The Perfect Push-Day Routine for Optimal Chest, Shoulder, and Tricep Growth
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When it comes to building a well-rounded upper body, the push-focused workout is a critical component of any effective pull/push/legs split. Unfortunately, many people tend to overdo or overcomplicate their push workouts in an attempt to maximise muscle growth, leading to suboptimal results and potential overtraining.
This article aims to simplify your approach by providing a clear, effective push-day routine that focuses on essential exercises, strategic volume, and proper intensity. By following this guide, you’ll be able to efficiently target your chest, shoulders, and triceps, ensuring balanced and impressive muscle development without the confusion or burnout.
Key Principles for Push Day Success
Limit Redundancy: Vary your exercises to target different parts of the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Avoid excessive repetition that leads to diminishing returns.12
Effective Rep Ranges: Stick primarily to 5-15 reps for most exercises, incorporating higher rep ranges (20-30) for specific isolation movements.3
Volume: Aim for 5-15 sets per muscle group per session, totalling around 10-30 sets per week for optimal growth.45
Train Close to Failure: Take most sets near to failure to maximise hypertrophy, reserving actual failure for the last set of an exercise to manage fatigue.6
Exercise Selection: Choose exercises that target primary muscle functions and allow for a good stretch, focusing on effective, compound movements first.789
Rest Times: Use shorter rest periods (60 seconds) for isolation exercises and slightly longer rests (90 seconds) for compound movements to balance intensity and recovery.10
Order of Exercises: Start with compound movements and progress to isolation exercises, ensuring you prioritise muscles you want to emphasise when you’re freshest.11
Good Technique: Maintain proper form and tempo, control the eccentric phase, and minimise body momentum to focus the stress on the target muscles.12
Push Day 1:
Incline Dumbbell or Machine Chest Press
Focus: Whole chest with extra emphasis on upper pecs, front delts, and triceps
Sets: 3-5
Reps: 5-10
Rest: 90 seconds
Intensity: First set 3 reps from failure, last set 1 rep from failure
Dumbbell Fly
Focus: Overall chest development
Sets: 2-4
Reps: 15-20
Rest: 60 seconds
Intensity: First set 2 reps from failure, last set to failure
Dumbbell or Cable Overhead Tricep Extension
Focus: Long head of triceps
Sets: 3-5
Reps: 20-30
Rest: 60 seconds
Intensity: First set 2 reps from failure, last set to failure
Leaning-In Dumbbell or Cable Lateral Raise
Focus: Side delts
Sets: 3-5
Reps: 10-15 each side
Rest: 60 seconds
Intensity: First set 2 reps from failure, last set to failure
Push Day 2:
Dip or Deficit Push-Up
Focus: Lower chest, front delts, triceps
Sets: 3-5
Reps: 5-10
Rest: 90 seconds
Intensity: First set 2 reps from failure, last set to failure
Dumbbell or Cable Upright Row
Focus: Front delts, lateral delts, and upper traps
Sets: 2-4
Reps: 10-15
Rest: 60 seconds
Intensity: First set 2 reps from failure, last set to failure
Machine or Cable Fly
Focus: Overall chest development
Sets: 2-4
Reps: 15-20
Rest: 60 seconds
Intensity: First set 2 reps from failure, last set to failure
Incline Dumbbell Skull Crushers
Focus: Long head of triceps
Sets: 3-5
Reps: 20-30
Rest: 60 seconds
Intensity: First set 2 reps from failure, last set to failure
Summary
To achieve optimal growth in your chest, shoulders, and triceps, it’s essential to incorporate a well-rounded push-day workout routine that balances volume, intensity, and variety. By following the outlined workouts and adhering to key principles such as limiting redundancy, effective rep ranges, and training close to failure, you’ll ensure consistent progress and robust muscle development. Remember, proper form and technique are paramount to maximising your efforts and avoiding injury. With dedication and consistency, your push-day workouts will pave the way for impressive upper body strength and aesthetics.
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