A "push" workout is a type of strength training that focuses on exercises where you push the weight away from your body. Some examples of these movements include bench presses, and upright rows. These exercises target the muscles in the , and back.
In addition to building muscle and strength, push workouts can also improve overall upper body stability and mobility. By regularly incorporating push exercises into your fitness routine, you can improve your ability to perform everyday tasks that require this type of movement, such as lifting objects overhead or pushing a heavy door. These 10 push exercises can be strung together for an effective upper-body routine.
Stand with feet hip-distance apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Allow your arms to rest at your sides, palms facing your body.
Then, extend your arms straight out to the sides, up and away from your body to about shoulder height. Slowly return back to the starting position. Repeat for 10 repetitions.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing the front of the room and the weights resting on your thighs. Keeping the arms straight, slowly bring the weights up to chest height as you bring them together to meet, forming a “V” shape.
Lower your arms back to the starting position. Repeat 10 times. Stand tall with your arms hanging by your sides; hold a dumbbell in each hand.
Perform a bringing the weights up to your shoulders. Once you have reached the shoulders, rotate your palms until they are facing away from your body and then push the weights up overhead into a . Lower your weights back down to your shoulders, rotate your palms until they are facing you and slowly drop the weights back down to finish off your bicep curl.
Repeat 10 times. Begin lying on the floor with your back on the ground and your arms at your sides. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the ground.
Using your , lift your back and butt off the floor and into the air. Make sure you’re fully engaging your glutes and not relying on any other muscles, like your legs, instead. If you allow your other muscles to take over, you’re not fully .
Think about squeezing your butt to lift your body. Hold at the top for a second before lowering back to the ground. Repeat for 10 repetitions.
Start in a standing position with your feet hip-width apart and your . Squeezing your , slowly raise your body, lifting your heels until you’re on your toes. Make sure to stand tall and straight.
Then lower your heels back to the floor with control. Repeat 10 times. This exercise only requires one dumbbell.
Lie on your back on a flat surface and grab your dumbbell with both hands; think of cupping the ends of the dumbbell for an optimal holding position. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Raise the dumbbell up so it’s over your chest.
Slowly let the dumbbell lower behind your head, keeping your arms straight, until it creates a 45-degree angle with the floor. Return back to the starting position. Repeat 10 times.
Stand with feet hip-distance apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Engage your core to maintain stability.
With palms facing toward you, extend your arms straight up and out in front of you until you reach shoulder height. Slowly return back to the starting position. Repeat for 10 repetitions.
Stand with feet hip-distance apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing away from your body. Starting with your right hand, raise your arm up and across your body, engaging your core and keeping your arm straight.
Slowly return back to the starting position. Perform with the left arm. Continue alternating, repeating for 10 repetitions on each side.
Start by getting down on all fours with your palms on the mat a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Make sure your arms are straight. Reach your legs straight behind you, tucking the toes under to come into a .
Bend at the elbows, lowering your body until your chest almost touches the mat. Pause in this position for a few seconds, and then press down into the ground to straighten your elbows and push your body back up to the starting position. Repeat 10 times.
Begin lying on your back; hold a dumbbell in each hand. Open the arms out into a goal-post position, bending the elbows at 90 degrees. Exhale as you press the weights up, touching the weights directly over your chest with the arms extended.
Then bring the arms back to the starting position and repeat 10 times. Stephanie Mansour is a contributing health and fitness writer for TODAY. She is a certified personal trainer, yoga and Pilates instructor and for women.
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