Push Day Workout

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Are you looking for an effective and motivating way to get fit? Push day workout is the answer! This type of workout is designed to target your entire body with resistance exercises.

With a range of challenging reps, sets, and core-focused activities, it’s sure to keep your muscles working while giving you a well-rounded approach to building strength and strengthening your body overall. Read on to learn more about push exercises workouts and how they can help you meet your fitness goals!

Overview of Push Day Workouts – what are they

Push-day workouts focus on exercises that involve “pushing” movements, primarily engaging the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Pushing muscle workouts is integral to any well-rounded fitness regimen, offering balanced muscular development and enhancing overall body strength.

Push day usually includes exercises such as bench presses, shoulder presses, and tricep dips. Engaging in push-day workouts enables you to target multiple muscle groups simultaneously, promoting functional fitness and efficient caloric burn.

This workout routine facilitates strength gains, improved body composition, and enhanced athletic performance. It’s also a great way to switch up your routine and keep your workouts challenging and engaging.

Benefits of Incorporating a Push-Day Workout into your Routine

Incorporating a push-day workout into your routine can significantly contribute to your overall fitness journey, yielding remarkable results. On a push day, you focus primarily on exercises that involve ‘pushing’ movements, typically working the chest, shoulders, and triceps.

The advantages of a push-day workout routine are plentiful. Firstly, it encourages muscle hypertrophy and strength by focusing your energy on specific muscle groups. It allows for an increased volume of work targeted at muscle groups, which leads to greater muscular development.

Secondly, it fosters better muscle recovery. By concentrating on specific muscles on specific days, you give the other muscles ample time to recover. This, in turn, reduces the chance of overtraining and promotes muscle growth.

Lastly, push workouts follow a compound exercise approach. This means that multiple muscle groups are worked simultaneously, making your workouts more efficient. This augments functional fitness, mimicking real-world movements and helping you perform everyday activities with greater ease.

Incorporating a balanced mixture of push and pull-workouts into your routine can lead to a more rounded and comprehensive fitness approach, contributing to better body composition, strength, and overall health.

Tips for Making Your Push Day Workout as Effective as Possible

To make the most out of your push-day workout, it’s important to follow a well-structured plan that targets all the major muscle groups. Initiate your workout with compound movements such as bench presses, squats, and overhead presses, as they engage multiple joints and muscles, ensuring a balanced and comprehensive workout.

Use appropriate weights, ensuring that your form remains correct throughout the exercise to prevent injuries. Remember, the key is progressive overload, so try to increase the weight or reps each week to continually challenge your body.

Don’t forget to warm up before starting your workout and cool down afterward. It’s also crucial to hydrate and nourish your body with a balanced diet to replenish the energy spent during the workout and aid in muscle recovery.

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press

The Incline Dumbbell Press functions as a perfect follow-up exercise after the Flat Dumbbell Bench Press in your push-day workout. The inclined position places greater emphasis on the upper portion of your chest while also challenging your anterior deltoids. Like the flat bench press, the use of dumbbells ensures each side of your body must work independently, preventing the more dominant side from compensating.

Performing this exercise requires lying on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand on top of your thighs. Push the dumbbells up so they are above your chest, and then slowly lower them as far as comfortably possible, keeping your elbows at a 90-degree angle. Push the dumbbells back up to the starting position, repeating for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips: Keep your back pressed against the bench and feet flat on the floor throughout. Take care to maintain good form, even when using heavier weights. Common Mistakes: Avoiding the full range of motion can cause improper push-pull leg activation and development. Therefore, be sure to lower the dumbbells until you feel your chest muscles stretch sufficiently.

Incline Bench Press

An integral part of any push-day workout is the Overhead Shoulder Press. This exercise, like the incline bench press, also targets the upper body, more specifically the shoulder muscles, along with engaging the triceps and upper back.

The overhead press is performed by holding a barbell or dumbbell at shoulder level and then pressing the weights overhead until your arms are fully extended, and then lowering it back down to the shoulders. It’s important to keep the core engaged to maintain stability throughout the movement. Remember to adjust your weights appropriately to ensure you can maintain good form throughout your reps.

Common mistakes to watch out for include arching the back excessively or using too much momentum to push the weights. These can lead to injuries and reduce the effectiveness of the exercise. Maintain a controlled motion to make the most out of every rep and ensure optimal muscle activation.

Close Grip Bench Press

The Close Grip Bench Press is a sterling addition to any push-day workout. This versatile movement targets multiple muscle groups, but it particularly emphasizes the triceps. As the name suggests, by bringing your hands closer together, you can focus more tension on your triceps instead of your pecs or shoulders.

One of the reasons we endorse the Close Grip Bench Press is due to its comprehensive engagement of all three heads of the triceps, yielding a well-rounded triceps workout. To perform this exercise correctly, follow these steps:

1. Begin by lying on your back on a flat bench, positioning a barbell above you.
2. Grip the barbell with your hands at shoulder-width apart or slightly closer.
3. Lift the weight upwards until your arms are fully extended.
4. Lower the weight down to your chest.
5. Press the weights back up until your arms are straight.
6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips: Make sure to squeeze your shoulder blades together. Before ramping up the weight, double-check your form and ensure correct triceps activation.

Common Mistakes: Your grip should be approximately shoulder-width. This is crucial for effectively engaging the triceps muscles. Remember to have a spotter on hand when performing the close grip bench press to ensure safety and efficacy.

Dips

Dips are an essential component of a comprehensive push-day workout. These exercises are incredibly efficient for targeting the chest and triceps muscles, and when performed correctly, they can generate an impressive pump. If traditional dips prove too easy, consider introducing additional weight to increase difficulty and stimulate your muscles more intensely.

To perform dips, position yourself on a dip station or chair with your hands shoulder-width apart. Extend your legs out in front of you at a 45-degree angle. Gradually lower your body by bending your elbows until they reach a 90-degree angle. You don’t need to reach a push workout routine full 90 degrees but aim to get as close as possible. Press your body back up until your arms are straight, and repeat for your desired number of repetitions.

Remember to keep your back straight and avoid rounding your shoulders as you dip down. Although it’s tempting to lean your head forward, try to keep your head up throughout the exercise. A common mistake is not going low enough during the dip, so ensure you lower your body until your elbows are as close to a 90-degree angle as possible to fully activate your triceps and chest muscles.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

The Dumbbell Shoulder Press is an excellent compound exercise designed to target and activate the shoulder muscles. Considered essential for sculpting big, round shoulders, it requires careful execution, especially for beginners. Newcomers should start with lightweight dumbbells to avoid shoulder injuries and familiarize themselves with the form. Remember, proper warm-up is crucial before diving into the workout.

To perform this exercise, sit on an upright bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Position the weights at shoulder level with your palms facing forward. Press the dumbbells upwards until your arms are fully extended. Lower the dumbbells until your arms are at a 90-degree angle, then press the weights back up until your arms are fully straightened. Repeat these steps for your desired number of repetitions.

Keep your back straight and avoid rounding your shoulders throughout the exercise. Despite the temptation, refrain from leaning your head forward; maintain an upright position. A common mistake is not lifting the dumbbells high enough.

To fully engage your shoulders, ensure each rep involves a full press — only pressing halfway up will limit the benefits of this workout. So, strive for a full extension to maximize the efficiency of your push-pull day workout.

Behind The Neck Overhead Press

The Behind-The-Neck Overhead Press is a sterling addition to any push-day workout, significantly targeting the anterior and lateral deltoid fibers of your shoulder muscles. However, as with any exercise, improper form can lead to injury, particularly in the neck and shoulders. To ensure safety and efficacy, it’s imperative to start with a manageable weight and concentrate on mastering the correct form.

To execute this exercise:

1. Sit securely on a bench, positioning a barbell behind your head.
2. Grasp the barbell with hands spaced shoulder-width apart.
3. Push the barbell upward until your arms are fully extended.
4. Gradually lower the barbell until it is halfway behind your head.
5. Press the barbell back up until your arms are straight once more.
6. Repeat this movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Side Lateral Raises

Like shoulder presses, side lateral raises also hone in on your shoulder muscles. However, instead of primarily targeting the anterior or posterior deltoids, they specifically isolate the lateral fibers. This unique focus can help your shoulders appear broader and more robust, significantly enhancing your physique.

For this exercise, it’s generally recommended to opt for light weights and concentrate on higher repetitions, which aids in strengthening the mind-muscle connection.

To execute side lateral raises correctly:

1. Stand erect with your feet shoulder-width apart. Each hand should be holding a dumbbell.
2. Smoothly raise your arms out to the side until they reach shoulder height or slightly above.
3. Gradually lower your arms back down to your sides.
4. Repeat this process for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips: When raising your arms, avoid the impulse to swing them, as this could potentially lead to injury. Instead, maintain a focus on utilizing your shoulder muscles to lift the weight in a controlled motion.

Common Mistakes: Refrain from using excessively heavy weights for this exercise, as this could cause surrounding muscles to take over the movement—a counterproductive outcome if your goal is to target your shoulders. As a rule, lighter weights coupled with high reps should be your go-to strategy for side lateral raises.

Triceps Pushdown

The Triceps Pushdown is a fundamental component of any push-day workout. It’s a superb way to isolate and engage your triceps muscles, specifically targeting the medial and lateral heads. It’s a top pick for many fitness enthusiasts, given its efficacy in promoting muscle growth and strength.

To incorporate this into your routine, begin by attaching a horizontal cable bar to a push pull legs machine. Hold the bar with a shoulder-width grip, elbows tucked closely to your sides.

Push the bar downward, fully extending your arms before slowly releasing the tension, allowing your arms to come back to the starting position. Repeat this for your desired set of repetitions.

Focus on the contraction of your triceps rather than the swinging of your arms to avoid potential injuries. A common pitfall is the movement of elbows during the exercise, often caused by excessive weight.

Keep your elbows stationary, and if you notice them shifting, consider reducing the weight. Remember, correct form is paramount for effective results and injury prevention.

Skull crushers

Skull Crushers, despite the intimidating name, are a fantastic exercise for targeting the triceps. Known for their efficacy in building size and enhancing strength in the triceps, they are a staple in most push-day workouts.

While typically executed with an EZ bar, they can also be performed using dumbbells for unilateral training, which engages each side of the body independently, thus promoting balanced strength and muscle development.

Here’s how to properly perform Skull Crushers:

1. Lie flat on a bench, holding either a barbell or dumbbell positioned right above your chest. Your grip should be shoulder-width apart or slightly narrower.
2. With your elbows tucked in close to your body, lower the weight down to your forehead.
3. Press the weight back up until your arms are fully extended.
4. Repeat this for your desired number of repetitions.

Remember, control is paramount in this exercise. Avoid swinging the weight backward as you lower it down to prevent injury. If the load is too heavy and you can’t maintain proper form, it’s better to lighten the load.

A common mistake to watch out for is not lowering the weight down far enough. It should come right above your forehead. If you’re having trouble with this, opt for a lighter weight. Your safety should always come first.

Seated Triceps Extensions

As we conclude our list of tricep exercises, the seated tricep extension stands out for its unparalleled intensity in muscle isolation. The seated position affords a comfortable stance for maintaining commendable form throughout the exercise, enabling a strong focus on triceps activation. This focus ultimately yields better growth and exceptional muscle pumps.

To execute this exercise with precision:

1. Sit on a bench or chair with a dumbbell positioned behind your head.
2. Firmly grip the weight with both hands and press it upwards until your arms are fully extended.
3. Keeping your elbows close to your body, lower the weight down to your forehead.
4. Press the weight back up until your arms are straight.
5. Repeat this process for the desired number of repetitions of push-day exercises.

Keep in mind that keeping your elbows close to your sides is fundamental in targeting the triceps muscles. While performing this exercise, you may feel a temptation to arch your back; resist this and strive to keep your back flat against the bench.

Common Mistake Alert: Flaring your arms out is one typical error you might fall into while performing this exercise. Remember, the target is your triceps, not your shoulders, so keep your elbows tucked in to achieve maximum pushing muscles activation.

FAQs

Conclusion

I hope this article has helped you gain a better understanding of triceps exercises, their benefits, and how to properly perform them. With consistency and correct form, these exercises can help you take your fitness to the next level. Furthermore, incorporating these into your push-day workout will enable you to maximize the results of your training efforts. So don’t hesitate – get out there and start crushing those skull crushers!