Push day workout: Benefits and exercises

Training your muscles and weight loss exercises are good ways to stay fit. While you can do full-body workouts, you can also do specific muscles on some days. If you think splitting up your workout is on your mind, make sure to include a push-day workout. As the name suggests, it involves pushing movements. When you push an object away from your body, specific muscles are used. Yes, those are the chest, shoulders, and triceps that need to be strong. The only way to achieve that is by doing exercises that target these muscles in the upper body.

What is a push day workout?

“A push day workout is a training session where you focus on exercises that target the muscles involved in pushing movements,” shares fitness expert Abhi Singh Thakur. Chest, shoulders, and triceps are the muscles that work together to execute pushing movements.

A push day workout is part of a strength training routine in which you split your workout and focus on your upper body, as per research published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in 2017. It is basically an upper body training day. The workout includes pressing or extending motions where you push the weight away from your body, like during a bench press or shoulder press. It also involves moves in which you move your body away from an object, like doing a push-up.

What are the benefits of doing a push day workout?

• Strengthens your body: A push-day workout is great for gaining strength in your upper body. “Exercises like bench press, push-ups, and dips target the pectoral muscles, improving upper-body strength,” says Thakur. Overhead press and lateral raises, on the other hand, develop strong deltoids, improving overhead strength and shoulder stability.
• Aesthetic benefits: Push exercises contribute to a well-rounded, muscular upper body by enhancing the size and definition of the chest, shoulders, and triceps.
• Improves posture: A push day workout targets the chest apart from the shoulders and triceps. Strong chest muscles are essential for good posture, according to the Harvard Health Publishing.
• Prevents injury: Well-developed shoulders and chest provide stability to the shoulder joint, reducing the risk of injuries in sports or lifting activities.
• Good for the heart: A push day workout may be beneficial for your heart. During a study, published in JAMA Network Open in 2019, physically active people who could complete 40 push-ups in 30 seconds had a lower risk of cardiovascular issues compared with those who were able to do less than 10.

Beginner-level push day workout for women

1. Push-ups

• Start in a plank position with your hands under your shoulders, feet together, and body in a straight line.
• Engage your core and glutes to prevent sagging hips or arching your back.
• Slowly bend your elbows, keeping them at a 45-degree angle from your torso, as you lower your chest toward the floor.
• Stop when your chest is just above the ground or as low as you can manage.
• Push through your palms to return to the starting position.

2. Incline push-ups

• To do incline push-ups, place your hands shoulder-width apart on an elevated surface like a bench or strong table.
• Step back into a plank position, maintaining a straight line from your head to your heels.
• Lower your chest toward the elevated surface by bending your elbows.
• Push through your hands to return to the starting position.

3. Dumbbell bench press

• Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
• Hold the dumbbells above your chest, arms extended but not locked out.
• Slowly lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest, bending your elbows at a 90-degree angle.
• Push the dumbbells back up to the starting position, squeezing your chest muscles at the top.

4. Dumbbell shoulder press

• Stand or sit on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
• Start with the dumbbells at shoulder height, elbows bent at 90 degrees.
• Press the dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended overhead.
• Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.

5. Dumbbell chest fly

• Lie on a bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand above your chest, palms facing each other.
• Keep a slight bend in your elbows as you open your arms wide, lowering the dumbbells in an arc.
• Stop when your arms are level with your chest, then bring the dumbbells back together over your chest.

6. Triceps dip

• Sit on the edge of a sturdy bench or chair with hands gripping the edge, fingers pointing forward.
• Slide your hips off the bench and extend your legs in front of you.
• Bend your elbows to lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
• Push through your palms to return to the starting position.

Advanced-level push day workout for women

1. Barbell bench press

• Lie flat on a bench, gripping the barbell slightly wider than shoulder-width.
• Lower the barbell slowly to your chest, keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
• Press the barbell back up, fully extending your arms.

2. Overhead barbell press

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell at shoulder height with palms facing forward.
• Press the barbell overhead until your arms are fully extended.
• Slowly lower the barbell back to shoulder height.

3. Landmine press

• Anchor one end of a barbell to the floor. Hold the other end with both hands close to your chest.
• Press the barbell upward and forward until your arms are fully extended.
• Lower it back to the starting position.

4. Dumbbell pullover

• Lie on a bench, holding a dumbbell with both hands.
• Start with the dumbbell above your chest, then slowly lower it back over your head in an arc.
• Pull it back over your chest, engaging your chest muscles.

5. Single-arm dumbbell press

• Perform the dumbbell shoulder press with one arm while the other rests.
• Alternate sides to complete the set.

6. Close-grip push-ups

• Place your hands close together under your chest in a diamond shape.
• Perform push-ups, lowering your body until your chest nearly touches your hands.
• Push back up.

“Perform push day workout 2 to 3 times a week, ensuring at least one rest day in between to allow for muscle recovery,” says the expert. Make sure not to overtrain as it can lead to muscle fatigue and joint pain.

A push day workout is an effective way to strengthen your upper body, especially the chest, shoulders, and triceps. But don’t do this upper body workout every day as your muscles need time to recover too. Also, do it under the supervision of your healthcare provider.