How This Split Routine Push Workout Will Target Your Upper Body

If you are into split routines that break down the body into pushing muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps), pulling muscles (back, biceps, grip), leg muscles (hips, lower back, legs) and the core (everything from the hips to shoulders), you may enjoy this push routine. The workout below mixes weights, calisthenics and cardio events. There is a land workout and a swim workout you can choose from (or do both):

Section 1: Warm-up: Calisthenics and Cardio (Land)

Push warm-up: Push-up Pyramid 1-10 with 100-meter run between each set + one-mile run/10-minute bike ride

It is preferable to do this warm-up outside if you have an area to run 100 meters (2 x 50 meters), such as a football field, tennis court or basketball court, to get your body moving. Every set starts with push-ups. Increase your reps up the pyramid to 10, but the warm-up is over at Set 10. You jog 100 meters between each set. It looks like this:

• 1 push-up, run 100 meters
• 2 push-ups, run 100 meters
• 3 push-ups, run 100 meters ... up to 10 push-ups

This warm-up creates 55 total reps of push-ups and 1,000 meters of running. Then continue the warm-up with a one-mile run or 10-minute bike.

Lightweight shoulders: Do this with five-pound dumbbells or less. This nonstop circuit has six exercises, each 10 reps long.

Section 2: Weights and Calisthenics Section

This section mixes moderately heavy weights with a body-weight bench press for max reps. However, if you cannot bench press your body weight, do a smaller percentage (50%-75%) of your body weight for maximum reps each set. Rest as needed.

Repeat five times.

• Bench press body weight max reps or TRX push-ups max
• Rest with three minutes of activity of your choice (jog, bike, walk, sit, etc.)

Cals, dumbbells, cardio circuit: Work through the push/core circuit with minimum rest as you get to rest your push muscles with running/biking at the end of each set:

Repeat four times.

• Military press 10
• Sit-ups 1 minute at goal pace or plank pose 1 minute
• Dips max
• Triceps extensions (dumbbell or TRX) 10
• Run 800 meters at goal pace (or five-minute bike)

Section 3: Swim/PT Workout Session

This combination of calisthenics and swimming will top off this push day's shoulders, chest, and triceps workout. Swimming with a long-sleeve shirt is another addition that makes swimming harder and tires the rear shoulder muscles quickly. The swim workout is a 50-50 Workout with push-ups and hips/abs:

Warm up with a 10-minute tread or 500-meter swim.

Repeat 10 times.*

• Swim 50 meters freestyle hard
• Swim 50 meters Combat Swimmer Stroke (CSS) or breaststroke
• Push-ups 10
• Flutter kicks 20

* Swim in a long-sleeve shirt

It is up to you and your time available and fitness level to attempt all or sections of this push workout. Tomorrow, you can finish the upper body with a pull-muscle workout. This split routine allows you to work on a particular muscle group and have days to recover before working for the same muscle group again.

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