Written by Garett Reid | NSCA, CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
An upper body exercise routine has a significant amount of push exercises. These pushing exercises train your upper body (chest, shoulders, and triceps). An entire day focused on these pushing muscle groups allows you to directly focus on your legs, biceps, and back on another day.
This article will explore some of the most effective push exercises you can include in your routine (whether that's at home or the gym). We will discuss proper form for these exercises and more. By the end of this article, you should have a good idea of what exercises you should include when you target your chest, tricep, or shoulder muscles, or when you do an all-around push workout.
The 9 Best Upper Body Pushing Exercises For Mass & Strength
The following best upper body push exercises include both compound push exercises and isolation push exercises, as this will allow you to get the most muscle growth and strength gains for your push muscles (aka pressing muscles).
Here is a list of push exercises we will be covering.
- Standard (and Modified) Push-up
- Bench Press
- Overhead Tricep Extension
- Cable Tricep Pushdown
- Overhead Shoulder Press
- Dumbell Lateral Raise
- Bench Dip
- Pec Deck
- Dumbell Fly
#1: Standard (and Modified) Push-Ups (For Your Triceps, Shoulders, and Chest Muscles)
Push-ups are the most effective bodyweight chest exercises you can do. In fact, they are among the best chest exercises in general, when done right. Many people fail to have the right workout form. Improper workout form can lead to it being ineffective. In some cases, it can lead to a significant injury.
If you want to do a push-up right, follow these steps:
- Have your chest and stomach against the floor with your legs straight behind you.
- Be sure that your arms are at the same level as your chest, bent at a 45-degree angle.
- As you push up with your hands and keep your feet stable, exhale.
- Keep your body in the plank position for a couple of seconds. This is your starting position.
- Inhale as you lower your body down. Stop once your elbows are at or below 90 degrees. Pause for second.
- Push back up to the starting position and repeat.
People commonly have their butt too high in their when performing this workout. They also don't drop their arms the full 45 degrees, thus decreasing the training's effectiveness. The key to a good push-up is a flat back.
If you want to stay comfortable, you can also do push-ups on a yoga mat.
What if You Cannot Do A Standard Pushup?
If you find yourself struggling to maintain good form after a single pushup, we all have to start somewhere. To address this problem, consider these beginner-friendly modifications:
Push-Up on Your Knees
Follow the same instructions mentioned above; only your knees will be on the ground. Keep your elbows bent at the 45-degree angle, pressing up just as you would with a standard pushup. Try and complete a set up ten to get started.
Push-Up on an Incline
If your knees hurt from an old injury, another level of push-up you should consider is on an incline. By finding a relatively short table or chair, your job is to plank your body against that surface. Be sure that the floor isn't slippery, and continue to keep your back straight and your arms at a 45-degree angle.
Regular Push Ups Too Easy?
You can also make your push ups more difficult. Below are some difficult push up variations that can make your at-home workouts even more effective as you progress.
Decline Push Ups
Weighted Push Ups (Backpack Works too!)
Spiderman Push Ups
You can also try Push Ups With Bands for increased resistance!
#2: Bench Press (For Your Chest, Triceps, and Shoulders)
A bench press is another method of working out your triceps and chest. In fact, out of all the horizontal push exercises, the bench press is arguably the best. Moreover, it is most people's strongest upper body lift (including pull exercises). It's no wonder that the bench press is a favorite among push day exercises.
While this lift has a good deal of bragging right behind it, your first goal is always to practice proper form. Improper form in a bench press can get you injured for quite a while, especially at higher weights.
Check out this short guide to ensure you are following the proper form of bench pressing:
- Lay flat on the bench with your feet firmly planted into the ground about shoulder width apart (this is important for leverage when lifting heavy).
- Make sure you are eye-level with the bar.
- Various grip width options are marked on the bar.
- Be sure that your thumbs also wrap around the bar.
- Grab hold of the middle option, which should feel the most comfortable. Palms facing forward.
- Straighten your arms until they lift the bar. Inhale at this point.
- Position the bar at chest-level.
- With your arms straight, slowly lower the bar until your elbows are 75-degrees out.
- Push the bar back up until your arms are straight again. Exhale while pushing the bar back up.
- Position the bar so that it returns to its resting position.
- Make sure that your butt remains on the bench and your arms remain vertical.
Many people go into the gym fixated upon getting the largest number on their bench press. While that's a great goal, you can also bench press for endurance. If you want to bench press for endurance, reduce the rate and increase the number of reps.
Close Grip Bench Press vs Wide Grip Bench Press
You can modify the focus on your bench press workout by adjusting the location your hands wrap around. A close grip press focuses more on your triceps' strength, putting more pressure on that muscle group to work. A wide grip bench press focuses more on the pec muscles. Until you get used to the standard form, stick with the "middle grip" bench press.
How Do Incline Bench Presses Compare To Flat Bench Presses?
Incline bench presses are better for developing your upper chest. You also use your shoulders more, given that the exercise is closer to a shoulder press. The only requirement is to lift your benching equipment to an angle. This position is also good for the incline dumbbell fly, which we will be getting into later. If you do two push workouts a week, make the incline bench your main push day exercise in the second training session.
Decline Push ups for Lower Chest Chiseling
What If I Don't Have A Spotter For A Bench Press?
Going on your workout routine with friends is great, but sometimes your friends aren't available. So with that in mind, is there a safe way to bench press without a spotter?
The answer is yes, so keep the following in mind:
- Grip your bar with the thumbs around, so you have some control over the bar crashing into your pectoral muscles.
- If your gym has it, always be sure to bench with available safety arms.
- Collars prevent your weight from shifting as you lift it. By not having collars on, you can tilt your body to slide the weight off. By following good form, weights should never naturally slide off your bar.
While we only pictured barbell bench press variations above, you can use a Smith Machine for Bench Press, resistance bands, and of course, dumbbells too. Not to mention machines for chest press!
#3: Overhead Tricep Extension (For Your Triceps)
The first two options are compound workouts. Now that we are through those, we can take a look at the more focused exercises. We'll start this out with the dumbbell overhead tricep extension.
To perform this workout, follow the following instructions:
- You can do this workout by sitting on a bench rack or standing with your feet sitting shoulder-length apart.
- Keep your core engaged while holding a dumbbell (or any weight) above your head.
- Slowly drop the weight, ensuring that your biceps and the other parts of your body aren't assisting the movement. Inhale as you do this.
- Lift the weight until your arms extend fully (don't hyperextended). Exhale as you do this.
The goal of this exercise is to isolate your tricep as the only moving part of your body. Moving your bicep or other parts of your body eliminates the purpose of this workout.
Going too hard or choosing too high of weight can cause hyperextension of the elbow. If it starts to hurt, do not continue the workout. By adequately listening to your body, this exercise can be a valuable part of your routine.
You can also use other implements for this exercise, such as...
Barbell Triceps Overhead Extension
Cables or Resistance Bands Tricep Extension
#4: Cable Tricep Pushdown (For Your Triceps)
A cable machine is a fixture of most gyms. You can do many of the workouts on this list with a cable machine. You can also do this with a resistance band.
Before you begin, check out the machine to be sure that you can be in a comfortable position. Typically, you will be facing the machine and grabbing onto the cable, rope, or bar. You will want to be sure that the pin is at a comfortable weight. If you aren't sure of where the weight should be, start low.
After you get a good weight, you will want to focus on the form:
- Brace your core and spread your feet out to be shoulder-width. Position your elbows nearby your ribcage.
- Push down on the machine until your elbows extend. Keep your core engaged, back straight, and elbows in position as you push your triceps. Breathe in as you do this.
- Return to the original position while exhaling. Keep it a firm, controlled movement to work your triceps.
If you want to do this workout at home, you might find it a bit tricky. However, if you own a resistance band and a pull-up bar, position yourself under the bar and connect the resistance band. The movement is very much the same. Just be sure that the resistance band is on tight.
#5: Overhead Shoulder Press (For Your Shoulders and Triceps)
The overhead shoulder press is our next stop on shoulder exercises. You use the same barbell that you have from benching. Instead of lifting it above your chest, you will be raising it behind your head. This exercise will mainly focus on your shoulders and triceps, but it will also work on your upper back and traps.
When it comes to vertical push exercises, the overhead shoulder press is king, which is why nearly everyone has it as one of their main push day exercises. It's the bench press and overhead press that are the best push exercises for strength and mass, hands down...as long as you perform them correctly.
To help you with form, you can perform this workout on a Smith machine. These machines are controlled and have long bars connected to a chain that guides them up and down. They cannot be removed and are stuck straight, resulting in you needing to keep your form.
Regardless of how you choose this process, follow these instructions to perform an overhead shoulder press:
- Lift the bar and place it on the front of your chest. Makes sure the bar is not directly beneath your chin, as you don't want to hit it!
- Ensure that your wrists are in a comfortable position and your hands are at the shoulder-length grips. Feet flat on the ground for a sturdy base.
- Raise your arms in the air in a controlled movement, ensuring that your hands are balanced your core, hips, and back remain motionless. Inhale as you do this.
- Slowly lower your bar in a controlled motion. Make sure that your chest stays up as you do this. Exhale as the bar slowly drops.
The key to this workout is to maintain good posture, especially as it applies to your hips and your back. If you are new to this workout, you can actually start it with a seated dumbbell press. Dumbbell push exercises ensure that both sides of your body are worked evenly, and thus will improve how effective your standing barbell shoulder press is.
Military Press vs. Overhead Press - What's The Difference?
While often mixed up, the overhead press is less complicated than the military press. If you consider how soldiers stand at attention, this gives you a good idea of what to expect:
- Your heels are closer together.
- Your hips and quads are extended.
- You can only move your shoulders and arms.
A military press puts more emphasis on you keeping a stable core. There is a lot of build potential here, but it isn't for people who are just starting the overhead press. If you are looking for more of a challenge, a military press is an excellent place to start.
You can also do seated military presses, which is an effective way to hone in more on the shoulders and reduce any momentum during the press.
Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press
Seated Overhead Barbell Press
#6: Dumbbell Lateral Raise (For Your Side Deltoids)
A dumbbell lateral raise is a great way to increase strength and mobility in your shoulders. The idea is not to use heavy weights in this workout. Instead, your focus should be to use lighter weights and focus on specific movements.
If you find that your body is getting abnormally sore from this exercise, try to reduce the weight. Otherwise, check with an expert to have them correct your form. You can start with the following instructions:
- Hold two lighter weights on either side of your body. Have the palms of your hand comfortably facing towards your side body. Stand with your feet hip width apart.
- Lift your arms in a T-pose to around shoulder height. Be sure that your wrists are not lifted above your elbows, as that eliminates the effectiveness of this exercise. Inhale as you do this. Also, try to keep the dumbbells straight (leveled).
- Slowly drop the weights back to either side of your body, making sure they don't touch your body. Exhale as you lower the weights.
This exercise also provides an excellent opportunity for your core if you engage it. Given that this is a focused exercise, you will need to combine it with other isolations to ensure your body is receiving the right care.
Cable or Resistance Band Lateral Raises
Resistance Bands are perfect for at home push workouts!
#7: Bench Dip (For Your Triceps and Front Deltoids)
If your body can't handle regular dips, the bench dip is a great way to start. This workout provides a natural way for your triceps to take advantage of your body weight. You can easily do this exercise at home.
Check out these instructions for how to perform it:
- Face away from a bench and position yourself as though you are going to sit on it. Place both hands on the bench and place your legs either at 90 degrees (easier), knees slightly bent, or completely straight out in front of you (harder).
- Slide your butt off until your feet hit the floor, but your butt is in the air.
- Lower your body until your arm is at a 90-degree angle. Lift yourself to the previous position using your triceps.
Standard Dips (Harder)
When it comes to bodyweight push exercises, parallel dips are the best (sorry push ups, you are great too, it's just dips are harder!). A standard dip utilizes special machines you can only find at a gym. You can find something similar in some schoolyard environments, but many of these environmental items may not be sturdy enough to hold your body weight.
Overall, dips are great, and there are many dip variations to try!
#8: Pec Deck (For Your Chest)
The pec deck machine, or the seated lever fly, is a great way to engage your chest when done correctly. As an isolating exercise, the most significant mistake people make is overdoing it on the weight. Instead, focus on being particular with your form and following these instructions:
- Start by adjusting the seat and machine's settings so that you are comfortable. Make sure that the arm pads are at chest level.
- Adjust the weight (to something lower if you are starting).
- Place your arms in the pads and grip the handles.
- Press your arms together, making sure they do not touch. Inhale as you do this.
- Wait for a few seconds and do a controlled return back to the old position. Exhale as you do this.
There are also cable variants to this machine located at most gyms. Many systems are built with this that include resistance bands, but you will have to buy a specialized unit unless you can get creative with those bands.
#9: Dumbbell Fly (For Your Chest & Front Deltoids)
A fly implies that you are supposed to be "flapping" your arms out like a bird. While the idea is right, the proper form behind a fly is challenging to master. Check out these instructions for performing a dumbbell fly:
- Lay flat on a bench and take two lighter dumbbell weights.
- Position the two palms in so that they are both right next to each other. Be sure that they are not touching, as this will remind you of the need to control.
- Spread your arms out in a controlled movement. Lower them until you feel a slight stretch on your chest.
- Lower until your upper arms are parallel with your chest. Inhale as you do so.
- Keep your shoulder blades tight as you lift your arms back into the same potion. Be sure that the weights do not clang together, as that indicates you've lost control.
When people make mistakes from the dumbbell fly, it typically has to do with overextending their arms or putting too much weight. The idea is to focus on the movement, particularly as your dumbbells reach the top of your motion.
Hit the chest with flys from a different angle...
Incline Dumbbell Fly
Pushing Exercise and Workout FAQ:
Now that we went over our favorite exercises for push day (or any workout involving pushing), let's cover some frequently asked questions regarding push workouts and exercises. After, we will provide you with several effective push day workouts!
What muscles does a push exercise work?
Pushing exercises will work your chest (pectorals), triceps, and shoulders (deltoids). However, not every push exercise will work all three in a significant manner. For example, the overhead press will not cause much chest activation (albeit the upper pecs will get some), or triceps extensions which will mainly just hit your triceps.
Interestingly, out of all the muscles worked with pushes, it's your front deltoids that will be involved in nearly every movement.
How often should you do pushing exercises?
This will depend on your routine. For example, with a 4 day push pull split you’d be hitting pushing exercises twice a week, with a 3 day push pull legs split you’d be hitting pushing exercises once a week, or with an upper lower split you'd be hitting pushing exercises on upper body workout days.
Don’t get caught up on how often, but rather simply aim for 10 total working sets per week for your chest muscles, tricep muscles, and shoulder muscles (aka deltoids). This also applied to different muscle groups.
Furthermore, doing 5 sets two times a week or 10 sets once a week shouldn’t make a big difference. In fact, some studies show that spreading the volume out over the course of the week is best for hypertrophy (building muscle). If you'd like to spread out the volume, a full body routine, push pull split, or even a modified bro split will allow you to do this.
How Many Reps Should I Do for Pushing Exercises?
The number of reps will depend on your fitness goals, the exercise at hand, and the weight load you are using. For example, if you want to focus on hypertrophy for dumbbell bench press, then you'd use a weight load that challenges you in the 6-12 rep range. Or, if you wanted to focus on strength for seated dumbbell shoulder presses, you would use a weight load that challenges you in the 4-6 rep range.
Here is a simple breakdown to follow:
- Power- 1-3 reps 90%+ 1RM
- Strength 4-6 reps 85%-90% 1RM
- Hypertrophy 6-12 reps 70%-80% 1RM
- Endurance 15+ reps >70% 1RM
What are push workouts?
Push workouts involve exercises that mainly focus on your pushing muscles, which are the chest, triceps, and shoulders. Push-only workouts are typically employed by people running a push-pull-legs or push-pull workout routine.
For a push pull workout routine, your push day would consist of both upper and lower body pushing exercises. In this post, we only covered upper body pushing exercises, as that is what most people want when searching for pushing exercises. However, if you want to run a push pull split, then squat variations, lunge variations, and leg presses will be the best lower body push exercises to include.
For a push pull legs workout routine, your push day will consist of only upper body pressing exercises, as you will be doing pushing exercises for your leg muscles on leg day.
How many exercises should I do for a pushing workout?
Most people will see great results with 10 total working sets for each muscle group per week. So, if you do one push workout per week, then you’d want to do 4-6 exercises, each for 2-4 sets. Make sure to choose exercises that emphasize each pushing muscle - chest, triceps and shoulders. For example, bench press for chest emphasis, overhead tricep extensions for triceps emphasis, and shoulder press for deltoid emphasis.
Note: Even if a compound exercise is mainly for one muscle group - i.e. shoulder press for shoulders - other muscles will be activated. Thus, secondary muscle groups worked should count towards your total working sets - i.e. 1 set of shoulder press is 1 set for your front delts, side delts, and triceps. That said, be sure to target each muscle group with an exercise that makes it a primary mover too for best aesthetic and strength results.
What is the best push workout?
If you want the best push workout possible, be sure to include compound pushing exercises (at the start of your workout), ensure each pushing muscle gets enough volume, and ideally lift heavy (relative to your strength).
If you don’t want to program your push workout yourself, just follow this workout routine. It includes all the best push workout exercises.
You can also follow one of the below push day workouts (one is for those who train at the gym and one for those who train at home).
Push Day Workout at Gym:
Using the push day exercises above, here is a great push workout that you can do at the gym.
- Bench Press - 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Flat Bench Flys - 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Overhead Press - 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Lateral Raise - 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Dips - 3 sets x 15-20 reps
- Push ups - 3 sets x max reps
It doesn't have to be complicated. The above pushing workout is all you need to get big and strong!
Note: If you do two push workouts per week, then have different push day exercises for both. For example, if the first push day workout is the one above, the second would be:
- Smith Machine Overhead Press - 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Cable Fly - 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Incline Bench Press - 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Cable Lateral Raise - 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Incline Push ups - 3 sets x max reps
- Bench Dips - 3 sets x 15-20 reps
Push Workout At Home:
- Push Ups - 3 sets x 15-20 reps
- Decline Push Ups - 3 sets x 15-20 reps
- Pike Press - 3 sets x 10-15 reps
- Chair Dips - 3 sets x 20 reps
- Handstand on the wall - 3 sets x max holds
Final Thoughts on Push Exercises
No matter what push exercise you do, keeping good form is of the utmost importance. The primary areas you should expect to work are the chest, triceps, and shoulders. Sometimes, you may end up working a bit of upper back in the process. As with most exercises, multiple muscle groups will play a role.
Be sure to start your push routine with compound exercises, as they will give you the most bang for your buck. But don't underestimate isolation push exercises for lagging muscles and increased volume (and thus more muscle gain).
All in all, whether you are doing push pull workouts, full body workouts, or really any workout routine, these push muscle exercises are a must. As is having a proper diet for recovery!
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Garett Reid
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