Best Push Day Workouts To Build Strength For Women

The Barbell Bench Press is a key exercise for building upper body strength, targeting the chest, shoulders, and triceps. It’s commonly used in fitness programs and is essential for evaluating upper body strength.

How to do it

1. Lie on a bench with your shoulder blades squeezed together and feet flat on the ground.
2. Ensure your head, shoulders, and butt are on the bench throughout the exercise.
3. Grip the barbell slightly wider than your shoulders and lift it above your chest.
4. Engage your core by tightening your stomach muscles as you lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
5. Gently touch your chest with the barbell, then push it back up to the starting position while exhaling.

The Barbell Incline Bench Press is a variation of the standard bench press that targets your chest while focusing more on the shoulders and upper chest. It's great for building strength in these areas.

How to do it

1. Lie back on an incline bench (45-60 degrees), keeping your shoulder blades squeezed together and feet flat on the floor.
2. Grip the barbell just outside shoulder-width and lift it above your shoulders with your arms extended.
3. Brace your core, lower the barbell to your upper chest by flexing your elbows at a 45-degree angle, then gently touch your chest.
4. Exhale and push the barbell back to the starting position.

The Dumbbell Bench Press is a great exercise for beginners that targets the chest, triceps, and shoulders. Using dumbbells helps improve stability and ensures both sides of the body work equally without compensating for weaknesses.

How to do it

1. Lie back on a bench, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
2. Place your feet flat on the ground, under your knees.
3. Hold the dumbbells outside shoulder-width apart, above your chest.
4. Keep your elbows at a 45-degree angle and engage your core.
5. Extend your arms fully and then lower the dumbbells back to starting position.

The Dumbbell Fly is an effective exercise for strengthening and building the chest muscles. It also engages the shoulders for support. This exercise helps to develop muscle balance by working each side of the body independently.

How to do it

1. Lie on your back on a bench, squeezing your shoulder blades together and keeping your feet flat on the ground.
2. Ensure the bench supports your head, shoulders, and buttocks.
3. Hold the dumbbells above your shoulders with palms facing inward and elbows slightly bent.
4. Engage your core and slowly lower the dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
5. When the dumbbells are level with your chest, exhale and lift them back to the starting position.

The Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise is an exercise for the shoulders, focusing on the rear deltoids. By leaning forward with your hips back, you can effectively work the muscles at the back of your shoulders.

How to do it

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips until your torso is at a 90-degree angle.
3. Keep your elbows bent and raise the dumbbells out to the sides until they reach shoulder height.
4. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the lift and then lower the dumbbells back down slowly.

Push ups are a simple and effective exercise for strengthening your upper body using just your body weight. They are easy to do anywhere and are great for beginners and advanced exercisers alike.

How to do it

1. Start with your hands on the floor, slightly wider than your shoulders.
2. Keep your body straight, with your core engaged and hips extended.
3. Bend your elbows, lowering your chest towards the floor at a 45-degree angle with your arms.
4. Push back up to the starting position.

The Tricep Push Up is a bodyweight exercise that strengthens your chest, triceps, and shoulders. By keeping your elbows close to your sides, you emphasize the tricep muscles more than regular push ups.

How to do it

1. Lie face down with your legs straight and hands below your chest, elbows tucked in.
2. Push up by straightening your arms, keeping your body in a straight line from head to heels.
3. Lower your chest back down by bending your elbows.

The Close-Grip Bench Press targets the triceps more than the standard bench press by keeping your hands closer together. This exercise is ideal for adding triceps strength to your chest workout.

How to do it

1. Lie on a bench with your shoulder blades squeezed together and feet flat on the ground.
2. Grab the barbell with hands slightly closer than shoulder-width apart, and lift it over your chest.
3. Lower the barbell toward your chest by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your body.
4. Touch the barbell lightly on your chest, then push it back up to the starting position.

Dips are a bodyweight exercise that primarily targets the triceps. You lift and lower your body using your arms while keeping your core engaged.

How to do it

1. Hold onto the dip bars with straight arms and slightly bent elbows.
2. Suspended above the ground, brace your core and keep your back straight.
3. Lean your body forward slightly and pull your elbows down to lower yourself.
4. Keep your elbows close to your sides until they reach a 90-degree angle.
5. Push back up to straighten your arms and return to the starting position.

The Dumbbell Skullcrusher is a great exercise for strengthening your triceps. Using dumbbells helps ensure both arms work equally and adds a challenge to your stability.

How to do it

1. Lie on your back on a bench with your shoulder blades squeezed together and feet flat on the floor.
2. Ensure the bench supports your head, shoulders, and hips.
3. Hold dumbbells above your shoulders with palms facing each other and elbows slightly bent.
4. Engage your core and lower the dumbbells behind your head by bending your elbows, keeping your upper arms stable.
5. When the dumbbells are just above your forehead, exhale and lift them back to the starting position.

The Cable Rope Tricep Extension is a great exercise to specifically strengthen your triceps. Using a cable machine allows for better control and consistent tension, making it ideal for adjusting weights easily and performing high-repetition sets.

How to do it

1. Set the pulley to the highest position and attach the rope.
2. Hold the rope with your palms facing each other, elbows at your sides, bent at 90 degrees.
3. Engage your core and keep your back straight.
4. Extend your arms by straightening your elbows while keeping them close to your body.
5. Return to the starting position by bending your elbows.

Skullcrushers are a triceps exercise performed while lying on a bench. This movement focuses on isolating the triceps and can be done with an EZ-Bar for better grip and stability.

How to do it

1. Lie back on a bench, keeping your shoulder blades squeezed and your heels flat on the ground.
2. Ensure the bench supports your head, shoulders, and buttocks at all times.
3. Hold the EZ-Bar above your shoulders with hands shoulder-width apart.
4. Keep your upper arms still and bend your elbows to lower the bar just above your forehead.
5. Exhale as you extend your arms to lift the bar back to the starting position.

The Dumbbell Back Fly targets the back of your shoulders while providing stability from an incline bench. This exercise helps strengthen your posterior deltoid by isolating the muscle effectively.

How to do it

1. Grab a pair of dumbbells.
2. Lie chest-down on an incline bench with your knees slightly bent.
3. Hold the dumbbells in front of your shoulders, palms facing forward.
4. Keep your elbows slightly bent and back straight.
5. Lift the dumbbells out to the sides until shoulder height, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
6. Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position slowly.

The Barbell Decline Bench Press is a chest exercise that emphasizes the lower chest. It also strengthens your triceps and shoulders while lying on a decline bench.

How to do it

1. Lie down on a decline bench, placing your heels on the ground and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
2. Make sure the bench supports your head, shoulders, and buttocks.
3. Grab the barbell with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width and hold it above your shoulders.
4. Tighten your core and lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
5. Lightly touch the barbell to your chest, then push it back to the starting position.

The Barbell Shoulder Press is a strength exercise that mainly works your shoulder muscles. It helps improve your ability to lift weight overhead with stability and strength.

How to do it

1. Stand with the barbell at shoulder height and grab it with your hands shoulder-width apart.
2. Bend your knees slightly and lower yourself to place the bar on your upper chest.
3. Position your elbows under the bar so your forearms are straight up and palms face forward.
4. Lift the barbell straight up until your arms are fully extended, keeping it aligned with your ears.
5. Lower the barbell back to your chest to repeat the exercise.