Best Beginner Push Day Workouts To Olympic Lift

The Dumbbell Lunge is a way to make lunges more challenging by adding dumbbells. It mainly works your thigh muscles (quads) while also helping with balance and strength.

How to do it

1. Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells at your sides.
2. Shift your weight onto one leg and step forward with the other leg.
3. Land heel-first and keep your back heel lifted.
4. Lower your back knee towards the ground while keeping your front heel down.
5. Once your front thigh is parallel to the floor, push off your front foot to return to standing.

The Leg Press is a great exercise that works your thigh muscles, especially your quadriceps. It is done on a machine that supports your back, making it a stable and effective way to build leg strength.

How to do it

1. Sit on the leg press machine with your back against the pad.
2. Place your feet shoulder-width apart on the platform.
3. Spread the weight evenly on your feet and lift the platform to remove safety bars.
4. Hold the brace bars and tighten your core.
5. Lower the platform, pushing your knees over your toes while keeping your heels down.
6. Stop lowering when your lower back lifts off the pad, then push back to the starting position.

Lunges are a great exercise for strengthening your legs, especially the quadriceps. By stepping forward with one leg, you can focus on improving balance and strength on both sides of your body.

How to do it

1. Stand tall with feet hip-width apart.
2. Shift weight to your right leg as you step forward with your left leg.
3. Land on your left heel, keeping your back heel lifted off the floor.
4. Lower your back knee towards the ground while keeping your front heel down.
5. Once your front thigh is parallel to the floor, push off your front foot to return to standing.

Lunge Jump is a dynamic exercise that enhances leg strength and explosive power. It combines a standard lunge with a jump, making it challenging and great for building endurance and strength in your legs.

How to do it

1. Stand in a split stance with your right knee bent in front and back knee close to the ground.
2. Bend your elbows at 90 degrees, with the left elbow forward and right elbow back.
3. Jump up explosively, bringing your right knee and left elbow back while your left knee and right elbow come forward.
4. Land softly in the same split stance and bend your knees to return to the starting position.

The Stability Ball Hip Bridge is a variation of the Glute Bridge that strengthens your glutes while using a stability ball for added challenge. It helps you improve muscle activation and stability. This exercise is performed by holding the position for a set time.

How to do it

1. Sit on a stability ball and roll forward until your upper back is resting on it.
2. Place your feet shoulder-width apart on the ground and keep your knees at a 90-degree angle.
3. Put your hands on your hips or hold them above the ground for balance.
4. Lower your hips just above the floor, then raise them back to the starting position.

The Mini Loop Band Squat is a squat variation that uses a mini loop band to strengthen your legs, especially the quadriceps. The band helps stabilize your knees while you squat, improving your form and preparing you for heavier squats.

How to do it

1. Put a mini loop band around your thighs, just above your knees.
2. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, ensuring the band is tight.
3. Slightly bend your knees and engage your core.
4. Hinge your hips back and squat down, keeping knees aligned with toes and resisting the band.
5. Pause at the bottom of the squat, evenly distributing your weight on your feet.
6. Push through your heels and return to standing position by extending your legs.

Power Skips are an explosive exercise that strengthens your legs, especially your quads, hamstrings, and calves. This move involves jumping high on one leg while driving the opposite knee up, improving power and coordination for athletic activities.

How to do it

1. Stand with your knees slightly bent and feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Push off the ground with one leg to jump high, focusing on height rather than distance.
3. Drive the opposite knee up and swing your arm in a running motion.
4. Land back on the same foot you jumped from.
5. Lower your raised knee and repeat the exercise on the other side.

Bounds are a plyometric exercise that targets your legs, especially the glutes, hamstrings, and quads. This exercise involves jumping forward off one leg and landing on the other, helping improve power and agility for sports activities.

How to do it

1. Stand in a split stance with one foot forward and the opposite hand raised.
2. Lean slightly forward, shifting your weight to your front foot.
3. Keep your back straight, chest up, and eyes looking forward.
4. Push off the ball of your front foot, jumping forward explosively.
5. Drive your opposite knee up as you cycle your arms like you're running.
6. As you land, bend your front knee and strike the ground with the ball of your foot.
7. Immediately extend your leg and jump forward again, alternating legs.

The 1-Step Box Jump is a dynamic exercise that helps improve jump height and overall athleticism. It works your quadriceps, glutes, and calves by building momentum with a step before the jump.

How to do it

1. Choose a stable box at a comfortable height.
2. Stand a few feet away from the box with your feet shoulder-width apart.
3. Engage your core, keep your chest up, and focus on the landing spot on the box.
4. Step towards the box while swinging your arms back, then bend your knees and hinge your hips back.
5. As your foot lands, swing your arms forward and jump onto the box by extending your legs powerfully.
6. Land softly on the box with both feet, bending your knees slightly to absorb the impact.

The Dumbbell Thruster is a full-body exercise that combines a squat and an overhead press, targeting the legs, shoulders, and core. It's great for building strength, balance, and flexibility, making it suitable for all fitness levels and ideal for home workouts.

How to do it

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart and slightly bend your knees.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with palms facing in.
3. Keep your core tight and back straight, looking forward.
4. Squat down, keeping the dumbbells at your shoulders.
5. Stand up by pushing through your legs, and at the same time, press the dumbbells overhead.
6. Rotate your wrists so palms face forward at the top.
7. Slowly lower the dumbbells back to shoulder height to return to the starting position.

The Romanian Deadlift to Shrug is an exercise that works your lower and upper back muscles. It strengthens the hamstrings and glutes while isolating the traps with a shoulder shrug, making it great for improving your posture and overall back strength.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the barbell with hands wider than shoulders, using an overhand grip.
2. Keep your core tight, back straight, and chest up.
3. Bend at your hips to lower the barbell until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, then pause.
4. Drive your hips forward to stand up straight, engaging your glutes and hamstrings.
5. As you stand, shrug your shoulders up to your ears and hold briefly.
6. Lower back to the starting position.

The Romanian Deadlift to High Pull is a combined exercise that works both your lower and upper body. It strengthens your hamstrings, glutes, lower back, traps, and shoulders while improving power and functional strength.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, gripping the barbell with hands wider than shoulders using an overhand grip.
2. Engage your core, keep your back straight, and chest up.
3. Hinge at your hips to lower the barbell until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, holding this position briefly.
4. In one smooth motion, push through your heels to stand, driving your hips forward.
5. As you stand, rise onto your toes and explosively lift the barbell to chest height, with your elbows flaring out.
6. Hold at the top, then return to the starting position.

The Dumbbell Hang Snatch is a full-body exercise that enhances strength and coordination using one dumbbell. It focuses on explosiveness and balance, helping improve overall athletic performance.

How to do it

1. Hold a dumbbell in one hand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Keep the dumbbell in front of you, aligned with your body center.
3. Engage your core, straighten your back, and lift your chest.
4. Bend your knees and hinge at the hips to lower the dumbbell between your legs, palm facing in.
5. In one smooth move, extend your legs and thrust your hips forward.
6. Rise onto your toes, using your calves, then pull the dumbbell overhead using your shoulders and back.
7. Bend your knees slightly to drop underneath the dumbbell as you raise it.
8. Stand up fully with the dumbbell overhead, pausing for a moment.
9. Lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.

The Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift to Shrug is a great exercise for strengthening your hamstrings, glutes, and upper back. It involves bending at the hips while holding dumbbells, then shrugging your shoulders at the top, giving you a full-body workout in one move.

How to do it

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing you.
2. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Engage your core and keep your back straight.
4. Bend at the hips and lower the dumbbells in front of your shins until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
5. Stand back up by pushing your hips forward and using your glutes and legs.
6. As you stand up, raise your shoulders towards your ears in a shrug.
7. Hold this position briefly, then return to the starting position.

The Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift to High Pull is an exercise that targets your hamstrings, lower back, upper back, and shoulders. It helps improve strength, flexibility, and explosive power in your body.

How to do it

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing you.
2. Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart and dumbbells in front of your thighs.
3. Engage your core, straighten your back, and keep your chest up.
4. Hinge at your hips and lower the dumbbells until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings (dumbbells in front of your shins).
5. In one motion, extend your legs and drive your hips forward using your quads and glutes.
6. As you stand, rise onto your toes and pull the dumbbells towards your chest with elbows flaring out.
7. Hold for a moment at the top before returning to the starting position.