14 Best Upper Body Push Exercises for Mass | Legion
Evidence Based
If you want to build impressive pecs, broad shoulders, and chiseled triceps, upper body push exercises are just the ticket.
With so many movements to choose from, however, understanding which will deliver the results you want can be baffling.
Here’s what I suggest: prioritize compound exercises that let you press heavy weights and make consistent progress, then complement these with isolation exercises that target the muscles the compound movements miss.
My favorites are:
Barbell bench press
Incline barbell bench press
Dumbbell bench press
Incline dumbbell bench press
Dip
Close-grip bench press
Standing overhead press
Seated overhead press
Shoulder press
Arnold press
Triceps pushdown
Overhead triceps extension
Lying triceps extension (“skullcrusher”)
Dumbbell side lateral raise
Keep reading to learn why these exercises are so effective, how to perform them correctly, and more.
Table of Contents
+The 14 Best Upper Body Push Exercises
The 14 Best Upper Body Push Exercises
Doing effective push day exercises can make a night-and-day difference to your physique.
For instance, here’s how my body transformed over a two-year period when I stopped futzing around with “pump-style” training and got serious about pressing heavy weights:
As you can see, my pecs developed an “armor-plated” look, my shoulders became fuller and rounder, and although they’re not visible here, I gained significant mass in my triceps, too.
If you want to achieve similar results, make the following 14 upper body push day exercises the focus of your training:
1. Barbell Bench Press
The barbell bench press is one of the single best push day exercises for building almost every major upper body muscle group, particularly your chest, shoulders, and triceps. It’s so effective because it allows you to handle heavy weights safely and progress regularly, which are vital for gaining mass and strength.
How to:
Lie on a flat bench and place your feet flat on the floor.
Pull your shoulder blades together and down, and without lifting your butt or shoulders off the bench, slightly arch your back.
Grab the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip and unrack the barbell.
Lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked 6-to-8 inches from your sides.
Press the bar back to the starting position.
2. Incline Barbell Bench Press
The incline barbell bench press is a fantastic upper body push exercise for training your “upper chest,” which is vital for developing full, well-rounded pecs.
How to:
Lie on a bench angled at 30-to-45 degrees and plant your feet on the floor.
Pull your shoulder blades together and down, and without lifting your butt or shoulders off the bench, slightly arch your back.
Grab the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip and unrack the barbell.
Lower the barbell to your upper chest, keeping your elbows tucked 6-to-8 inches from your sides.
Press the bar back to the starting position.
3. Dumbbell Bench Press
The dumbbell bench press develops the same pushing muscles as the barbell bench press but allows you to train through a longer range of motion, which is typically better for muscle growth. Using dumbbells also forces each side of your body to lift the same amount of weight (one side can’t “help” the other), so it’s useful for finding and fixing muscle imbalances.
How to:
While sitting on a flat bench, hold a dumbbell in each hand and rest them on your thighs.
Lie back and bring the dumbbells up so you’re holding them on either side of your chest by giving them a nudge with your thighs.
Press the dumbbells over your chest until your arms are straight and your elbows are locked.
Lower the dumbbells to the starting position.
4. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
The incline dumbbell bench press trains the upper chest, triceps, and shoulders similarly to the barbell version. However, the incline dumbbell bench press allows you to use a greater range of motion and stretch your chest muscles slightly more than the barbell bench press, which is beneficial for muscle growth.
How to:
While lying on a bench angled at 30-to-45 degrees, hold a dumbbell in each hand and rest them on your thighs.
Lie back, hoisting the dumbbells up so you’re holding them on either side of your chest by giving them a nudge with your thighs.
Press the dumbbells over your upper chest until your arms are straight and your elbows are locked.
Lower the dumbbells to the starting position.
5. Dip
The dip is a fantastic upper body push exercise as it trains all your pushing muscles simultaneously. What’s more, if you use a dip belt, it allows you to use heavy weights safely, which is important for gaining muscle and strength.
How to:
If you’re using a dip belt, wrap the chain around your waist, add the desired amount of weight to the chain, and fasten the carabiner.
Grab both handles of a dip station, then press yourself up by straightening your arms and gently jumping off the ground so your arms are straight and supporting your entire body weight.
Bend your knees to keep your feet from touching the ground, then lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor.
Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
6. Close-Grip Bench Press
While the close-grip bench press trains all your pushing muscles, it’s a particularly effective upper body push day exercise for building triceps mass and strength.
How to:
Lie on a flat bench and place your feet flat on the floor.
Pull your shoulder blades together and down, and without lifting your butt or shoulders off the bench, slightly arch your back.
Grip the barbell with a shoulder-width grip or slightly narrower and unrack the barbell.
Lower the barbell to your lower chest, keeping your elbows tucked 2-to-4 inches from your sides.
Press the bar back to the starting position.
7. Standing Overhead Press
In addition to improving upper-body strength and shoulder, triceps, and upper chest size, the overhead press develops your whole-body balance and coordination.
How to:
Set a barbell in a rack at the same height as your upper chest.
Grip the bar with a shoulder-width grip and your palms facing away from you.
Unrack the barbell, step backward, and plant your feet just outside of shoulder width.
Push the bar toward the ceiling until your arms are straight.
Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
8. Seated Overhead Press
The seated overhead press trains your shoulders, triceps, and upper chest like the standing variation. However, because the seated overhead press doesn’t require as much full-body coordination, you can lift heavier weights and progress faster, which is generally better for muscle growth.
How to:
Set up an upright bench in a squat rack or use a seated barbell overhead press station.
Set a barbell in the rack at about shoulder height when standing.
Sit down and grip the bar with a shoulder-width grip and your palms facing away from you.
Unrack the barbell and lower it to your collarbone.
Press the bar toward the ceiling and return to the starting position.
9. Shoulder Press
The dumbbell shoulder press trains the side and rear delts more effectively than barbell overhead press variations, making it a fantastic exercise for developing “3D” delts.
How to:
Sit on an upright bench and hold a dumbbell in each hand, resting them on your thighs.
Hoist the dumbbells up so you’re holding them just above your shoulders with your palms facing away from you.
Press the dumbbells toward the ceiling until your arms are straight.
Lower the dumbbells and return to the starting position.
10. Arnold Press
The Arnold press emphasizes your side delts more than other overhead pressing variations, making it an excellent upper body push exercise for building balanced shoulders.
How to:
Sit on an upright bench and hold a dumbbell in each hand, resting them on your thighs.
Hoist the dumbbells up so you’re holding them just in front of your shoulders with your palms facing you.
Press the dumbbells straight overhead while rotating your wrists until your arms are straight and your palms are facing away from you.
Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
11. Triceps Pushdown
The triceps pushdown trains all three heads of the triceps, but by keeping your elbows slightly behind your body, it emphasizes the long head. This is important because the pressing exercises mentioned above don’t train the long head as effectively as they do the other heads of the triceps.
How to:
Set the pulley on a cable machine to slightly above head height and attach the rope and straight bar handle.
Stand upright or lean slightly forward (you can adopt a staggered stance if it helps you balance), grab one end of the handle in each hand, and push it downward by straightening your elbows.
Once your arms are straight and at your sides, reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
12. Overhead Triceps Extension
While the overhead triceps extension trains the entire triceps, it trains the long head when fully stretched, making it fantastic for building upper arm mass.
How to:
Sit up straight on a bench.
Grip one end of a dumbbell using both palms and lift it overhead so your arms are straight. Your palms should be flat against the end of the dumbbell and facing the ceiling.
Lower the weight until it’s behind your head by bending your elbows, then straighten your arms and return to the starting position.
13. Lying Triceps Extension (“Skullcrusher”)
The skullcrusher is an outstanding exercise for training all parts of the triceps, ensuring you have defined, proportional upper arms. To shift the emphasis to the triceps long head, lower the bar over the top of your head until it almost touches the bench at the bottom of each rep.
How to:
While lying on a flat bench, hold an EZ Bar above your chest with a shoulder-width grip.
Bring the bar down to your forehead by bending at the elbow, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
14. Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise
The dumbbell side lateral raise isolates the “side delts”, which is crucial for developing full, broad shoulders.
How to:
Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand.
Raise the dumbbells out to your sides until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
+ Scientific References
Schoenfeld, Brad J, and Jozo Grgic. “Effects of Range of Motion on Muscle Development during Resistance Training Interventions: A Systematic Review.” SAGE Open Medicine, vol. 8, no. 8, Jan. 2020, p. 205031212090155, https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312120901559.
Oranchuk, Dustin J., et al. “Isometric Training and Long-Term Adaptations: Effects of Muscle Length, Intensity, and Intent: A Systematic Review.” Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, vol. 29, no. 4, 13 Jan. 2019, pp. 484–503, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/sms.13375, https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13375.
Bloomquist, K., et al. “Effect of Range of Motion in Heavy Load Squatting on Muscle and Tendon Adaptations.” European Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 113, no. 8, 20 Apr. 2013, pp. 2133–2142, link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00421-013-2642-7, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-013-2642-7.
Raizada, Shiny , and Amritashish Bagchi. Comparison among the EMG Activity of the Anterior Deltoid and Medial Deltoid during Two Variations of Dumbbell Shoulder Press Exercise. Oct. 2017, www.researchgate.net/publication/322132613_Comparison_among_the_EMG_Activity_of_the_Anterior_Deltoid_and_Medial_Deltoid_During_Two_Variations_of_Dumbbell_Shoulder_Press_Exercise, http://dx.doi.org/10.5958/0976-5506.2017.00411.9.
Kholinne, Erica, et al. “The Different Role of Each Head of the Triceps Brachii Muscle in Elbow Extension.” Acta Orthopaedica et Traumatologica Turcica, vol. 52, no. 3, 1 May 2018, pp. 201–205, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6136322/, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aott.2018.02.005.
Landin, Dennis, and Melissa Thompson. “The Shoulder Extension Function of the Triceps Brachii.” Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, vol. 21, no. 1, Feb. 2011, pp. 161–165, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelekin.2010.09.005.
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