A push day workout trains your chest, shoulders, and triceps.

In this article, you’ll find four different push day workouts:

  1. The best push day workout overall
  2. The best machine push day workout
  3. The best dumbbell push day workout
  4. The best push and pull workout

Each includes sets, reps, and rest periods. You’ll find exercise instructions below or in the linked guides.

The Best Push Day Workout Routine

Barbell Bench Press: 3 sets | 4–6 reps | 2–3 min rest
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 min rest
Cable Lateral Raise: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 2–3 min rest
Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension: 2 sets | 8–10 reps | 2–3 min rest

Workout statistics Total
Working sets 11
Reps 70–92
Estimated effective reps (1 rep short of failure) ~44
Estimated duration ~25–40 min

Note: An "effective rep" is a repetition performed when a muscle is already within about 5 reps of failure, when all or most of the fibers in the muscle are activated.

The two bench press variations train your chest from different angles, as well as your front delts and triceps. Lateral raises target your side delts, and overhead triceps extensions train your triceps.

Machine Push Day Workout

Machine Chest Press: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 min rest
Pec Deck: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 2–3 min rest
Cable Lateral Raise: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 2–3 min rest
Cable Triceps Pushdown: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 2–3 min rest

Workout statistics Total
Working sets 12
Reps 90–114
Estimated effective reps (1 rep short of failure) ~48
Estimated duration ~30–45 min

This workout follows the same general structure as the first, but exclusively uses machines instead of barbells and dumbbells. The pec deck also allows you to target your pecs without your sets being limited by the strength of your deltoids or triceps.

Dumbbell Push Day Workout at Home

Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 min rest
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 2–3 min rest
Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 2–3 min rest
Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 2–3 min rest

Workout statistics Total
Working sets 12
Reps 90–114
Estimated effective reps (1 rep short of failure) ~48
Estimated duration ~30–45 min

This workout only requires a set of dumbbells and an adjustable bench.

Push and Pull Workout

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 min rest
Seated Machine Row: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 min rest
Machine Chest Press: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 min rest
Lat Pulldown: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 min rest
Cable Lateral Raise: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 2–3 min rest

Workout statistics Total
Working sets 15
Reps 96–126
Estimated effective reps (1 rep short of failure) ~60
Estimated duration ~35–55 min

This isn’t a pure "push" workout, but it’s often convenient and practical to train your push and pull muscles in the same workout. The reason is that you can train your "pull" muscles (your lats, biceps, and traps primarily) while you rest your "push" muscles (chest, triceps, and shoulders primarily), allowing you to get more done in less time.

5 Tips to Improve Your Push Day Workouts

  1. Use double progression. Choose a weight that lets you stay within the listed rep range. Once you hit the top of the range for your first set, add weight.
  2. Rest 2–3 minutes between sets. Research shows this is generally optimal for gaining muscle and strength.1
  3. Stop 1–2 reps shy of failure. Failure is the point where you can’t move the weight with good form despite giving your maximum effort. Generally, you want to stop 1–2 reps before this point.
  4. Substitute when needed. If an exercise is uncomfortable or equipment is unavailable, use an alternative that trains the same muscles.
  5. Warm up. Before your first exercise, do 5 reps with about 50% of your working weight, then 5 with about 80%, resting 1–2 minutes after each.

The 10 Best Push Day Exercises

1. Barbell Bench Press

How to:

  1. Lie on a bench so your eyes are directly under the bar, tuck your shoulder blades back, and grab the bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  2. Place your feet on the floor about shoulder-width apart and directly under your knees. Gently arch your back by pushing your chest toward the bar (while keeping your shoulders and butt on the bench), pull your shoulder blades together and toward your butt, and move the bar from the hooks to directly over your chest.
  3. Squeeze the bar as hard as you can, and lower it until it touches your chest.
  4. Push the bar up and return to the starting position.
  5. On the last rep of a set, finish it fully (arms straight), then slam the bar back into the upright metal bars and lower it onto the hooks.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 4–6 reps | 2–3 minutes rest

Why: The barbell bench press trains your pecs, front delts, and triceps together and lets you add weight in small increments.

Mike’s tip: If you struggle to feel your chest working and it feels like your triceps and shoulders are doing all of the work, follow these steps to better activate your pecs.

Alternatives:

2. Dumbbell Bench Press

How to:

  1. Sit on the edge of the bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand, with the dumbbells resting vertically on your thighs.
  2. Lean back slowly and gently kick your thighs (and the dumbbells) toward your chest, rolling back onto the bench until you’re lying flat with the dumbbells at either side of your chest.
  3. Pull your shoulder blades together and toward your butt and push the dumbbells straight up until your arms are locked.
  4. Lower the dumbbells by reversing the motion and return to the starting position.
  5. When you’re finished with a set, either lower the dumbbells to your chest and drop them to the floor, or bring your legs up toward you, shift the dumbbells onto your thighs, and sit up by swinging your legs and dumbbells downward and your torso upward.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 minutes rest

Why: The dumbbell bench press allows you to orient your wrists into whatever position is most comfortable for you.

Mike’s tip: Since it’s harder to get dumbbells into position than a barbell, it’s often better to use slightly higher reps and lighter weights than with a barbell.

Alternatives:

3. Incline Barbell Bench Press

How to:

  1. Set an adjustable bench to about 30 degrees or use a dedicated incline bench press station (as shown above). Position yourself so the bar is directly over your face when it’s in the rack and about 2-to-3 inches lower than if you were holding it with your elbows locked.
  2. Pull your shoulder blades together and down. Plant your feet on the floor about shoulder-width apart. Arch your back while keeping your shoulders and butt in contact with the bench.
  3. Grab the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip. Hold the bar low in your hands, closer to your wrists than your knuckles, and squeeze it as hard as you can.
  4. Unrack the bar by locking your elbows out to move the bar off the hooks. Move it forward until it’s over your upper chest.
  5. Lower the barbell to your upper chest. Throughout each rep, keep your elbows tucked 6-to-10 inches from your sides.
  6. Press the bar back to the starting position.
  7. On the last rep of a set, finish it fully (arms straight), then slam the bar back into the upright metal bars and lower it onto the hooks. Don’t try to press the bar directly back into the hooks—if you miss, it can fall on your face.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 minutes rest

Why: The incline barbell bench press is particularly effective for emphasizing your "upper chest," more specifically the clavicular head of your pectoral muscles.2 The flat barbell bench press also trains your upper chest, but incline presses emphasize it more.

Mike’s tip: Your hands are the correct distance apart when your forearms are vertical at the bottom of each rep. If you’re having trouble getting this right, record a video of your sets and play with your grip width until it’s dialed in.

Alternatives:

4. Machine Chest Press

How to:

  1. Adjust the seat so the handles are in line with the middle of your pecs (roughly nipple-height, for most people).
  2. Sit up straight and pull your shoulder blades together and down.
  3. Grip both handles and press forward until your arms are straight.
  4. Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 minutes rest

Why: After the bench press, the machine chest press is my favorite chest exercise. It’s easy to learn, doesn’t require much balance or skill to perform, and allows you to safely push very close to muscular failure without risk of dropping a weight on your chest or neck.

Mike’s tip: Keep your butt on the seat, your back against the pad, and your shoulder blades back and down during the entire rep. The only parts of your body that should be moving are your arms.

Alternatives:

5. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

How to:

  1. Set an adjustable bench to about 30 degrees. Sit on the edge of the bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand, with the dumbbells resting vertically on your thighs.
  2. Lean back and kick your thighs (and the dumbbells) toward your chest, rolling back onto the bench until you’re lying against the backrest with the dumbbells at either side of your upper chest.
  3. Pull your shoulder blades together and toward your butt, plant your feet firmly on the floor, and push the dumbbells straight up until your arms are locked.
  4. Lower the dumbbells by reversing the motion until the handles are level with your chest, then repeat.
  5. When you’re finished with a set, shift the dumbbells onto your thighs and sit up by swinging your legs and dumbbells downward and your torso upward.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 minutes rest

Why: The incline dumbbell bench press trains your chest, shoulders, and triceps while emphasizing your upper chest.

Mike’s tip: Focus on holding the dumbbells symmetrically—you don’t want one of them higher or lower or farther to the left or right than the other. This wastes energy and makes the exercise less effective.

Alternatives:

6. Standing Barbell Overhead Press

How to:

  1. Adjust the hooks in a power rack or squat rack so the bar is at the height of your midchest, slightly below your collarbones. Face the bar and grip it with your palms facing forward and thumbs wrapped around the bar, slightly wider than shoulder-width.
  2. Hold the bar low in your hands, closer to your wrists than your fingers, with your wrists bent just enough to let the bar settle into the base of your palms (not folded back at a 90-degree angle).
  3. Bend your knees slightly and position the bar on top of your shoulders and upper chest, then stand up to lift the bar off the rack and take one step back with each foot.
  4. Take a deep breath into your stomach, arch your upper back enough that the bar is directly over your midfoot and your head is slightly behind the bar, squeeze your glutes and the bar as hard as you can, and push the bar straight up.
  5. As soon as the bar passes your eyes, push your head and chest forward and under the bar. Keep pushing until your arms are straight, then lower the bar and return to the starting position.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 minutes rest

Why: The standing barbell overhead press primarily trains your front delts and triceps.

Mike’s tip: One of the best cues for improving your overhead press technique and strength is to think about "pushing your chest through the window" right as the bar reaches eye height.
The bar and your forearms create a little square (which you can think of as a window) and you should think about forcing your chest through this space the moment you can do so without hitting your head against the bar.

Alternatives:

7. Cable Lateral Raise

How to:

  1. Move the pulley to its lowest position on a cable machine and attach a handle.
  2. Grab the handle in your right hand and stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, perpendicular to the pulley so your left shoulder faces it (you can hold the machine with your left hand for balance).
  3. Take a breath, lift your chest slightly, and lean forward about 10–15 degrees.
  4. Extend your right arm out in an arc toward the ceiling and slightly away from your chest with your palm facing the ground.
  5. Keep raising the handle until your right arm is roughly parallel to the floor, then lower it and return to the starting position. Switch sides and repeat with your left arm.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 2–3 minutes rest

Why: The cable lateral raise is arguably the best exercise you can do to isolate, build, and strengthen your lateral deltoids (side delts).

Mike’s tip: Think about lifting your elbow to the ceiling without shrugging your shoulders (this helps keep tension on your lateral deltoids rather than your traps).

Alternatives:

8. Dumbbell Lateral Raise

How to:

  1. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
  2. Take a breath, lift your chest slightly, and lean forward at the waist about 10–15 degrees.
  3. Extend your arms out in an arc toward the ceiling and slightly away from your chest with your palms facing the ground.
  4. Keep raising the dumbbells until your arms are roughly parallel to the floor, then lower them and return to the starting position.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 2–3 minutes rest

Why: The dumbbell lateral raise is the simplest way to train your side delts with minimal equipment. It’s basically the same as the cable side raise, but with dumbbells.

Mike’s tip: Don’t lower the dumbbells all the way to your thighs. At this point in the exercise, there’s almost no tension on your deltoids. Instead, lower them until they’re a few inches from your thighs, and then begin the next rep. This keeps tension on your lateral deltoids throughout every rep.

Alternatives:

9. Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension

How to:

  1. Sit up straight on a flat bench or with your back pressed against an upright bench with a low backrest. Grip one end of a dumbbell using both palms and lift it overhead so that your arms are straight.
  2. While keeping your upper arms pointing straight up and down, lower the dumbbell behind your head by bending your elbows.
  3. Push the dumbbell toward the ceiling by straightening your elbows and return to the starting position.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 2 sets | 8–10 reps | 2–3 minutes rest

Why: Training your triceps with your elbows overhead puts your arms in a better biomechanical position to activate the long head of your triceps, which research shows results in more muscle growth over time.3

Mike’s tip: Let the weight travel as far behind your head as you comfortably can, and try to keep your upper arms mostly still during the exercise. This ensures the exercise optimally targets the long head of your triceps, which is the main reason for doing it.

Alternatives:

10. Close-Grip Bench Press

How to:

  1. Lie down on the bench and adjust your body so your eyes are under the bar.
  2. Grab the bar with a shoulder-width grip or slightly narrower, plant your feet on the ground, arch your back slightly, and pull your shoulder blades together and down.
  3. Unrack the bar and move it forward until it’s balanced over your shoulders. Then, lower the bar to just below your pecs, around the bottom of your breastbone.
  4. Push the bar toward the ceiling until your elbows are almost locked.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 4–6 reps | 2–3 minutes rest

Why: The close-grip bench press lets you train your triceps with heavy weights while also training your chest and shoulders.

Mike’s tip: Don’t go too narrow. A grip much inside shoulder width doesn’t hit the triceps any harder—it just reduces how much weight you can use and puts your wrists and elbows in an awkward position.

Alternatives:

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