Joe Manganiello's Chest and Triceps Exercise for Higher Physique Positive aspects

Joe Manganiello stars on the cover of the Men's Journal Summer 2024 digital issue. In our interview, the actor talks about his hit new reality competition show, a new relationship, and beating his own impressive personal strength records at 47.

Manganiello reached new heights at the gym last year, as he was shooting the first season of Deal or Deal Island in tropical paradise (and making contestants' lives appropriately hellish).

He gives credit where it's due—especially to his longtime trainer, Ron Mathews, who's worked with a who’s who of celebrities, including Hugh Jackman.

"Joe is an absolute pleasure to train," Mathews tells us. After years of high-intensity circuit training and aggressive periodization to maintain a very low body fat and high muscle percentage, "we've definitely switched gears."

These days, the man behind Magic Mike's Big Dick Richie is going hard and heavy. "He loves to keep his body weight above 250, and we prioritize muscle volume and strength. Since we're always looking to progressively overload his muscles, his strength just kept creeping up."

About a year ago, Mathews mentioned to Manganiello that he was at or near all of his lifetime personal records. Then they did a bit of "testing," the trainer says, following an old-school split training regimen. In a major surprise, "he PR'd his back squat, deadlift, and bench press."

These days, Manganiello follows a traditional body part split:

• Day 1: Back + Bi's
• Day 2: Chest + Triceps
• Day 3: Legs + Calves
• Day 4: Rest + Abs
• Day 5: Shoulders
• Day 6: Chest and Back
• Day 7: Rest + Abs

Mathews shared a sample of Manganiello's chest and arm workout. You don't have to be the star's size to reap the rewards of these effective moves. And, like him, achieve peak fitness at an age when you least expect it.

Directions

This workout comprises a few different training protocols to maximize results and fully exhaust muscle fibers. Think of these as workouts within your workout. Follow specified rest for each.

• Exercise 1 is a ladder that descends and ascends.
• Exercises 2, 3, 5, and 6 are supersets. Perform the two exercises in the superset back to back with minimal rest in between.
• Exercise 4 is an AMRAP, which stands for "as many reps as possible," and is designed for burnout.

1. Barbell Bench Press Ladder 

Bench Press

Beth Bischoff

How to Do It

1. Grasp the bar with hands just outside shoulder-width apart and arch your back, to start. 
2. Pull the bar out of the rack and lower it to your sternum, tucking your elbows about 45 degrees to your sides. 
3. When the bar touches your body, drive your feet hard into the floor and press the bar back up. 
4. That's 1 rep. 
5. Follow a rep scheme of 15, 12, 9, 6, 3, 3, and 10. Rest 2 min. between sets.

2A. Superset: Decline Dumbbell Flye

Decline Dumbbell Flye

Jay Sullivan

How to Do It

1. Lie on a decline bench holding a dumbbell in each hand over your chest, to start.
2. Spread arms apart and lower the dumbbells out to your sides until you feel a stretch in your pecs. 
3. Squeeze your pecs as you bring the weights together again. 
4. That's 1 rep. 
5. Complete 4 sets of 10 reps, supersetting with decline dumbbell presses. Don't rest. Go immediately into the next exercise.

2B. Decline Dumbbell Press

Decline Dumbbell Press

Jay Sullivan

How to Do It

1. Lie on a decline bench with a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level, to start.
2. Squeeze your pecs as you press the weights above your chest. 
3. That's 1 rep. 
4. Complete 4 sets of 10 reps, supersetting them with decline dumbbell flyes. Take minimal to no rest between sets.

3A. Superset: Standing Cable Flye

Standing Cable Flye

Ian Maddox

How to Do It

1. Set a handle attachment just below chest level on a cable machine, to start. 
2. Stand away in a staggered stance. 
3. If your right foot is forward, grasp the handle with your left hand using a neutral grip. 
4. Place your right hand on your pec to feel the activation. 
5. Brace your core and keep your shoulders square. 
6. Begin the move from a pec stretch position. 
7. Perform a wide, sweeping cross-body flye—extending beyond your midline. 
8. That's 1 rep.
9. Repeat for 4 sets of 12 reps, supersetting with straight-bar triceps extensions. Don't rest. Go immediately into the next exercise.

3B. Straight-Bar Triceps Extension

Straight-Bar Triceps Extension

James Michelfelder

How to Do It

1. Attach a straight bar handle to a cable station and place both hands on the attachments with your facing down, to start. 
2. Tuck your elbows to your sides and push the handle down until your triceps are almost fully locked out. 
3. That's 1 rep. 
4. Complete 4 sets of 12, supersetting with incline dumbbell Champagne press. Take minimal to no rest between sets.

4. Incline Dumbbell Champagne Press AMRAP

Incline Dumbbell Champagne Press

James Michelfelder and Therese Sommerseth

How to Do It

1. Lie down on an incline bench holding a dumbbell in each hand, to start.
2. Press the dumbbells together and press them in the air making sure they touch throughout the entire movement. 
3. Lower them back down to the starting position. 
4. That's 1 rep. 
5. Complete 4 AMRAP sets with a minimum of 10 reps. Rest 2 min. between sets.

5A. Superset: EZ-Bar Skullcrusher

EZ-Bar Skullcrusher

James Michelfelder and Therese Sommerseth

How to Do It

1. Lie on a bench holding an EZ-curl bar with your hands at shoulder width, to start.
2. With the bar over your face and your upper arms stationary, lower the bar to your forehead then press back up. 
3. That's 1 rep. 
4. Repeat for 4 sets of 12, supersetting with EZ-bar narrow grip press. Don't rest. Go immediately into the next exercise.

Pro Tip

Dropping the weight to your chest while keeping your elbows high will maximize the outer head of the tricep and minimize the pec involvement. 

5B. EZ-Bar Narrow Grip Press

EZ-Bar Narrow Grip Press

James Michelfelder

How to Do It

1. To start, lay on a flat bench and place an EZ-bar softly on your chest holding it with a neutral grip. 
2. Arch your back slightly and lift the weight back up until your arms are fully extended. 
3. Unlock your elbows and lower the weight back to your chest. 
4. That's 1 rep. 
5. Repeat for 4 sets of 12 reps, supersetting with EZ-bar skullcrushers. Take minimal to no rest between sets.

6A. Superset: Rope Overhead Triceps Extension

Rope Overhead Triceps Extension

James Michelfelder

How to Do It

1. Turn away from the station and hold the rope behind your head, to start.
2. Explosively extend your elbows overhead. 
3. Take three seconds to lower the weight and hold the bottom position for two seconds. 
4. Hold the last rep of each set for 15 seconds in the stretched (elbows bent) position. 
5. That's 1 rep. 
6. Complete 4 sets of 10 reps, supersetting with rope tricep extensions. Don't rest. Go immediately into the next exercise.

6B. Rope Triceps Extension

Rope Triceps Extension

James Michelfelder

How to Do It 

1. Attach a rope handle to the top pulley of a cable station and grasp an end in each hand, to start. 
2. Tuck your elbows to your sides and then extend them keeping tension on the triceps without fully locking them out.
3. That's 1 rep. 
4. Repeat for 4 sets of 10 reps, supersetting with rope overhead triceps extension. Take minimal to no rest between sets.