Push Workout For Muscle Growth

When working towards pursuing a well-built and muscular body, a well-structured push workout can be a game-changer. Whether you’re a beginner looking to build a solid foundation or an experienced lifter aiming to refine your technique, understanding the benefits of a push workout is essential.

In this article, we’ll explore the advantages of incorporating push exercises into your full-body workout routine, detail the best exercises for pushing movements, and provide a comprehensive workout plan to help you maximize your gains!

What is a Push Workout?

A push-day workout involves activating all of the muscles involved in pressing and pushing movements, focusing on the upper body. It includes both exercises with equipment and bodyweight exercises.

What are the Muscles Worked in a Push Day Workout?

Before starting the exercises, it is important to understand the different muscle groups and anatomy that will be impacted by a push-day workout routine. Establishing a mind-to-muscle connection will help you focus on the right muscles.

The main upper body muscles that are targeted include the shoulder muscles, chest muscles, and triceps muscles, or to get more specific, the Pectoralis major, Deltoids, and Tricep brachii. These muscles are involved in the flexing and extending of the arm, and so are part of pushing movements. These help develop upper body muscle mass and upper body strength. The shoulder muscles, particularly the deltoids, play a crucial role in push day exercises such as dumbbell lateral raises and shoulder presses [1].

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Best Push Workout Exercise

Bench Press

1. Lie on a flat bench with feet flat on the ground, and eyes under the bar.
2. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width, palms facing away.
3. Unrack the bar and position it above your chest with arms extended.
4. Lower the bar to your chest, and elbows at a 45-degree angle.
5. Pause briefly when the bar is just above your chest.
6. Press the bar back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.

Overhead Shoulder Press

1. Choose a standing or seated position with your back straight.
2. Use a barbell or dumbbells, with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width. Your palms should face forward.

3. Raise the weights to shoulder height, elbows slightly in front.
4. Push the weights straight overhead, fully extending your arms.
5. Slowly return to the starting position at shoulder height.

Push-Ups

1. Start in a plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width and feet together.
2. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.

3. Bend your elbows and lower your body towards the ground, keeping elbows at about a 45-degree angle.
4. Stop when your chest is just above the ground.
5. Push through your palms to return to the starting position, fully extending your arms.

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Dumbbell Flyes

1. Lie down and position yourself on a flat bench, feet flat on the ground.
2. Start with a dumbbell in each hand, arms extended above your chest, palms facing each other.

3. Slowly open your arms wide to the sides, keeping a slight bend in your elbows. Lower until you feel a stretch in your chest.
4. Hold the stretched position briefly.
5. Raise the dumbbells back to the starting position, squeezing your chest muscles.

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Lateral Raise

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing your body.
2. Engage your core and keep your back straight.

3. Lift the dumbbells out to the sides until your arms are parallel to the ground, with a slight bend in your elbows.
4. Hold at the top for a moment.
5. Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position of the lateral raise with control.

Tricep Dips

1. Find a surface – use parallel bars, sturdy bench, or a chair.
2. Sit on the edge with your hands next to your hips, fingers facing forward.

3. Slide off the edge and bend your elbows to lower your body until your arms are at about a 90-degree angle.
4. Hold the lowered position briefly.
5. Straighten your arms to lift your body back to the starting position.

Other chair workouts you can try:

Simple Chair Ab Exercises

Full Body Tri-Set With Chair

Cable Crossover

1. Set the pulleys on a cable machine to shoulder height.
2. Stand in the center, holding a handle in each hand, with arms out to the sides.

3. Take a step forward with one foot for balance.
4. With a slight bend in your elbows, bring the handles together in front of your chest in a hugging motion, pulling the cables
5. Hold for a moment at the peak of the movement.
6. Control the movement as you open your arms back to the starting position.

Push Workout Routine

Here is a push-day workout that combines these exercises to ensure an efficient routine catered towards muscle growth. For beginners, one push day a week is good enough. If you’re a lot more advanced, we recommend twice a week.

1. Warm-Up (5-10 minutes): Dynamic stretches and light cardio to increase blood flow and prepare muscles for the workout.
2. Compound Exercises:
   • Bench Press: 4 sets x 8-10 reps
   • Overhead Shoulder Press: 3 sets x 8-10 reps
   • Push-Ups: 3 sets to failure
3. Isolation Exercises:
   • Dumbbell Flyes: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
   • Lateral Raises: 3 sets x 12-15 reps
   • Tricep Dips: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
4. Finisher:
   • Cable Crossover: 3 sets x 12-15 reps

What are the Benefits of Push Day Workouts?

Muscle Growth and Strength Development

Push-day workouts focus on muscle groups in the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Push-day exercises are vital for enhancing muscle growth and strength development in these areas, making them a key component of any effective training split [2].

Along with muscle mass, working these particular body parts also leads to improved upper body strength overall, making everyday activities that require pulling movements easier.

Balanced Muscle Development

For a symmetrical and aesthetic physique, incorporating a push day as part of your routine helps in maintaining balanced muscle development across the body and ensuring you don’t look disproportionate.

Calorie Burn

A push-day workout routine can be considered a high-intensity workout, which help in burning those extra calories while retaining muscle mass [3]. High-intensity push workouts can elevate your heart rate, contributing to increased caloric expenditure and supporting fat loss goals while promoting muscle retention [4].

Physical Performance Improvement

Building upper body strength can enhance your confidence in your physical abilities, making everyday tasks easier and improving your performance in other activities.

6 Tips for an Effective Push Workout and Maximum Results

1. Focus on proper form and technique to avoid injury and ensure muscle activation.
2. Gradually increase weight and intensity as you progress to challenge your muscles.
3. Incorporate variation into your routine to prevent plateaus and keep your workouts exciting. Stay clear of monotony in your workout routine by including a push day – it includes a range of exercises like bench press, overhead press, dips, etc which allow progression overload and variety.
4. A push-day workout routine is often part of a 6-day split with a pull day workout and leg workout routine, and this is done to balance muscle development for the body for a proportionate physique. This is known as a push-pull-legs split.
5. Allow adequate rest and recovery between sets and workouts to facilitate muscle repair and growth.
6. Stay consistent and committed to your push workout regimen to see long-term results.

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Conclusion

The push workout is a cornerstone of any effective strength training program, offering a pathway to muscular hypertrophy and enhanced performance with each muscle group. By incorporating compound and isolation exercises strategically, you can sculpt a powerful upper body and achieve your fitness goals. So, gear up, push your limits, and watch your muscles grow with each rep!

For more such exercises and full-body workout routines that can help bring you closer to your fitness goals, check out the JustFit app!