Push day workout: Benefits and exercises | XpertsReviews.com

Training your muscles and doing weight loss exercises are good ways to stay in shape. While you can do full-body workouts, you can also work specific muscles on certain days. If you’re thinking of splitting up your training, make sure to include one workout per day. As the name suggests, it involves pushing movements. When you move an object away from your body, specific muscles are used. Yes, it is the chest, shoulders and triceps that need to be strong. The only way to do this is to do exercises that target these upper body muscles.

What is a push training day?

“A push workout day is a workout where you focus on exercises that target the muscles involved in pushing movements,” says fitness expert Abhi Singh Thakur. The chest, shoulders, and triceps are the muscles that work together to perform pushing movements.

A push day workout is part of a strength training routine in which you split up your workout and focus on your upper body, according to a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in 2017. This is basically an upper body workout day. The workout includes pressing or extending movements where you move the weight away from your body, such as during a bench press or shoulder press. It also involves movements in which you move your body away from an object, such as doing push-ups.

What are the benefits of doing a push day workout?

• Strengthens your body: A push-day type workout is ideal for gaining upper body strength. “Exercises like bench press, push-ups and dips target the pectoral muscles, thereby improving upper body strength,” says Thakur. In contrast, bench press and lateral raises develop strong deltoids, improving overhead strength and shoulder stability.
• Aesthetic benefits: Pushing exercises contribute to a well-rounded and muscular upper body by improving the size and definition of the chest, shoulders and triceps.
• Improves posture: A day push workout targets the chest apart from the shoulders and triceps. Strong pectoral muscles are essential for good posture, according to the Harvard Health Publications.
• Prevents injuries: Well-developed shoulders and chest provide stability to the shoulder joint, reducing the risk of injury during sports or lifting activities.
• Good for the heart: A day of intense training can be beneficial for your heart. In a study published in Open JAMA Network In 2019, physically active people who could do 40 push-ups in 30 seconds had a lower risk of cardiovascular problems than those who could do fewer than 10.

Beginner Level Push Day Workout for Women

1. Push-ups

• Start in a plank position with your hands under your shoulders, your feet together, and your body in a straight line.
• Engage your core and glutes to avoid sagging hips or arching your back.
• Slowly bend your elbows, keeping them at a 45-degree angle to your torso, while lowering your chest toward the floor.
• Stop when your chest is just above the floor or as low as possible.
• Push through your palms to return to the starting position.

2. Incline push-ups

• To do incline push-ups, place your hands shoulder-width apart on an elevated surface like a sturdy bench or table.
• Return to a plank position, maintaining a straight line from head to heels.
• Lower your chest toward the raised surface by bending your elbows.
• Push through your hands to return to the starting position.

3. Dumbbell bench press

• Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
• Hold the dumbbells above your chest, arms straight but not locked.
• Slowly lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest, bending your elbows at a 90-degree angle.
• Push the dumbbells back to the starting position, squeezing your chest muscles at the top.

4. Dumbbell shoulder press

• Stand or sit on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
• Start with the dumbbells at shoulder height, elbows bent at 90 degrees.
• Press the dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended above your head.
• Slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position.

5. Dumbbell chest fly

• Lie on a bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand above your chest, palms facing each other.
• Keep your elbows slightly bent as you open your arms wide, lowering the dumbbells in an arc.
• Stop when your arms are at chest level, then bring the dumbbells closer to your chest.

6. Tricep Dip

• Sit on the edge of a sturdy bench or chair with your hands gripping the edge and fingers pointing forward.
• Slide your hips off the bench and extend your legs in front of you.
• Bend your elbows to lower your body until your arms are parallel to the floor.
• Push through your palms to return to the starting position.

Advanced Push Day Workout for Women

1. Dumbbell bench press

• Lie flat on a bench, gripping the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Slowly lower the bar to your chest, keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
• Press the bar upward, fully extending your arms.

2. Overhead Dumbbell Press

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell at shoulder height with your palms facing forward.
• Press the bar overhead until your arms are fully extended.
• Slowly lower the bar to shoulder height.

3. Press on landmines

• Anchor one end of a bar to the ground. Hold the other end with both hands close to your chest.
• Press the bar up and forward until your arms are fully extended.
• Lower it to the starting position.

4. Dumbbell pullover

• Lie on a bench holding a dumbbell in both hands.
• Start with the dumbbell above your chest, then slowly lower it above your head in an arc.
• Pull it across your chest, engaging your pectoral muscles.

5. One-Arm Dumbbell Press

• Perform the dumbbell shoulder press with one arm while the other rests.
• Alternate sides to complete the look.

6. Close grip push-ups

• Place your hands close together under your chest in a diamond shape.
• Perform push-ups by lowering your body until your chest almost touches your hands.
• Push back.

“Perform push day training 2 to 3 times per week, ensuring at least one day of rest in between to allow muscle recovery,” explains the expert. Make sure you don’t overtrain as this can lead to muscle fatigue and joint pain.

A hard workout day is an effective way to strengthen your upper body, especially your chest, shoulders and triceps. But don’t do this upper body workout every day, because your muscles also need time to recover. Also do this under the supervision of your doctor.