[ad_1]
Evidence Based
If you want to build impressive pecs, broad shoulders, and chiseled triceps, upper body push exercises are just the ticket.
With so many movements to choose from, however, understanding which will deliver the results you want can be baffling.
Here’s what I suggest: prioritize compound exercises that let you press heavy weights and make consistent progress, then complement these with isolation exercises that target the muscles the compound movements miss.
My favorites are:
- Barbell bench press
- Incline barbell bench press
- Dumbbell bench press
- Incline dumbbell bench press
- Dip
- Close-grip bench press
- Standing overhead press
- Seated overhead press
- Shoulder press
- Arnold press
- Triceps pushdown
- Overhead triceps extension
- Lying triceps extension (“skullcrusher”)
- Dumbbell side lateral raise
Keep reading to learn why these exercises are so effective, how to perform them correctly, and more.
- The 14 Best Upper Body Push Exercises
Table of Contents
+
The 14 Best Upper Body Push Exercises
Doing effective push day exercises can make a night-and-day difference to your physique.
For instance, here’s how my body transformed over a two-year period when I stopped futzing around with “pump-style” training and got serious about pressing heavy weights:
As you can see, my pecs developed an “armor-plated” look, my shoulders became fuller and rounder, and although they’re not visible here, I gained significant mass in my triceps, too.
If you want to achieve similar results, make the following 14 upper body push day exercises the focus of your training:
1. Barbell Bench Press
The barbell bench press is one of the single best push day exercises for building almost every major upper body muscle group, particularly your chest, shoulders, and triceps. It’s so effective because it allows you to handle heavy weights safely and progress regularly, which are vital for gaining mass and strength.
How to:
- Lie on a flat bench and place your feet flat on the floor.
- Pull your shoulder blades together and down, and without lifting your butt or shoulders off the bench, slightly arch your back.
- Grab the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip and unrack the barbell.
- Lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked 6-to-8 inches from your sides.
- Press the bar back to the starting position.
2. Incline Barbell Bench Press
The incline barbell bench press is a fantastic upper body push exercise for training your “upper chest,” which is vital for developing full, well-rounded pecs.
How to:
- Lie on a bench angled at 30-to-45 degrees and plant your feet on the floor.
- Pull your shoulder blades together and down, and without lifting your butt or shoulders off the bench, slightly arch your back.
- Grab the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip and unrack the barbell.
- Lower the barbell to your upper chest, keeping your elbows tucked 6-to-8 inches from your sides.
- Press the bar back to the starting position.
3. Dumbbell Bench Press
The dumbbell bench press develops the same pushing muscles as the barbell bench press but allows you to train through a longer range of motion, which is typically better for muscle growth. Using dumbbells also forces each side of your body to lift the same amount of weight (one side can’t “help” the other), so it’s useful for finding and fixing muscle imbalances.
How to:
- While sitting on a flat bench, hold a dumbbell in each hand and rest them on your thighs.
- Lie back and bring the dumbbells up so you’re holding them on either side of your chest by giving them a nudge with your thighs.
- Press the dumbbells over your chest until your arms are straight and your elbows are locked.
- Lower the dumbbells to the starting position.
4. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
The incline dumbbell bench press trains the upper chest, triceps, and shoulders similarly to the barbell version. However, the incline dumbbell bench press allows you to use a greater range of motion and stretch your chest muscles slightly more than the barbell bench press, which is beneficial for muscle growth.
How to:
- While lying on a bench angled at 30-to-45 degrees, hold a dumbbell in each hand and rest them on your thighs.
- Lie back, hoisting the dumbbells up so you’re holding them on either side of your chest by giving them a nudge with your thighs.
- Press the dumbbells over your upper chest until your arms are straight and your elbows are locked.
- Lower the dumbbells to the starting position.
5. Dip
The dip is a fantastic upper body push exercise as it trains all your pushing muscles simultaneously. What’s more, if you use a dip belt, it allows you to use heavy weights safely, which is important for gaining muscle and strength.
How to:
- If you’re using a dip belt, wrap the chain around your waist, add the desired amount of weight to the chain, and fasten the carabiner.
- Grab both handles of a dip station, then press yourself up by straightening your arms and gently jumping off the ground so your arms are straight and supporting your entire body weight.
- Bend your knees to keep your feet from touching the ground, then lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor.
- Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
6. Close-Grip Bench Press
While the close-grip bench press trains all your pushing muscles, it’s a particularly effective upper body push day exercise for building triceps mass and strength.
How to:
- Lie on a flat bench and place your feet flat on the floor.
- Pull your shoulder blades together and down, and without lifting your butt or shoulders off the bench, slightly arch your back.
- Grip the barbell with a shoulder-width grip or slightly narrower and unrack the barbell.
- Lower the barbell to your lower chest, keeping your elbows tucked 2-to-4 inches from your sides.
- Press the bar back to the starting position.
7. Standing Overhead Press
In addition to improving upper-body strength and shoulder, triceps, and upper chest size, the overhead press develops your whole-body balance and coordination.
How to:
- Set a barbell in a rack at the same height as your upper chest.
- Grip the bar with a shoulder-width grip and your palms facing away from you.
- Unrack the barbell, step backward, and plant your feet just outside of shoulder width.
- Push the bar toward the ceiling until your arms are straight.
- Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
8. Seated Overhead Press
The seated overhead press trains your shoulders, triceps, and upper chest like the standing variation. However, because the seated overhead press doesn’t require as much full-body coordination, you can lift heavier weights and progress faster, which is generally better for muscle growth.
How to:
- Set up an upright bench in a squat rack or use a seated barbell overhead press station.
- Set a barbell in the rack at about shoulder height when standing.
- Sit down and grip the bar with a shoulder-width grip and your palms facing away from you.
- Unrack the barbell and lower it to your collarbone.
- Press the bar toward the ceiling and return to the starting position.
9. Shoulder Press
The dumbbell shoulder press trains the side and rear delts more effectively than barbell overhead press variations, making it a fantastic exercise for developing “3D” delts.
How to:
- Sit on an upright bench and hold a dumbbell in each hand, resting them on your thighs.
- Hoist the dumbbells up so you’re holding them just above your shoulders with your palms facing away from you.
- Press the dumbbells toward the ceiling until your arms are straight.
- Lower the dumbbells and return to the starting position.
10. Arnold Press
The Arnold press emphasizes your side delts more than other overhead pressing variations, making it an excellent upper body push exercise for building balanced shoulders.
How to:
- Sit on an upright bench and hold a dumbbell in each hand, resting them on your thighs.
- Hoist the dumbbells up so you’re holding them just in front of your shoulders with your palms facing you.
- Press the dumbbells straight overhead while rotating your wrists until your arms are straight and your palms are facing away from you.
- Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
11. Triceps Pushdown
The triceps pushdown trains all three heads of the triceps, but by keeping your elbows slightly behind your body, it emphasizes the long head. This is important because the pressing exercises mentioned above don’t train the long head as effectively as they do the other heads of the triceps.
How to:
- Set the pulley on a cable machine to slightly above head height and attach the rope and straight bar handle.
- Stand upright or lean slightly forward (you can adopt a staggered stance if it helps you balance), grab one end of the handle in each hand, and push it downward by straightening your elbows.
- Once your arms are straight and at your sides, reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
12. Overhead Triceps Extension
While the overhead triceps extension trains the entire triceps, it trains the long head when fully stretched, making it fantastic for building upper arm mass.
How to:
- Sit up straight on a bench.
- Grip one end of a dumbbell using both palms and lift it overhead so your arms are straight. Your palms should be flat against the end of the dumbbell and facing the ceiling.
- Lower the weight until it’s behind your head by bending your elbows, then straighten your arms and return to the starting position.
13. Lying Triceps Extension (“Skullcrusher”)
The skullcrusher is an outstanding exercise for training all parts of the triceps, ensuring you have defined, proportional upper arms. To shift the emphasis to the triceps long head, lower the bar over the top of your head until it almost touches the bench at the bottom of each rep.
How to:
- While lying on a flat bench, hold an EZ Bar above your chest with a shoulder-width grip.
- Bring the bar down to your forehead by bending at the elbow, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
14. Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise
The dumbbell side lateral raise isolates the “side delts”, which is crucial for developing full, broad shoulders.
How to:
- Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Raise the dumbbells out to your sides until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
- Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
+ Scientific References
- Schoenfeld, Brad J, and Jozo Grgic. “Effects of Range of Motion on Muscle Development during Resistance Training Interventions: A Systematic Review.” SAGE Open Medicine, vol. 8, no. 8, Jan. 2020, p. 205031212090155, https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312120901559.
- Oranchuk, Dustin J., et al. “Isometric Training and Long-Term Adaptations: Effects of Muscle Length, Intensity, and Intent: A Systematic Review.” Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, vol. 29, no. 4, 13 Jan. 2019, pp. 484–503, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/sms.13375, https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13375.
- Bloomquist, K., et al. “Effect of Range of Motion in Heavy Load Squatting on Muscle and Tendon Adaptations.” European Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 113, no. 8, 20 Apr. 2013, pp. 2133–2142, link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00421-013-2642-7, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-013-2642-7.
- Raizada, Shiny , and Amritashish Bagchi. Comparison among the EMG Activity of the Anterior Deltoid and Medial Deltoid during Two Variations of Dumbbell Shoulder Press Exercise. Oct. 2017, www.researchgate.net/publication/322132613_Comparison_among_the_EMG_Activity_of_the_Anterior_Deltoid_and_Medial_Deltoid_During_Two_Variations_of_Dumbbell_Shoulder_Press_Exercise, http://dx.doi.org/10.5958/0976-5506.2017.00411.9.
- Kholinne, Erica, et al. “The Different Role of Each Head of the Triceps Brachii Muscle in Elbow Extension.” Acta Orthopaedica et Traumatologica Turcica, vol. 52, no. 3, 1 May 2018, pp. 201–205, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6136322/, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aott.2018.02.005.
- Landin, Dennis, and Melissa Thompson. “The Shoulder Extension Function of the Triceps Brachii.” Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, vol. 21, no. 1, Feb. 2011, pp. 161–165, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelekin.2010.09.005.
You May Also Like
Our Most Popular Evidence-Based Articles
You don’t need supplements to build muscle, lose fat, and get healthy. But the right ones can help.
Take our 60-second quiz now to learn which supplements can help you achieve your fitness goals faster.
Sending…
Your free stuff is on the way!
Follow the Diet Plan that Helped Nikita Lose 15 Pounds in 3 Months
“I never thought getting in shape would be this simple! Everything just WORKS when you follow this plan.” And if he can do it, why not you?
Wait!
Want a Free Custom Meal Planning Tool?
Quickly calculate your calories, macros, and micros for losing fat, building muscle, and staying healthy.
Our “No Return Necessary”
Money-Back Guarantee
If you don’t like something of ours, guess what happens next?
No, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon. Nor do we ask you to fill a cursed inkwell with orc’s blood and demon saliva and then use it to complete reams of return forms written in ancient Cyrillic script.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. Holy moo cows. And that means you can say “yes” now and decide later.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you live in the United States, your order ships free regardless of order size, if you live in the UK, Canada, Puerto Rico, or Guam, your order ships free when it’s over $99, and if you live elsewhere, your order ships free when it’s over $199.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you live in the UK, Canada, Puerto Rico, or Guam, your order ships free when it’s over $99.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We’re also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you’re outside the USA, your order ships free when it’s over $199.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We’re also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Split your entire online purchase into 4 interest-free payments, over 6 weeks with no impact to your credit.
25%
today
25%
2 weeks
25%
4 weeks
25%
6 weeks
Shop and add items to your cart as normal!
Choose Sezzle at Checkout! You’ll be redirected to Sezzle to Sign Up or Log In
to complete your order.
Your order will be shipped out right away* and your payments will be split up
over 6 weeks.
*shipping times subject to merchant shipping policy
Shop directory. Reschedule payments. Plus more!
Waiver and Release of Liability
In consideration of the services and/or products offered by Legion Athletics, Inc. (“Legion”) including, but not limited to, nutrition plans, exercise routines and coaching, and in addition to the payment of any fee or charge:
I knowingly and voluntarily enter into this waiver and release of liability and hereby waive any and all rights, claims or causes of action of any kind whatsoever arising out of my use of Legion’s services and/or products, and I hereby release and hold harmless Legion and its consultants, officers, contractors, agents, owners and employees from any and all responsibility, liability, cost and expenses, including for injuries, damages or disorders (physical, metabolic, or otherwise), resulting from my use of Legion’s services and/or products.
I understand that fitness activities including, but not limited to, strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular exercise, with or without the use of equipment, are potentially hazardous activities that involve a risk of injury and even death, and I am voluntarily participating in these activities and using equipment and machinery with knowledge of the risks involved. I hereby agree to assume and accept any and all risks of injury or death related to said fitness activities.
I understand Legion’s services and products are not meant to treat or manage any health conditions or circumstances, and I acknowledge that Legion has recommended I obtain a healthcare provider’s approval for my use of Legion’s services and/or products, through regular physical examination(s) and/or consultation. I acknowledge that I have obtained my healthcare provider’s approval or have decided to use Legion’s services and/or products without such approval and hereby assume all responsibility for my use of said services and/or products.
I understand that results from using Legion’s products and/or services are not guaranteed, and I agree to not hold Legion liable for any outcomes or lack thereof.
OUT OF STOCK
Security Check
Please click the checkbox below. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Fact Checked
Our scientific review board of nutritionists, dietitians, molecular biologists, doctors, and other accredited experts is responsible for reviewing every article, podcast, and video we produce to ensure they’re evidence based, accurate, trustworthy, and current.
Thanks to their connections, credentials, and academic experience, this team of MDs, PhDs, and other professionals has access to a wealth of research published in the largest and most prestigious journals in the world.
This allows them to not only review individual studies but also analyze the overall weight of the evidence on any and all topics related to diet, exercise, supplementation, and more.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, misleading, out-of-date, or anything less than factual, please let us know in the comments section of the article in question.
Evidence Based
We follow a detailed, rigorous, multi-step process to create content that meets the highest standards of clarity, practicality, and scientific integrity.
First, our research associates provide our editorial team with accurate, up-to-date, proven scientific evidence.
Then, our editorial team uses this research to draft articles and outlines for podcasts and videos.
Finally, our scientific review board reviews the content to ensure all key information and claims are backed by high-quality scientific research and explained simply and precisely.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, misleading, out-of-date, or anything less than factual, please let us know in the comments section of the article in question.
[ad_2]
Source link