Does your bench press engage your triceps?

In a small study of 30 resistance-trained women and men, pre-exhausting the triceps before benching increased triceps and chest activation in women, but only chest activation in men.

Test your knowledge

Sarah and Mark are both resistance-trained lifters who want to increase the muscle activity in their chest and triceps during bench presses. They are considering a 'pre-exhaustion' routine where they fatigue the triceps first before moving to the bench press. Based on how muscle activation might differ between sexes, what is a likely observation for Sarah?

A) The pre-exhaustion will decrease muscle activity in her triceps due to fatigue
B) The pre-exhaustion will have no effect on her muscle activity compared to Mark
C) The pre-exhaustion will increase muscle activity in both her chest and triceps
D) The pre-exhaustion will only increase muscle activity in her chest

🔬 The Breakdown

Context: This suggests that women might benefit more from specific sequencing to ensure their muscles are actually doing the work, rather than relying on a 'one-size-fits-all' lifting routine.

Reality Check: Because this was a small study of only 30 people, we don't know if these results hold true for everyone or across different fitness levels.

Takeaway: Try 'pre-exhausting' your triceps with a set of pushdowns to failure before your next bench press to see if you feel a deeper chest engagement.

Published November 09, 2026

The science, explained

Evidence Check: This was a small study of 30 resistance trained women and men using a crossover design.

Conventional Wisdom Check: This refines the idea that training techniques might affect different sexes in unique ways depending on the specific muscle group.

Everyday Translation: For women, tiring the triceps first may help 'recruit' more of those muscles along with the chest during the main lift.

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