A top fitness coach shares his 30 minute chest and back workout for building muscle

As we all know, December can be hectic for many of us, but you’ll be pleased to know that building muscle in your chest and back doesn’t require hours in the gym, or an overlay complicated routine. In a recent YouTube video, renowned Strength and Conditioning Coach, Jeff Cavaliere, has shared a 30-minute workout that won’t just help you build muscle in minimal time, but it’ll also leave you feeling gassed too, giving your cardiovascular system a little boost.

The entire workout takes just 30 minutes, including the warm-up, with Cavaliere breaking down the exact timings in the video. Instead of training chest and back separately, the workout pairs antagonistic (opposing) muscle groups. That means while your chest recovers, you’re working your back – allowing you to get more done in less time without sacrificing results. It's best performed at the gym, unless you have access to a set of dumbbells and some resistance bands, then you can do it at home.

The Chest & Back Workout That Shouldn’t Work (BUT DOES!) - YouTube

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For this workout, you have a quick warm-up, followed by an EMOM workout for the two compound exercises, and then a circuit for the accessory exercises. Cavaliere has designed the workout this way so you get the most bang for your buck; plenty of intensity for muscle-building in minimal time. If you aren’t familiar with the exercises, then we definitely have a quick look at his video above. Otherwise, here’s the workout:

Warm-up

• Kneeling banded incline press – 14, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps
• Banded squeeze rows – 14, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps

E3MOM

Perform the two exercises below within a three minute window – any remaining time, use to rest. Once the three minutes is up, set your timer for three minutes again, and repeat. Do this three times in total.

• 3 x 6-8 incline dumbbell press
• 3 x 6-8 chest supported dumbbell row

Circuit

Perform this circuit three times:

• High to low cable cross-overs to failure
• Push-ups – to failure
• One arm high cable row (standing) – to failure
• Straight arm pushdown – to failure

If you aren't able to get to the gym, but still want to work your chest, Cavaliere has a quick, bodyweight-only workout, perfect for at-home training that you can try instead. We also love his full-body dumbbell-only workout – another great example that you don't need hours to have an effective workout.