Having an effective fitness routine doesn’t just mean doing the most challenging exercises you can find and hoping for the best. A truly effective fitness routine is balanced and well-rounded, which is why workout splits such as the push/pull split are the way to go!

When it comes to push days, which include all exercises that involve pushing the weight away from your body, your focus should be on your pushing muscles such as your pecs, triceps, deltoids, quads, and calves. This is a broad group of muscles, so making sure you’re targeting all of them in a single workout can be challenging – but we’re here to help!

In this article, we’ll give you 8 of the best and most effective exercises for push day that target all your pushing muscles as well as secondary muscle groups to help you develop your overall strength and get closer to your goals.

Barbell bench press

This is one of the most popular and best chest exercises there is, and for a good reason! This movement mainly targets your pecs, along with your biceps, triceps, deltoids, and core, while also improving your grip strength.

How to do it:

1. Place a loaded barbell on a bench press station, then lay on it so that your head is right under the bar, placing your feet firmly on the floor.
2. Grab the bar with both hands in an overhand grip at a distance around shoulder-width, then unrack it and place it above your chest with your elbows pointing out.
3. Engage your core and begin the movement by pushing the bar vertically and away from your body until your arms are at full extension without locking your elbows.
4. Squeeze your muscles in this position, then slowly bring the bar back to your chest and repeat.

Tricep dips

As the name suggests, this is an isolation push exercise for your triceps and a very effective one at that! But even though it isolates your triceps, it also puts other secondary muscle groups to work, such as your chest, shoulders, and upper back.

How to do it:

1. Sit on the long edge of a bench and place your hands just outside of your hips, grabbing that same bench edge.
2. Firmly place your feet on the floor in front of you with your knees slightly bent, then bring your hips forward so that they’re in the air while you hold yourself with your hands.
3. Begin the movement by slowly lowering yourself until your arms are almost parallel to the floor and your forearms are perpendicular to it.
4. Pause for a second while you squeeze your triceps, then push yourself back up and repeat.

Leg extensions

This is a lower-body pushing exercise, particularly a quad isolation exercise that will help you tone them. Quads are a big muscle group so they need a dedicated workout such as this one to be able to increase in both size and strength!

How to do it:

1. Sit on a leg extension machine with your back on the backrest and your feet under the weighted pad.
2. Grab the handles on both sides of your body with a firm neutral grip to help you keep your body in place during the exercise.
3. Begin pushing the weight up with your legs by extending your knees until they’re at full extension, without locking them or taking your back away from the seat.
4. Squeeze your quads in this position, then slowly reverse the movement and repeat.

Overhead press

Also known as a shoulder press, this popular shoulder exercise targets the deltoid muscles in your shoulders, as well as your traps, triceps, and even your core. It’s a serious muscle definer and a must-do in most strength training routines!

How to do it:

1. Place a loaded barbell at chest level on a rack, then stand in front of it with your feet shoulder-width apart while grabbing the bar with an overhead grip at the same distance.
2. Unrack the bar and place it over your chest with your elbows pointing down and your palms facing forward as you hold the weight.
3. Engage your core and begin the movement by pressing the weight upward and overhead, extending your elbows until they’re at full extension without locking them.
4. Hold this position while you squeeze your muscles, then slowly bring the weight back to your chest and repeat.

Dumbbell lateral raises

Since this is a dumbbell exercise, you can perform it with both arms at the same time or one at a time to make it unilateral. It mainly targets your lateral deltoid muscles along with your pecs and trapezius for a stronger upper body.

How to do it:

1. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, holding them to your sides with a neutral grip.
2. Bend your knees slightly for stability as well as your elbows for better deltoid activation, and engage your core.
3. Begin by raising your arms to the sides, pressing the weights upward until they’re slightly past shoulder level, and making sure you’re not locking or rotating them.
4. Squeeze your deltoid muscles, then bring the dumbbells back down and repeat.

Chest flys

This is another dumbbell exercise that you can make with one side at a time to maximize unilateral strength, this time targeting your pecs as well as your anterior deltoids and even your lats.

How to do it:

1. Lie with your back on a bench while holding a dumbbell in each hand, keeping your feet flat on the floor.
2. Lift the dumbbells by extending your arms until they’re perpendicular to your torso and holding them close together.
3. Begin the movement by opening your arms and lowering the weights to your sides as low as you can get them without bending your elbows.
4. Pause in this position for a moment, then go back to the starting position and repeat.

Dumbbell front raises

This upper-body push exercise is similar to the lateral raises, except you’ll be raising the weights in front of you instead of to your sides, shifting the focus from your lateral to your anterior delts as well as your pecs.

How to do it:

1. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Rest the dumbbells in front of your thighs so that your arms are in an overhand position with your knuckles pointing down.
3. Engage your core and begin by raising the weights upward until they’re about shoulder level, making sure you’re not bending your elbows.
4. Squeeze your muscles, then slowly bring the weights back to your thighs and repeat.

Barbell calf raises

Traditional calf raises already do a great job at strengthening and shaping your calves, but you can take it to the next level and add a barbell so that the resistance helps you maximize your gains!

How to do it:

1. Place a loaded barbell on a rack and stand in front of it with your feet shoulder-width apart, then grab the bar with an overhand grip at about the same distance.
2. Step under the bar and place it right above your traps and under your neck, then unrack it and stand straight as if you were about to perform a back squat.
3. Begin the movement by lifting your heels off the floor, pushing against the resistance until you’re fully standing on your toes.
4. Pause while you squeeze your calves, then bring your heels back to the floor and repeat.

Maximize your gains during push days

If you’re using a push/pull split, or push/pull/legs, you’ll want to make sure your workout routine is balanced enough so that each muscle gets a good workout. Larger muscles such as your pecs and quads will need a more dedicated workout than smaller ones such as your triceps and calves – but all of them need enough exercise to grow!

Who are we?

We're 373 Lab Supplements – nice to meet you! Founded by Iulia Danilova (Fit With Iulia), and with a team filled with fitness enthusiasts, we've worked hard to bring a trustworthy supplement to the market! Supplements that are designed to help you achieve your fitness goals by giving you only the nutrients you need – no unnecessary fillers or additives!

Find what your pantry is missing at 373 Lab Supplements.