right way (such as order of exercises, getting in enough protein, etc). 

And do note, getting in enough calories and protein is a big factor here. It’s challenging for me to get it through food because I just can’t eat that much.

I do it now through my morning meal shake. Kachava’s meal replacement is the one I currently use, you can see the flavor I get here.

Feel free to check out the other two things I use if you want

• My Favorite Pre-Workout – 4 Gauge’s Beta Alanine Free Pre Workout
• My Favorite Protein Shake – LYFE Fuel Essentials Nutrition Shake – This one here if you decide it’s for you, try and use my personal discount code they gave me lol it’s my first name twice and then the last name >> BENBENMAYZ if it works lucky you.

Now I’m gonna give you the most effective exercises for arms and chest that you should be hitting.

Is it Okay to Workout Arms After Chest Day? Or should I wait?

The main question that must be on your mind now! Generally speaking, it is not recommended to workout arms after chest day, however, this is not a hard and fast rule

The validity of this recommendation largely depends upon your training level and your overall workout routine, but just what do I mean?

Is it beneficial or will it help me build muscle (big arms) to train arms after chest day?

The reason why it is not recommended to train arms (biceps and triceps) after chest day is that on chest day the arm muscles used do get worn out pretty well, especially the triceps. This causes them to become burnt out and sore. I often ease the soreness and boost recovery with the use of theragun after workout on such intense days.

Therefore, if you work out arms the very next day, there is a chance that these muscles did not get a chance to fully recover. And I cannot emphasize enough that sufficient recovery and rest are pivotal for muscle growth.

Ever wondered why someone who does fully body workout every other day might bulk up faster and better than a gym bro who  works out 6 days a week, or perhaps 7 days a week? The secret is in the recovery period as you let your muscles grow and load up for the next session.

Yeah, it’s true that you can replace rest to some extent with heavy eating and a couple of other things but that’s beside the point. For me, I am already stuck with naturally skinny arms and I definitely would prefer to wait a day to rest if it means more growth and recovery for both my arms and my chest. 

If you are an experienced lifter, and your body is used to intense workout regimens, sure you can stick to working out arms after chest day, if you feel comfortable with that. However, in this case, there are some particular exercises, which are just simply better than others for your arms after having a chest day just the day before. 

I’ve listed 5 here below.

What are Some Good Arm exercises to Do After chest Day

IF you are trying to figure out what to workout after chest day try these exercises below.

Exercise 1: Chin Ups

Chin Ups, although designed to target the back, are also a classic exercise for training arms. They are a great overall upper-body strength training exercise.

They are one of the best upper body strength training exercises that also target the biceps, a very significant component of your arm’s overall look and aesthetic. Besides, as long as you aren’t getting a little carried away and overtraining, you can easily do chin ups every day with fantastic results.

To perform chin-ups properly, you will need to grip a pull-up bar in either a supinated position or a neutral position as you would with neutral grip pull-ups.

For the actual movement, you will have to pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar, and then come back. Be sure not to use the natural momentum of your body, to maneuver the movement.

Start doing this, and you’ll end up looking like a swinging monkey.

Exercise 2: Close Grip Pushup

Ain’t nothing better than a good old-fashioned push-up! (I like them so much I tried doing 1000 push ups per day) One of the best things about this particular exercise is that close grip tricep push ups do not require any weights or equipment.

There are many variations of the push up, but in this case, we recommend the ‘Close Grip’ version, to work your triceps the most.

To do the close grip push up, you should position your hands on the floor, inside shoulder width. For the movement, lower your body until your chest is just about to touch the floor, and then push yourself up and repeat.

Be sure to go all the way up and down, and not to ‘cheat’ your movements. You should feel this movement in your triceps more than anything.

Related Reading; How Many Push Ups Should an Average 18 Year Old Do?

Exercise 3: Bicep Barbell High Pull

The Bicep Barbell High Pull is one of the most prominent exercises, that trains all of the arm muscles equally. Hence, this is a must-have exercise in your whole arm workout routine.

Initially, you have to grab the barbell with your hands at double shoulder width and keep it in front of your thighs. Then, you have to bend your hips and knees, so that the bar is positioned just above your knees.

For the movement, you have to pull the bar up to shoulder height, with your elbows moving apart, and back. It’s recommended that you use a regular size barbell when doing this exercise instead of a short barbell.

You can also do upright rows instead of high pulls, they are similar in many regards.

Exercise 4: Tricep Dips

Tricep are one of the muscles that dips work. Tricep dips in particular focus mainly on the tricep section of your arms, and they are a fairly simple exercise to perform. Moreover, you can also easily adjust its intensity level, to match your fitness and training level.

First of all, you need to sit on the edge of a surface (like a chair or a bench), with your hands on both sides of your hips. Your feet should be extended straight, and touching the ground.

For the movement, you need to lower your body toward the ground, and then push back up. To vary the intensity level, you can add weights, by simply placing them on your lap.

Exercise 5: Lateral Raise

This exercise is specifically targeted towards the shoulders. It is great for building both strength and muscle mass.

Another benefit is that it targets the deltoid muscles; a muscle group that, in all honesty, does not get the attention it deserves!

…Another exercise that hits the delts spot on is the rear delt fly, and the cool part is that it also targets the chest muscles…

To do lateral raise exercise, you need to stand tall, with a dumbbell in each hand.

For the movement, elevate your arms out to your side until they are at shoulder level, and then bring them back down.

Is it Okay to Workout my Chest after Arms Day?

Chest day after Arms day, huh? If you can make it work, then go for it! However, generally speaking, this is definitely not ideal. 

Trying to do bench press, chest press, or any other type of chest exercise after you just worked out your arms is going to be a very bad idea.

How in the heck do you think you are going to press a bunch of weight or be able to give your chest a decent workout with your arms being worn out and sore?

Yes, you can work your chest after arms day but you will not be taking complete advantage of your workouts as you could be doing.

I don’t know about you, but I do not want to be going to the gym and wasting my time. I’d rather wait 2 days to recover, and then be able to work my chest how it should be worked.

The same goes for training shoulders after chest day or running after leg day.

You are not going to be going on a run after an intense leg workout are you?

Bottom Line – You Can Workout Arms After Chest

You can, but it is not ideal. If you plan to workout your arms after your chest workout then plan to have an easy going chest workout. Use the hammer strength chest press over the benchpress, use lighter weight rather than heavier weight.

Or if you want your chest to be bigger and you are not so worried about your arms than hey, work your chest out as hard as you can and limp in the next day and try and train arms…. but eyy.. good luck.

Related Reading: Chest Press Vs Bench Press – Which is Better?

Hope you have gotten your answer to this very popular question in the world of fitness.

Be sure to keep at least a one day gap between your arms and chest workout, for the best recovery. 

Have you had success with working your arms after your chest days? Leave a comment below with your thoughts on the issue.

Recommended Readings:

• Is It Okay to Squat and Deadlift on the Same Day?
• Benching More Than You Squatting?
• How To Build Bigger Hands
• I Did 100 Kettlebell Swings a Day… And Here’s Why You Should Do it, too!
• I Did 500 Crunches a Day – Here’s My Results
• Arnold Press vs. Military Press: Which Muscles Does Each Exercise Work? Which Is Better for You?

Sources;

https://healthyliving.azcentral.com/long-biceps-recover-11033.html