11 Best Push Exercises That Can Help Build Total-Body Strength

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What are Push Exercises

Push exercises work by contracting muscles while pushing resistance away from your body.

Push exercises that target BOTH upper-body and lower-body muscles for a total-body workout involve pushing movements that engage the chest, shoulders, triceps, and legs.

The exercises can help improve functional strength. Thus, they can help prepare the muscles of anyone in activities that require pushing motions, such as pushing open a heavy door or lifting objects overhead.

Push exercise can also help maintain muscular balance and support joint health. They can also enhance posture and contribute to better bone density over time.

Best Push Exercises for a Comprehensive Full-Body Workout

Below are some of the best push exercises that help target BOTH upper-body and lower-body muscles for a total-body workout.

Squat to Overhead Press (Thruster)

The squat to overhead press, often called a thruster, is a compound exercise that combines two fundamental movements, i.e., a squat and an overhead press.

The squat to overhead press is one of the best push exercises that work multiple muscles and offers both strength and cardiovascular benefits.

It is also one of the best push exercises for enhancing power, coordination, and functional fitness, making the movement popular in various training regimens, including CrossFit and general strength training.

Incorporating the Thrusters into your training can yield significant fitness gains in a relatively short time due to its comprehensive nature. They can help build strength and power in the lower and upper body.

Target Muscles: Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings, Shoulders (Deltoids), Triceps
Required Equipment: Barbell or Dumbbells, Squat Rack (optional)

Steps to follow

• Stand upright, holding a barbell or dumbbells at shoulder height, with feet at shoulder width.
• Bending your knees and hips and lower into a squat position. Keep your back straight.
• Simultaneously, extend your arms and press the weight overhead as you rise from the squat.
• Fully extend your arms overhead.
• Lower the weight back to shoulder height and return to the starting position.
• Aim to complete 8-12 reps, 3-4 sets per session.

Push-Up with Single-Leg Raise

The Push-Up with Single-Leg Raise is a challenging variation of the classic push-up that incorporates an additional element targeting the core and lower body.

This exercise engages the standard upper body muscles worked in a regular push-up but also intensifies the workout by activating the glutes and lower back muscles through the leg raise.

Push-Up with Single-Leg Raise is one of the potent push exercises for improving balance and stability and adding a dynamic component to a traditional upper body workout.

The variation can benefit those looking to increase the intensity of their bodyweight workouts without additional equipment. It is one of the best push exercises for improving upper body and core strength while challenging balance and stability.

Target Muscles: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Core Muscles, Glutes, Lower Back

Steps to follow

• Get into a push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width and your body in a straight line from head to heels.
• Raise one leg off the floor, keeping it straight and parallel to the ground.
• Bend your elbows and lower your body to bring your chest toward the floor while maintaining a straight back.
• Push your body back up to your starting position, and as you do so, keep the raised leg elevated.
• Perform 8-12 reps for a set and 2-4 sets per session.

Dumbbell Clean and Press

Dumbbell Clean and Press is considered a push exercise.

The dumbbell clean and press is one of the best compound push exercises that incorporates strength, coordination, and explosiveness.

The exercise combines elements of pulling and pushing movements, offering a full-body workout. It starts with a movement similar to a deadlift, transitions into a clean, and culminates with a pressing movement overhead.

The Dumbbell Clean and Press is one of the best push exercises that mimics everyday lifting motions and helps in improving athletic performance.

Target Muscles: Deltoids, Trapezius, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Core, Forearms

Required Equipment: A pair of dumbbells

Steps to Follow

• Stand upright with the dumbbells on the floor in front of you. Keep your feet at shoulder-width.
• Bend your knees, hinge at the hips, and use an explosive motion to lift the dumbbells to shoulder height in a clean motion.
• Press the dumbbells upward from shoulder height.
• Fully extend your arms overhead.
• Lower the dumbbells back to shoulder height and then gently to the floor.
• Perform 3-5 sets of 6-10 repetitions in a session.

Step-Up with Knee Raise and Press

The step-up with knee raise and press combines several movements into one. It is one of the best push exercises incorporating lower body strength, balance, and an upper body press.

It is a multifaceted exercise that blends lower-body work with an upper-body push movement. It combines a Step-up, which targets the lower body, with a knee raise that engages the core and an overhead press that works the upper body.

Target Muscles: Quadriceps, Glutes, Deltoids, Core Hamstrings, Triceps

Required Equipment: A weight bench, step, plyo box, or sturdy platform, Dumbbells

Steps to Follow:

• Stand facing a plyo box, step, or bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height.
• Step onto the box with one foot, driving your body up.
• As you step up, simultaneously raise your opposite knee and perform a shoulder press with the dumbbells.
• Lower the raised knee and return the dumbbells to shoulder height.
• Step back down to your starting position.
• Alternate legs and repeat the exercise.
• Repeat 8-12 reps per leg, 3-4 sets for a set.

Medicine Ball Squat to Chest Press

The medicine ball squat to chest press combines a lower-body squat with an upper-body pressing motion. This exercise works multiple muscles simultaneously, providing both strength and cardiovascular benefits.

It is one of the potent push exercises for improving functional strength and endurance. The exercise can also help enhance coordination and balance.

Target Muscles: Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings, Pectorals, Deltoids, Core

Required Equipment: Medicine ball

Steps to Follow

• Stand upright with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a medicine ball at chest level.
• Keep your feet at shoulder-width.
• Lower your body into a squat position, keeping your back straight.
• As you rise from the squat, use an explosive motion to press the medicine ball away from your chest.
• Fully extend your arms in front of you while standing upright.
• Bring the medicine ball to your chest as you descend into the next squat.
• Perform 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps.

Lunge with Overhead Tricep Extension

The lunge with overhead tricep extension combines a lower-body lunge with an upper-body tricep extension.

It is one of the potent push exercises that target the legs and arms in one fluid movement, making it a time-efficient choice for those seeking to work on multiple muscle groups simultaneously.

The lunge with overhead tricep extension is one of the best push exercises for lower body strength and tricep muscle development.

Target Muscles: Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings
Triceps

Required Equipment: Dumbbells or a similar weighted object for the tricep extension

Steps to Follow

• Stand upright, holding a dumbbell in each hand overhead.
• Step forward and get into a lunge position, ensuring you bend your front knee at 90 degrees, and your back knee hovers just above the ground.
• Simultaneously, bend your elbows to lower the dumbbell behind your head and perform a tricep extension.
• Push through your front heel to return to a standing position while extending your arms fully overhead.
• Alternate legs and repeat the lunge with the tricep extension on the opposite side.
• Perform 10-12 repetitions per leg and aim to complete 3-4 sets in a session.

Burpees with Push-Up

Burpees with push-ups combine the dynamic movement of a burpee with the strength-building aspect of a push-up, creating a powerful full-body exercise.

This variation adds an upper-body challenge to the traditional burpee, significantly engaging, in addition to the core and lower body muscles, the chest, shoulders, and triceps.

Burpees with push-ups are some of the best push exercises for high intensity and efficiency in building cardiovascular endurance, strength, and agility.

Target Muscles: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings, Core

Steps to Follow

• Stand upright with your feet at shoulder-width.
• Drop into a squat position and place your hands on the floor.
• Kick your feet back into a plank position, performing a push-up.
• Quickly return your feet to the squat position.
• Explosively jump up from the squat, reaching your arms overhead. In effect,
• Transition from a standing position to a squat, then to a plank position, perform a push-up, return to squat, and end with a jump.
• Aim to complete 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps reps.

Pike Push-Up

The pike push-ups are bodyweight push exercises that target the shoulders and a great alternative to traditional overhead pressing exercises, especially when you have minimal equipment.

The exercise focuses more intensely on the upper body, particularly the shoulders. Altering the body position shifts the emphasis to the deltoids, making it great for shoulder development and strength.

Target Muscles: Deltoids, Triceps, Pectorals

Steps to Follow

• Get into a push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet close together.
• Raise your hips and push your body back into an inverted “V” position, forming a pike shape.
• Bend your elbows and lower your head towards the floor, aiming to touch your head between your hands.
• Push your body back to your starting position, extending your arms fully.
• Aim to complete 8-15 reps in a set, 3-4 sets per session.

Wall Balls

Wall balls are functional push exercises that involve throwing a weighted ball against a wall and catching it as it returns. It combines a squat with a powerful upward throwing motion, making it a highly effective full-body workout.

The exercise can help improve cardiovascular endurance, coordination, and functional strength.

Target Muscles: Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings, Shoulders, Triceps, Core, Chest

Required Equipment: A medicine ball

Steps to Follow

• Stand facing a wall with your feet at shoulder-width, holding a medicine ball at chest level.
• Lower into a squat position.
• Explosively extend your hips and knees to stand up while simultaneously throwing the ball against the wall.
• As the ball returns, catch it and immediately move into the next squat.
• Repeat 10-15 reps, 3-4 sets per session.

Bear Crawl to Push-Up

Bear Crawl to Push-Ups are dynamic and challenging push exercises that combine the movement of a bear crawl with the strength-building aspect of a push-up.

This exercise can help improve body strength, cardiovascular fitness, and muscular endurance. It can also enhance coordination, agility, and balance, making it popular in functional fitness and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) regimens.

Target Muscles: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Core, Quadriceps, Glutes

Steps to Follow

• Get into a bear crawl position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees at 90 degrees just above the.
• Move one hand and the opposite knee simultaneously to crawl forward while keeping your hips low.
• Transition into a push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart after a few crawls.
• Perform a push-up, lowering your chest toward the floor and then pushing back up.
• Return to the bear crawl position and continue crawling forward.
• Repeat 6-10 reps for a set and 3-4 sets per session.

Deadlift to Press

The Deadlift to Press combines the pulling motion of the deadlift with the pushing motion of an overhead press. It engages several muscle groups for a comprehensive workout that builds strength and power.

Target Muscles:

• Hamstrings and Glutes (Deadlift)
• Lower Back (Deadlift)
• Quadriceps (Deadlift)
• Shoulders (Deltoids) (Press)
• Triceps (Press)
• Upper Back (Trapezius) (Press)

Required Equipment: Barbell or Dumbbells

Steps to Follow

• Place a loaded barbell or a pair of dumbbells on the floor.
• Bend at your hips and knees to perform a deadlift, lifting the weight to a standing position with a straight back.
• Once standing, transition smoothly into an overhead press by bending your elbows and pressing the weight upward.
• Extend your arms fully overhead.
• Lower the weight back to the starting position and repeat.
• Aim for 6-10 reps per set, 3-4 sets to complete a session.

Final words from LiveLIfe

The push exercises discussed here offer a comprehensive full-body workout, helping you to target both upper-body and lower-body muscles simultaneously. They can help you achieve a balanced and powerful physique.

Incorporate the push exercises into your training regimen to help enhance your strength and improve endurance, posture, and functional fitness.

Remember to balance the push exercises with pull exercises for a well-rounded fitness regimen.