The Best Push Day Workout Routine To Build Muscle And Strength

Building strength and maximizing muscle growth can be a challenging task, but with the right workout plan, it is achievable.

Get ready to transform your physique and achieve a toned chest, huge shoulders, and fantastic triceps with this push day workout routine.  

We have designed a push day workout routine that is not only easy to follow but also suitable to all fitness levels. This routine can be adapted to your individual needs as required, and will help you build muscle. 

This workout is specifically aimed at targeting the muscles in your chest, shoulders and triceps. 

The Harvard Health – Medical School, on this article – Add strength training to your fitness plan, states: “Strength training maintains and may even increase muscle mass, which people tend to lose as they age”.

This is how a typical push day would look like focusing on the relevant muscle groups, which include: the chest, shoulders, and triceps (excluding legs).

Day 1:

• Flat Bench Dumbbell Press For Chest – aiming for a rep range of 6 to 8 for each set with a total of 4 sets, while ensuring the weights you use are as heavy as you can handle while performing the exercise with correct form. 
• Dumbbell Side Lateral Raises For Shoulder – this is a great isolation exercise for the shoulders, aim for 12 to 15 reps per set, with a total of 4 sets. 
• Dips – this is a great exercise as it works multiple muscle groups at the same time, including: the chest, shoulders and triceps. This exercise is not easy for beginners, so I suggest to perform as many as you can at first, then try to beat the number of reps on your next workout session. 4 sets in total. If you’re unable to perform these, consider using a dips machine.
• Tricep Rope Pulldown – aim for 8 and 12 sets for each rep per set, with a total of 4 sets. 

Day 2:

• Incline Chest Presses – 8 to 12 reps each set with a total of 4 sets.
• Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Presses – 8 to 10 reps per set, with a total of 4 sets.
• Skullcrushers – Following our shoulder exercises, we transition to tricep exercises. Aim for 10 to 12 reps with a total of 4 sets. 

Rest: 30 to 90 seconds between sets 

Push Day Workout – FAQ

What is a Push Day Workout?

A Push Day Workout is a type of strength training workout that focuses primarily on muscles used for pushing exercises, including compound exercise. 

Some common exercises in such a workout might include bench presses, overhead presses, and dips.

The idea is to work out all the “push” muscles in one session and then allow them to recover while focusing on “pull” muscles or lower body in the next sessions.

This is often part of a workout split known as a Push, Pull, Legs split, which divides the muscle groups based on their functional similarities. 

This is how a push-pull-legs split could look like:

What Muscles Are Worked in a Push Workout?

A Push Day workout primarily targets the muscles in the upper body that are involved in pushing movements. These include:

• Chest Muscles (Pectorals)
• Shoulder Muscles (Deltoids)
• Triceps
• Quadriceps (If including lower body exercises)
• Calves (If including lower body exercises)
• Abdominals (If including core exercises)

Normally, the leg muscles are trained during a leg day in a Push/Pull/Legs split.

The Best Push Day Exercises For Growth Per Muscle Group

Chest

• Bench Press
• Flat Dumbbell Bench Press
• Incline Bench Press
• Decline Bench Press

Triceps

• Triceps Pushdown
• Skullcrushers
• Close Grip Bench Press
• Dips

Shoulders 

• Dumbbell Shoulder Press
• Overhead Press
• Dumbbell Lateral Raise

How Often Should I Do a Push Day Routine?

This can vary depending on your current fitness level, your personal fitness goals, and your body’s ability to recover.

However, generally, most experts recommend doing a push day workout 1-2 times a week, giving at least 72 hours of rest in between for the muscles to recover and grow. 

It’s always essential to consult with a fitness professional or personal trainer to develop a personalized exercise routine. 

How long should a push day workout last?

A push day workout should typically last about 45-60 minutes. 

However, this can vary depending on the individual’s fitness level and goals.

Too long could lead to overtraining and less effectiveness, so it’s crucial to focus on the quality of the workout. 

What are some common mistakes to avoid when doing a push day workout?

• Neglecting Proper Warm-up: It’s critical to warm-up properly before starting any lifting session to prep your muscles for the work they are about to do. This gets blood flowing to your muscles and reduces the risk of injury.
• Incorrect Form: Using incorrect form, especially when lifting heavy weights, can lead to serious injuries. Correct form allows you to target the intended muscles and also helps to improve the effectiveness of the workout.
• Overdoing It: One of the most common mistakes is trying to lift too much weight too soon. This can lead to injuries instead of progress. It’s important to gradually increase the weight, focusing on proper form and controlled movements.
• Ignoring Pain: While some discomfort can be expected when training, any sharp or consistent pain should not be ignored. The “no pain, no gain” mantra should not be confused with actual joint or severe muscle pain.
• Neglecting Rest: Rest is just as important as the workout itself. Overtraining without adequate rest can lead to fatigue and can impair your body’s ability to recover and make muscle gains.
• Lack of Variety: It’s not good to follow exactly the same routine every time. By changing the exercises, the weight, and the number of repetitions, you will avoid hitting a plateau and continue to see progress.
• Neglecting Other Body Parts: Even though it’s a push day, don’t completely ignore the rest of your body. It’s important to have a balanced workout routine and not over-emphasize one group of muscles over the others. 
• Not Eating A Nutritious Diet: Proper nutrition plays a key role in muscle gain and recovery. Make sure you’re eating a balanced diet and getting enough protein to support your workout.
• Not Staying Hydrated: Staying hydrated is crucial for your performance and recovery during workouts. Dehydration can lead to cramps, dizziness, and other issues that can hinder your performance.
• Skipping Cool Down: Always try to include a cool down phase after your workout. This helps to bring your heart rate down, reduce muscle soreness, and support recovery. 

Can I do a push day workout at home, or do I need to go to a gym?

 Yes, you absolutely can do a push day workout at home. You don’t necessarily need to go to a gym.

There are many exercises that you can do using your body weight or simple equipment like dumbbells or resistance bands that work the muscles you’d target on a push day, such as your chest, shoulders, and triceps.

These might include push-ups, overhead presses, tricep dips, etc. 

How can I modify a push day workout to make it easier or harder?

Modifying a push day workout allows you to target your fitness goals more effectively. You can make it easier or harder based on your endurance, strength, and overall fitness level.

How to make it easier?

• Decrease Weight: Lift lighter weights to make the workout less strenuous on your muscles.
• Less Volume: Decrease the number of sets or repetitions for each exercise.
• More Rest: Take longer rest periods between your sets.
• Modify Exercises: If a certain exercise is too challenging, swap it out for a less challenging alternative (e.g. pushups on your knees rather than on your toes).

How to make it harder?

• Increase Weight: Lift heavier weights or add resistance bands to increase the intensity.
• More Volume: Increase the number of sets or repetitions for each exercise.
• Less Rest: Take shorter breaks between your sets to keep your heart rate up.
• Add Variations: Add complexity to the exercises by doing variations, like incline or decline pushups, dumbbell chest press or chest flies.
• Supersets: Combine two or more exercises without rest in between. This will not only increase the intensity but will also save time.
• Progressive Overload: Gradually increase the weight, number of repetitions, or sets over time. This will make your muscles work harder and will lead to increased strength and endurance.

Remember always to listen to your body.

Conclusion

If you feel pain or discomfort while doing an exercise, stop immediately to avoid injury.

Always warm up your body before starting the workout and cool down at the end for muscle recovery.

Seek professional guidance from a qualified fitness coach or trainer if you’re unsure how to modify exercises. 

On this article – Push-Pull-Legs: The Ultimate Split, T-Nation refers to the Push-Pull-Legs slips as the ultimate split and “productive”.