Dominic Stone
Push muscles are those that push weight away from the body. The main push muscles are the chest, shoulders, and triceps. These muscles are used when pushing an object away from the body or pushing the body away from an object, as in a push-up. Push workouts are important for improving daily functionality, such as pressing yourself off the floor or carrying something heavy. Push-pull workouts are a style of training that structures workouts based on whether the muscle performs a pushing or pulling action.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Upper body push muscles | Pectoralis (chest), deltoids (shoulders), triceps |
| Lower body push muscles | Quadriceps |
| Push exercises | Any movement that forces the body to push weight away from the body |
| Types of push exercises | Dumbbell incline chest press, Skull crushers, Bench press, Push-ups |
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What You'll Learn
Push workouts train the chest
Push workouts are an effective way to train the chest, along with the shoulders and triceps. This style of training structures workouts based on whether the muscle performs a pushing or pulling action. Push workouts target the upper body's pushing muscles, which include the pectoralis (chest), deltoids (shoulders), and triceps.
One example of a push workout for the chest is the dumbbell incline chest press. This exercise involves positioning dumbbells to the sides of your upper chest and pressing up until your arms are fully extended. You then slowly lower your elbows back to the starting position.
Another push workout for the chest is the standard push-up, which can be adapted to create intense chest-boosting workouts. For example, you can place your hands wider than shoulder-width apart and perform reps to add strain to the standard push-up, targeting the outer pectoral. You can also turn your hands slightly inward, forming a triangle with your thumbs and forefingers, and perform a push-up with your arms tucked, focusing on the inner pectoral and tricep.
The Push & Stretch Method is another effective chest workout that alternates flyes and presses throughout the routine. This method isolates the pecs, stressing them as much as possible throughout the movement, while also stretching the fascia of the muscle, creating more room for the muscle fibres to stretch and allowing for increased blood flow to the area.
The push/pull/legs split routine is a popular and effective training method that involves training the upper body's pushing muscles (chest, shoulders, and triceps) on one day, the upper body's pulling muscles (back, biceps, and forearms) on another day, and the lower body and core on the third day. This routine allows for maximum synergy and effectiveness by grouping together muscle groups that work together during movements. For example, when training the chest with exercises like the bench press, you are also engaging your anterior deltoids and triceps.
The push/pull/legs split routine can be performed in various ways, depending on your training experience and preferences. One method is to train three or four days per week, alternating between the three workout types. Another method is the rotating five-day cycle, where each workout is done once over a five-day period, resulting in two training days followed by one rest day. This allows for each body part to be trained once every five days, which is ideal for more experienced trainees.
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Shoulder muscles, or deltoids
The deltoid muscle, often referred to as the 'common shoulder muscle', is a large, triangular, intrinsic shoulder muscle. It forms the rounded contour of the shoulder joint, covering the front, side, and back. It is thick and spread out anteroposteriorly, giving the shoulder its rounded shape. The deltoid muscle is made up of three distinct sets of muscle fibres: the anterior or clavicular part (commonly known as the front delt), the posterior or scapular part (or the rear delt), and the intermediate or acromial part (known as the side delt).
The deltoid muscle is innervated by the axillary nerve, which arises from the anterior rami of the cervical nerves C5 and C6. The axillary nerve supplies sensation to the deltoid, and it is vulnerable to damage during surgery or due to traumatic injury. The deltoid muscle also receives blood supply from the thoracoacromial branch of the axillary artery and minor contributions from other arteries.
Deltoid muscles help with arm abduction, allowing you to raise your arm out to the side of your body. They also assist in flexion (moving your arm forward and overhead) and extension (moving your arm backward). Additionally, deltoids help stabilise the shoulder joint, preventing dislocations when lifting or carrying weights.
Deltoid muscles are commonly targeted in push-pull workouts, which focus on upper body pushing muscles. These workouts can help build strength and size in the deltoids, as well as other muscle groups such as the chest and triceps. Examples of exercises that target the deltoids in a push-pull workout include the seated dumbbell shoulder press and the dumbbell incline chest press.
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Triceps muscles
The triceps brachii is a large, thick muscle on the dorsal part of the upper arm. It is a push muscle, and its major action is the extension of the forearm upon the elbow joint, in opposition to the biceps brachii. The triceps muscle has three heads or points of origin: the medial head, the lateral head, and the long head. The medial head lies deeper than the other two heads, which cover it. The long head originates from the infraglenoid tubercle of the scapula, while the lateral head originates from the humerus. The triceps brachii gets its name from the Latin word "tri," referring to its three heads or points of origin, and "Brachii," which refers to the arm.
The triceps muscle is an important muscle group in the upper arm, located in the posterior compartment of the arm. It is responsible for extending the elbow joint and plays a role in holding the head of the humerus in the glenoid cavity, preventing any displacement. The long head also assists with the extension and adduction of the arm at the shoulder joint. Additionally, the lateral head is active during the extension of the forearm at the elbow joint when the forearm is supinated or pronated.
The triceps muscle can be trained through various exercises, such as the skull crushers exercise. This exercise involves sitting on a bench with a barbell on your lap and holding it with your palms facing down and a shoulder-width grip. Other exercises that target the triceps include the seated dumbbell shoulder press and the dumbbell incline chest press. These exercises can be incorporated into a push-pull workout routine, where you train the chest, shoulders, and triceps on one day and the back, biceps, and forearms on another day.
Overall, the triceps muscle is a crucial muscle group in the upper arm, responsible for several important functions, and it can be effectively trained through dedicated exercises and workout routines.
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Pectoralis major
The pectoralis major is a thick, fan-shaped chest muscle that lies underneath the breast tissue. It is the superior most and largest muscle of the anterior chest wall. It is also referred to as the "'pecs' muscle. The pectoralis major has a broad origin and is divided into three parts: the clavicular part, the sternocostal part, and the abdominal part. The sternocostal part is the larger, lower portion, which originates from the sternum, upper abdominal sheath, and ribs. The clavicular part is the smaller, upper portion, which originates from the first half of the clavicle. The abdominal part is the smallest and originates from the anterior layer of the rectus sheath.
The pectoralis major muscle has four separate origins: the first arising from the clavicle, the second from the sternum, the third from the ribs, and an abdominal attachment. Its primary functions include adducting and internally rotating the humerus, with the clavicular head also assisting in shoulder flexion. The muscle is composed of two heads of origin: the clavicular head and the sternal head, with the sternal head being significantly larger. The muscle inserts on the lateral lip of the bicipital groove of the humerus.
The pectoralis major can be tested by transversely adducting the arm at the glenohumeral joint against resistance. The length of the pectoralis major can also be tested. To do this, the subject is positioned supine with the knees bent and the low back flat on the table. The examiner places the subject's arm in horizontal abduction, with the elbow extended and the shoulder in lateral rotation.
The pectoralis major is often the focus of pressing exercises such as the flat barbell bench press and the flat dumbbell bench press. In these exercises, the individual lies supine on a bench with a barbell or a pair of dumbbells, and extends their arms, lowering the weight slowly towards the nipple line, and then bringing the weight up approximately arm's length above the face.
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Rear delts
The rear deltoids, commonly referred to as rear delts, are the muscles located on the back side of the shoulders. They are responsible for the shoulder's extension, external rotation, and horizontal abduction. They are essential for smooth, efficient shoulder movement and posture, supporting the muscles in the back.
The rear delts are often overlooked in favour of the front and side delts, but they are crucial for overall shoulder strength, stability, and aesthetic balance. They are heavily involved in pulling movements and work closely with the upper back muscles to enhance posture and shoulder function.
Training the rear delts can be challenging due to their location and the dominance of the anterior deltoid in many exercises and everyday movements. However, it is important to strengthen the rear delts to improve shoulder stability and correct poor posture.
Some effective exercises to target the rear delts include:
- Rear Delt Flyes: This exercise uses dumbbells or a cable machine to challenge the rear delts and can be performed seated or standing.
- Face Pulls: Face pulls are a bilateral exercise that works the rear delts, trapezius, rhomboids, and rotator cuffs.
- Incline Y Raises: This exercise uses a bench to support the chest, helping to isolate the rear delts.
- Rowing: Rowing movements help to improve posterior deltoid strength.
- Pull-ups: Pull-ups are a compound exercise that works the rear delts and other muscle groups.
- Barbell Row: This compound exercise targets the rear delts, traps, lats, and rhomboids.
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Frequently asked questions
The 'push' muscles are the chest, shoulders and triceps.
Exercises such as the bench press, dumbbell chest press, push-ups and their variations, skull crushers, and shoulder presses target the 'push' muscles.
Training the 'push' muscles will help build strength and size throughout your upper body. It will also improve your daily functionality, making activities such as pressing yourself off the floor or carrying something heavy easier.
It is recommended to train the 'push' muscles at least once a week, with adequate rest days in between for muscle recovery. The frequency may depend on your fitness goals, schedule, and experience level.
