A push workout plan is key to building muscular chest, shoulder, and tricep muscles.
This plan focuses on exercises that push the weight away from your body—think bench presses, shoulder presses, and dips. Push-pull leg is my favorite workout split.
What makes this plan different? It’s based on proven principles of progressive overload and compound movements, but it’s packaged in a challenging and achievable way.
This routine will fit your schedule and get you the results you want.
What is a Push Workout
Push workouts focus on exercises that involve pushing movements and pulling weight away from your body. These workouts target major muscle groups in your upper body, particularly your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
The idea is to do exercises that push weight or resistance outward, which helps make muscles bigger, stronger, and more stable.
For example, consider a Bench Press. In this movement, you push the barbell or dumbbell away from your chest, which means working your chest muscles and your shoulders and triceps.
Another classic push exercise is the overhead shoulder press, which targets your shoulders and upper chest while engaging your triceps.
In short, a Push Workout is about building that upper-body power and muscle definition by focusing on these pushing movements.
Here is a simple breakdown of some key exercises you could include:
- Barbell Bench Press – Works your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
- Overhead Shoulder Press – Targets your shoulders and upper chest.
- Tricep Dips – Focuses on the triceps with some chest involvement.
- Push-Ups – A great bodyweight push exercise hitting multiple muscles.
How To Do push day Workout
Let’s look at practical techniques and workout routines to train your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
1. Select Weekly Sets As per Your Fitness Level
Of course, the number of sets and reps will be determined based on your fitness journey, but here is a great starting point:
According to the latest scientific evidence, 12–20 weekly sets per muscle group may optimize muscle growth.
- Beginners: ~10 sets per week.
- Intermediate: ~15 sets per week.
- Advanced: ~20 sets per week.
When a certain amount of volume stops being effective and your progress stalls, you can add sets to increase volume and use that as a driver of renewed progress.
2. Know More Workout Goal
The number of reps and sets required to structure an effective chest shoulder tricep workout to increase mass and strength will vary based on your fitness level, weekly workout frequency, and strength training goals.
The best rep ranges and loads to work with.
- For muscle hypertrophy (increased muscle size): Do 8-12 reps, with 70 to 85% of your 1RM.
- For muscle endurance, Aim for 15-20+ reps and moderate loads, with a weight at least 50 to 70% of your 1RM.
- For muscle strength: 4 to 6 reps, with at least 85% of your one-repetition maximum (1RM). The fewer reps you perform, the closer to 100% of your 1RM you should strive for.
It is always best to start with fewer reps and sets, then gradually increase as your strength improves.
Beginner Push Workout Routine
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Push-Ups | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3-4 | 8-10 |
| Tricep Dips | 3 | 8-10 |
| Dumbbell Chest Flyes | 3 | 8-10 |
| Lateral Raises | 3 | 10-12 |
| Tricep Pushdowns | 3 | 8-12 |
Push workout plan At Home
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Push-Ups | 4 | 10-15 |
| Incline Push-Ups (hands elevated) | 3 | 10-12 |
| Decline Push-Ups (feet elevated) | 3 | 8-10 |
| Diamond Push-Ups | 3 | 8-10 |
| Pike Push-Ups | 3 | 8-10 |
| Wide Grip Push-Ups | 3 | 10-12 |
| Tricep Dips (using a chair) | 3 | 10-12 |
| Plank to Push-Up | 3 | 8-10 (each side) |
Intermediate Push day Workout Plan
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | 3 | 6-8 |
| Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 | 8-10 |
| Close-Grip Bench Press | 3-4 | 8-10 |
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 4 | 8-10 |
| Bent-Over Dumbbell Lateral Raises | 4 | 10-12 |
| Skull Crushers | 3 | 8-10 |
Advanced Push Workout Plan
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 6-8 |
| Military Press | 4 | 6-8 |
| Weighted Dips | 4 | 8-10 |
| Incline Barbell Bench Press | 5 | 10-12 |
| Cable Lateral Raises | 5 | 10-12 |
| Skull crusher | 5 | 10-12 |
Chest Shoulder Tricep Trio Workout Routine
Perform three exercises back-to-back with minimal rest between exercises. After completing all three exercises, rest briefly before starting the next trio set.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Trio Set 1 | ||
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 8-10 |
| Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 | 10-12 |
| Tricep Pushdowns | 3 | 12-15 |
| Trio Set 2 | ||
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 3 | 8-10 |
| Lateral Raises | 3 | 10-12 |
| Close-Grip Bench Press | 3 | 12-15 |
| Trio Set 3 | ||
| Chest Dips | 3 | 8-10 |
| Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 | 10-12 |
| Overhead Tricep Extensions | 3 | 12-15 |
Push Workout for Hypertrophy
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest (min) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat Dumbbell Bench Press | 4 | 8-12 | 1-2 |
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 3 | 8-12 | 1-2 |
| Arnold Dumbbell Press | 4 | 8-10 | 1-2 |
| Cable Chest Flyes | 3 | 10-15 | 1-2 |
| Push-Ups (weighted if possible) | 3 | To failure | 1-2 |
| Cable Lateral Raises | 3 | 12-15 | 1-2 |
| Dumbbell Skull Crushers | 3 | 10-12 | 1-2 |
| Tricep Dips (Bench) | 3 | 8-10 | 1-2 |
Push Workout Plan for Strength
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest (min) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warm-Up | |||
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 4-6 | 2-3 |
| Overhead Barbell Press | 4 | 4-6 | 2-3 |
| Incline Barbell Bench Press | 3 | 4-6 | 2-3 |
| Weighted Dips | 3 | 6-8 | 1-2 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 | 8-10 | 1-2 |
| Skull Crushers (EZ Bar) | 3 | 8-10 | 1-2 |
| Plank (Optional) | 3 | 30-60s | 1 |
| Cool-Down |
PUSH WORKOUT SPLITS Weekly SCHEDULE
3-Day Split (Best for beginners)
- Monday: Push Day
- Wednesday: Pull Day
- Friday: Legs Day
4-Day Split (Best for beginners)
- Monday: Push Day
- Tuesday: Pull Day
- Thursday: Legs Day
- Saturday: Optional Push or Pull
5-Day Split (Best for Intermediate)
- Monday: Push Workout A
- Tuesday: Pull Workout A
- Wednesday: Legs Workout A
- Thursday: Push Workout B
- Friday: Pull Workout B
6-Day Split (for advanced lifters)
- Monday: Push Workout A
- Tuesday: Pull Workout A
- Wednesday: Legs Workout A
- Thursday: Push Workout B
- Friday: Pull Workout B
- Saturday: Legs Workout B
Takeaways
A push day workout plans a great way to work the main functional pressing muscles. These include the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Whatever your exercise goal may be, the push-day workout routine can be correctly programmed to help you achieve it.
When using the exercises above, follow the technique cues and tips for correct performance. Each workout should focus on strength and hypertrophy exercises that use progressive overload.
Combining heavy, low-rep strength exercises with moderate-weight hypertrophy exercises ensures you build size and functional power.
References
- Chaves (2020). Effects of Horizontal and Incline Bench Press on Neuromuscular Adaptations in Untrained Young Men. International journal of exercise science, [online] 13(6). Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32922646/.
- Bishop, C., Chavda, S. and Turner, A.N. (2017). Exercise Technique: The Push Press. [online] ResearchGate. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319061549_Exercise_Technique_The_Push_Press [Accessed 19 Sep. 2024].
- Howe, L., Read, P. and Waldron, M. (2017). Muscle Hypertrophy: A Narrative Review on Training Principles for Increasing Muscle Mass. [online] ResearchGate. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320130602_Muscle_Hypertrophy_A_Narrative_Review_on_Training_Principles_for_Increasing_Muscle_Mass [Accessed 19 Sep. 2024].
- Rabello, R., Bertozzi, F., Lucas, I., Molinari, T., Cristian Roncada, Sforza, C., Rodrigues, R. and Carlos Leandro Tiggemann (2022). Activation of the three deltoid muscle portions during common strengthening exercises: A systematic review. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. [online] doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2022.12.002.
- Bernárdez-Vázquez, R., Raya-González, J., Castillo, D. and Beato, M. (2022). Resistance Training Variables for Optimization of Muscle Hypertrophy: An Umbrella Review. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, [online] 4. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2022.949021.
