Best Push Day Workout Routine & Exercises To Build Serious Upper-Body Strength

Best Push Day Workout Routine

In this push day workout routine, we’ve selected eight essential exercises and structured them based on intensity and training volume to maximize strength and hypertrophy. The exercises progress from heavy compound lifts to high-rep isolation work, covering a wide range of stimulus for optimal growth.

The workout kicks off with two heavy compound barbell exercises—the barbell bench press and barbell military press. These movements require high energy and emphasize strength, so they’re performed early using low-rep, high-load sets.

Following these are hypertrophy-focused lifts like the incline dumbbell bench press, dumbbell lateral raise, chest dips, and dumbbell chest fly. These are programmed with moderate to high reps to create muscle tension and volume. This section targets both the primary movers and secondary stabilizers across the chest, shoulders, and triceps.

To finish off, we’ve included an isolation movement from our list of the best tricep exercises—the cable tricep pushdown or overhead cable tricep extension. These help reinforce elbow extension strength and enhance muscle definition.

For those following a 3-day push-pull-leg split, this routine fits seamlessly. A weekly training structure might look like:

• Monday — Push Workout
• Tuesday — Rest
• Wednesday — Pull Workout
• Thursday — Rest
• Friday — Legs Workout
• Saturday — Rest
• Sunday — Rest

Be sure to perform a suitable warm-up before diving into the workout. This helps elevate body temperature, improve mobility, and prepare the nervous system for the lifts ahead. Start with light aerobic work followed by dynamic stretches for the chest, shoulders, and triceps.

You can also build your own push day workout by selecting from the exercises listed above. Just ensure your routine consistently targets all three primary muscle groups: chest, shoulders, and triceps. Focus on balancing the intensity and volume across these areas, and stick with your structure long enough to track progress and drive adaptation.

Muscles Worked In A Push Day Workout

A push day involves a series of pushing exercises. These commonly involve pushing the weight away from the body. Because of this, the chest, shoulders, and triceps act as the primary movers.

Chest Anatomy And Function

Clavicular Head of Pectoralis Major

Muscles located at the top of your chest, running from your armpit to collar bone. Smaller portion of your chest muscle.

Sternal Head of Pectoralis Major

Large muscles located underneath your clavicle head. Makes up most of your chest area

Abdominal Head of Pectoralis Major

Muscles located at the bottom of your pectoral region, just above your abdominal muscles.

The chest, or pectoral region, plays a major role in push day workouts. The primary muscle group here is the pectoralis major, which is divided into three heads: the clavicular (upper), sternal (middle), and abdominal (lower) regions.

The clavicular head, or upper chest, is located at the top of the pectoralis major and is responsible for shoulder flexion—lifting the arms in front and overhead. This region tends to be more active during incline pressing movements due to the increased angle of shoulder involvement.

The sternal head, or middle chest, lies between the upper and lower portions and plays a primary role in adduction—bringing the arms toward the body’s midline. This motion is emphasized during flat pressing exercises such as the bench press.

The abdominal head, or lower chest, varies in size among individuals. Its main function is to assist in shoulder adduction, especially during decline movements. It works alongside the sternal region to bring the arms down and inward, becoming more active during decline pressing patterns.

Shoulder Anatomy And Function

Anterior Deltoid

Muscles located at the front of your shoulder region

Lateral Deltoid

Muscles located at the side of your shoulder which gives your shoulders a rounded appearance.

Posterior Deltoid

Muscles located at the back of your shoulder. Helps with posture.

The deltoids are a large muscle group located at the top of the upper arms. They’re made up of three muscle heads: the anterior deltoids (front delts), lateral deltoids (side delts), and posterior deltoids (rear delts).

The anterior deltoids, or front delts, originate from the outer third of the clavicle, right next to the clavicular head of the pectoralis major, and insert into the front of the humerus. Their primary function is shoulder flexion—bringing the arm forward—which is critical for pushing movements like incline presses and front raises.

The lateral deltoids, or side delts, originate from the acromion (the bony roof of the shoulder joint) and insert along the outer humerus. Their main function is shoulder abduction—lifting your arms out to the sides—as seen in dumbbell lateral raises. They also contribute to stabilizing the shoulder joint during pressing and carrying movements.

The posterior deltoids, or rear delts, originate from the spine of the scapula and insert on the outer humerus. While they contribute to shoulder extension and external rotation, they play a minimal role in push workouts. These muscles are more active during pull-based exercises such as rows and reverse flyes.

In a push day workout, only the front delts and lateral delts are typically activated. Rear delts are generally emphasized during a pull workout since they assist in pulling and rowing movements.

Tricep Anatomy And Function

Triceps Lateral Heads

Muscles located on the back of your arm between your shoulder and elbow.

Triceps Medial Heads

Small muscles located at the back of your arms. Deep to the triceps long heads between the shoulder and elbow.

Triceps Long Heads

Large muscles located at the back of your arms between your shoulder and elbow. Most outside portion of the tricep.

The triceps brachii is a large muscle located at the back of your upper arm, accounting for roughly two-thirds of your upper arm’s size. It’s composed of three distinct heads: the lateral head, medial head, and long head. Each head is activated to varying degrees depending on your arm angle and how the load is applied during pressing movements.

• Lateral Head: This muscle is located on the outer portion of your upper arm, between your shoulder and elbow. It’s the most visible part of the triceps and is heavily recruited during resistance-based pushing movements such as the bench press. Its main function is to help extend the elbow and stabilize the upper arm.
• Medial Head: Found underneath the lateral head, this smaller muscle is deep in the back of your upper arm. It becomes more active during all triceps extensions, especially at the bottom portion of the range of motion. Its contribution is crucial for elbow extension and control.
• Long Head: This head originates from the scapula, spanning the back of your arm and running down toward the elbow. It’s the largest of the three and supports both elbow extension and shoulder stabilization. It becomes more active when your upper arm is positioned overhead or behind your torso.

Different exercises target these heads to varying degrees. In this push day workout, we’ve chosen exercises that collectively hit all three heads of the triceps for complete development.

Key Push Day Training Tips to Maximize Progress

To get the most out of your push day workout, you’ll need more than just good exercises. Programming, technique, and consistency are what turn a session into results. Keep these tips in mind to train smarter and grow stronger.

Target Both Strength And Hypertrophy

The goal of your push day workout should be to target both strength and hypertrophy. Strength refers to the ability to move heavy weight, while hypertrophy focuses on increasing muscle size. Training for both creates a balanced physique and supports better performance across different rep ranges.

To build strength, use lower repetition ranges with heavier weights. In the routine above, we front-loaded two strength-based compound lifts to take advantage of higher energy levels. This approach helps develop functional strength, improving your ability to move efficiently, generate force, and reduce injury risk.

For hypertrophy, we’ve programmed higher repetition ranges later in the workout. This increases training volume, which is a key determinant of muscle growth. These exercises are intentionally placed after your heavy compound lifts when fatigue starts to set in.

The main takeaway? You don’t have to choose between size and strength. Program your push day to train both by using the full spectrum of reps and intensity. It’s a smarter way to build a well-rounded upper body.

Apply Progressive Overload In Your Push Day Workout

Progressive overload is one of the core training principles behind muscle growth and strength development. It simply means increasing your training stimulus over time—whether that’s by lifting more weight, increasing reps, or adding sets. These adjustments encourage your muscles to adapt and grow stronger or larger.

This principle can be applied to both strength- and hypertrophy-focused push exercises. In strength-focused lifts (like the barbell bench press), you’ll aim to increase the weight while maintaining lower reps. The goal is to progressively lift heavier over time, keeping the intensity high and reps consistent.

For hypertrophy-focused movements (like dumbbell flys or lateral raises), you’ll focus on increasing training volume. Work through the full rep range with solid form, and once you can consistently hit the top rep count with good control, increase the weight and cycle back to the lower end of the range.

By using progressive overload correctly, you ensure continuous adaptation—whether you’re pushing for size, strength, or both.

Focus On Proper Form

Mastering proper form during your push day workout is essential for maximizing muscle activation and reducing the risk of injury. It ensures each movement targets the intended muscle group, improving both efficiency and outcomes.

Executing push exercises with control and alignment allows for better targeted muscle activation, which is key for consistent progress. Proper form also creates safer movement patterns that keep your joints within their optimal range. This helps protect you during pressing motions, especially when fatigue sets in.

Interestingly, one study found that men are 7.4 times more likely to experience weightlifting-related injuries compared to women. Following correct technique helps mitigate this risk while enabling better gains in strength and hypertrophy.

In the push day workout above, we’ve included cues and tips to guide you through every rep. Stick with them to see long-term success and stay injury-free.

Conclusion

A well-structured push day workout targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps—three essential muscle groups responsible for upper-body pressing strength. Whether your goal is building muscle, increasing strength, or enhancing performance, selecting the right push day exercises lays the foundation for success.

Use the routine and tips above to build your push day workout. Combine heavy compound lifts with hypertrophy-focused movements, apply progressive overload, and prioritize proper technique. When done consistently, a push day workout becomes a powerful component of your training split—driving upper-body development and long-term gains.

Frequently Asked Questions