Push Day: 31-Minute Dumbbell Workout
Push Day is a 31-minute dumbbell workout for your chest and triceps, paired with one heavy hinge. You alternate bench press with Romanian deadlifts, then incline press with skullcrushers, on a 90-second clock.
The workout
Warm-up (5:00)
Push-ups, band pull-aparts, a light set of bench press.
Block A (10:30)
7 sets on a 90-second clock. Alternate the exercises below, one set per interval, in the order they appear.
| Exercise | Sets x reps | Load | Clock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 4 x 10 | 2 x 50 lbs (2 x 23 kg) | Work 0:50, rest 0:40Tempo 3-1-1 |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 x 10 | 2 x 50 lbs (2 x 23 kg) | Work 0:45, rest 0:45Tempo 3-0-1 |
Block B (12:00)
8 sets on a 90-second clock. Alternate the exercises below, one set per interval, in the order they appear.
| Exercise | Sets x reps | Load | Clock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 4 x 12 | 2 x 40 lbs (2 x 18 kg) | Work 0:50, rest 0:40Tempo 3-0-1 |
| Dumbbell Skullcrusher | 4 x 12 | 2 x 20 lbs (2 x 9 kg) | Work 0:50, rest 0:40Tempo 3-0-1 |
Cooldown (3:00)
Chest and triceps stretch. Slow nose breaths.
How the timer works
Each set starts on a clock. You work for the work window, then rest until the next interval starts. Reppy plays low ticks in the last 3 seconds of work and brighter ticks in the last 5 seconds of rest, so you can follow it without looking at the screen.
The screen stays on during the workout, and the back button pauses instead of quitting.
Exercises in this workout
Questions
How long does Push Day take?
About 31 minutes: a 5 minute warm-up, blocks of 10:30 and 12 minutes, and a 3 minute cooldown.
Do I need a bench?
A flat to 30 degree adjustable bench is ideal. Without one, do floor presses for the bench press and feet-elevated push-ups for the incline press.
Why is there a deadlift on push day?
It sits in the rest gaps of the bench press sets, so you add a hamstring and glute hinge without adding much time.