Fitness coach Jeff Nippard recently broke down a comprehensive push workout designed to maximize chest, shoulder, and tricep development.
The workout leverages evidence-based training principles and introduces unique set structures that challenge conventional approaches.
Whether you’re looking for a complete push day routine or individual exercises to incorporate into your split, this workout delivers science-backed movements with practical application.
Each exercise has been carefully selected to complement balance and progression throughout the training week.
Jump to:
- Starting Strong: Warmup Protocol
- Close Grip Barbell Incline Press: The Main Event
- Machine Shoulder Press for Efficient Deltoid Work
- Floor Reset Skull Crushers: Strength-Focused Triceps
- Bent Over Cable Pec Fly for Complete Chest Development
- Machine Lateral Raise with Intensity Technique
- Plate Front Raise with Internal Rotation
- Diamond Push-Ups to Failure
- Programming Context
Starting Strong: Warmup Protocol
Nippard begins every push session with five minutes of general warmup on either the treadmill or stair master. This prepares the cardiovascular system and elevates core body temperature.
Following cardio, he performs dynamic stretches including arm swings and cable external rotations. These mobility drills prime the shoulder joint for the heavy pressing work ahead.
Close Grip Barbell Incline Press: The Main Event
The workout’s cornerstone is an undulating set pattern on the close grip barbell incline bench press. This involves three working sets with different rep ranges: eight reps, then five reps, then 15 reps.
Why This Set Structure Works
The initial eight-rep set helps lifters find their groove since incline pressing isn’t typically a well-practiced movement for most people. After that first set, technique should feel locked in for the heavier five-rep effort.
Resting three to four minutes between sets allows complete recovery. The final 15-rep set focuses purely on mind-muscle connection and pump work without worrying about load.
Science Behind Incline Pressing
Recent research provides compelling evidence for prioritizing incline work. An eight-week training study measured pectoral hypertrophy comparing flat versus incline bench press.
Results showed:
- Lower pecs: No significant difference between flat and incline
- Mid pecs: No significant difference between flat and incline
- Upper pecs: Significantly more growth with incline pressing
While conducted on 47 untrained subjects, the study supports using incline movements for enhanced upper chest development.
Technical Execution
Nippard uses a grip just outside shoulder width, which further shifts emphasis to the upper pecs. The barbell touches the highest point on the upper chest before pressing straight up or slightly back.
A common mistake is touching the barbell too low on your chest and then pressing the bar out in front of you.
The barbell should remain stacked in a straight line centered with the shoulder joint. Allowing the bar to drift forward limits pressing strength and may strain the shoulders.
Machine Shoulder Press for Efficient Deltoid Work
Following the incline press, three sets of 10-12 reps on the machine shoulder press provide targeted deltoid stimulation without excessive systemic fatigue.
Machines allow training closer to failure safely since there’s no risk of dropping free weights. They’re also less fatiguing overall while still providing excellent muscle tension.
Arms should break parallel with the floor at minimum, with Nippard preferring slightly deeper ranges. He uses a thumbless grip to enhance mind-muscle connection and employs constant tension—avoiding full lockout at the top.
Floor Reset Skull Crushers: Strength-Focused Triceps
After compound pressing, the workout shifts to three sets of six to eight reps on floor reset skull crushers. This strength-oriented movement uses heavier loading in lower rep ranges.
The technique involves lifting the weight to full extension with the bar behind the eyeline, controlling the negative halfway down, then allowing the weight to drop and come to a complete dead stop on the floor.
You can even allow the weight to roll back a bit on the floor and then roll it back in to build some momentum similar to how some powerlifters initiate a deadlift.
Progressive overload takes priority over mind-muscle connection here. Tracking weight and reps week-to-week becomes critical for measuring strength gains.
Bent Over Cable Pec Fly for Complete Chest Development
Three sets of 10-12 reps on the bent over cable pec fly target all pectoral regions, with special emphasis on the mid-chest fibers.
Unlike decline cable flies where posture remains upright, this variation requires bending forward at the hips while flying straight downward. This positioning improves stability by grounding bodyweight with the floor.
The enhanced stability allows greater tension delivery to the pecs without balance concerns limiting performance.
Machine Lateral Raise with Intensity Technique
Side delts receive special attention through three sets of 20 reps using a split-rep pattern. The first five reps utilize a slow five-second eccentric lowering phase.
The remaining 15 reps employ constant tension with smooth one-second concentric and eccentric phases, avoiding pauses at top or bottom positions.
This approach helps lifters establish neural connection with side deltoid fibers during the slow negatives before transitioning to higher-volume pump work.
Plate Front Raise with Internal Rotation
Two sets of 15-20 reps on plate front raises provide additional shoulder volume. However, these aren’t standard front raises.
By “steering the wheel” and internally rotating during the movement, emphasis shifts away from front deltoids toward the middle segments between front and side heads.
Internal rotation places side delt fibers in better position to contribute to the front raise motion. Those experiencing shoulder discomfort can substitute dumbbell Y-raises instead.
Diamond Push-Ups to Failure
The workout concludes with one all-out set to failure on diamond push-ups for maximum possible reps. The diamond hand position dramatically increases triceps involvement compared to conventional push-ups.
For example I only got 21 reps on this set and I can probably do 60 or 70 conventional push-ups so they are pretty tough.
Maintaining strict form all the way to failure develops valuable skill in movement control under fatigue. Finishing with an AMRAP set creates a satisfying conclusion knowing maximum effort was given.
Programming Context
This push workout is designed to complement another push session performed earlier in the week. Together, they provide balanced stimulus across different rep ranges, intensities, and movement patterns.
Nippard’s full 12-week Push Pull Legs hypertrophy system includes three distinct phases. Phase one covers weeks 1-6, phase two introduces completely different exercises and methods for weeks 7-10, and phase three floods muscles with high-rep volume for weeks 11-12.
A full deload week follows, allowing lifters to cycle through the program repeatedly as long as progress continues. The system targets intermediate to advanced trainees who have moved beyond foundational training phases.
