Bodyweight push day workout: 5 exercises, sets and reps

Bodyweight push day workout

5 exercises 16 sets about 40 min no weights, plus dip bars or two sturdy chairs

Everything that pushes: chest, shoulders and triceps. It opens with a heavy press for the chest, follows with one overhead, and ends with direct work for the side of the shoulder and the triceps.

Without weights the load is fixed, so effort comes from slower lowering, pauses, harder variations and more reps.

Start this workout free Creates your account with these 5 exercises already loaded. Free to log, no card.

The workout

Push-Up4 × 12Body in one straight line from head to heels. Chest to the floor, elbows about 45 degrees from your sides.2 min rest
Pike Push-Up3 × 8Hips high in an inverted V. Lower the top of your head towards the floor between your hands, then press back up.2 min rest
Decline Push-Up3 × 10Feet on a chair or step. The higher your feet, the more load moves to the upper chest and shoulders.90 s rest
Diamond Push-Up3 × 10Hands together under your chest, thumbs and index fingers touching. Elbows stay close to the body.60 s rest
Dips3 × 12Lean forward slightly, lower until your upper arms are parallel to the floor, then press to lockout.60 s rest

Muscles worked

Front

Back

Chest13
Shoulders11
Triceps11
Abs3.5

Sets per muscle. A muscle that only assists in an exercise counts half.

How to run it

Start with five minutes of easy movement and one easy set of the first exercise. Rest for the time shown next to each exercise; the heavy lifts at the top need more than the smaller ones at the end.

Aim to finish each set with one or two reps left in you. If every set reaches its target easily, the session is too light. When a set reaches the target comfortably, slow the lowering to three seconds or move to a harder variation before you add reps without end.

It is the first day of a push, pull, legs rotation. Run the three days once a week, or twice through with a rest day in the middle if you train six days.

In myreplog

It is already set up. These 5 exercises arrive in your account as a program, with the sets and reps above.
Tap, do not type. Set your weights the first time, then mark each set done as you finish it.
Records count themselves. From your second session, a lift that beats your best is marked as a personal record on the spot.
See what you trained. The session ends with this muscle map, drawn from the sets you actually did.

Logging is free for good. The first 14 days also include Pro, where a coach reviews each session and suggests the weights for the next one. No card needed.

Questions

How long does this push day workout take?

About 40 minutes. That is 16 working sets with the rests listed next to each exercise, plus five minutes to warm up.

What muscles does it work?

Mostly the chest, shoulders and triceps. The abs assist. The map on this page shades each muscle by the number of sets that reach it.

What equipment do I need?

No weights, plus dip bars or two sturdy chairs.

What muscles does a push day work?

The chest, the shoulders and the triceps: every muscle that straightens the arm or pushes a weight away from the body. The back and biceps are left for pull day.

Should push day start with chest or shoulders?

Start with the one you want to bring up. This session starts with a chest press because it is the heaviest lift of the day, and puts the overhead press second while the shoulders are still fresh.