Jeff Nippard’s Push Workout for Muscular Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps

Nippard likes finishing his push workout with an AMRAP to increase the intensity. 

Jeff Nippard, a Canadian bodybuilder and powerlifter with a massive following, simplifies his training and backs it up with studies to prove its effectiveness. As a result, he has amassed over 3 million subscribers on YouTube! Jeff Nippard recently shared his push workout routine on his YouTube page, including the machine shoulder press. Many bodybuilders practice splitting their training into push, pull, and legs. This workout philosophy ensures that you target and build multiple large muscles in a day’s training.

Push day involves focusing on shoulders, chest, and triceps exercises. In his push day workout, Jeff Nippard shares his routines and other important tips. Now, let’s dig into Jeff Nippard’s push day!

 

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Jeff Nippard’s Push Workout

Jeff Nippard held the 2012 Mr. Junior Canada title and was also a Canadian bench press national record holder, so he knows something about improving your bench press. This push day workout uses minimalist training principles (which he’s also a big fan of), and he suggests doing a warm-up before getting into it. For his warm-up, Nippard does a treadmill walk for light cardio and dynamic stretching, such as arms swings and shoulder rotations.

Jeff Nippard educates and shares scientific backing for his routines with his fans. He trains many natural bodybuilders and works with powerlifters in the men’s and women’s divisions. This push workout mixes free weight and machine movementws; we look at each below. 

Close Grip Barbell Incline Bench Press

The close grip barbell incline bench press is a compound pushing exercise that mainly targets your triceps. This exercise also builds the muscles of your chest and shoulders. Using a close grip is what causes it to be a great triceps muscle builder (1).

The close grip barbell incline bench press is Jeff Nippard’s main push day exercise. He started with three pyramid sets to warm up. The first warmup set was with an empty barbell for 10 reps, then he did four reps with half of his working set weight, and finally, three reps with 75% of his working weight last. 

Nippard did three sets for his working set, starting with moderate weights and eight reps for set one. Next, he did five reps with a heavier weight before doing the final 15 reps with a light weight.

Machine Shoulder Press

The machine shoulder press is a great way to work all three deltoid heads. This exercise also builds your triceps, traps, and your upper pecs. Using a machine means more control, and you can train heavier without worrying about injuries. Jeff Nippard says, 

“Obviously, machines won’t hit some of the smaller stabilizing muscles quite as well as free weights will. But as long as you’re still including some free weight exercises, I think that concern about machines pretty much goes away anyway!”

He uses a thumbless grip to do three sets of 10 to 12 reps for this movement. He says this gives him more mind-muscle connection. Nippard also brings the weight as low as the machine allows for a complete range of motion for full deltoid contraction. 

Floor Reset Skull Crusher

The floor rest skull crusher is an isolation exercise that targets the triceps. Nippard does the floor reset variation for this exercise with an EZ bar. For this routine, Jeff Nippard suggests applying the principle of progressive overload. He also says you can induce even more hypertrophy by resisting and controlling the negative. 

“I would suggest resisting and controlling the negative all the way down to the floor from a pure hypertrophy standpoint.”

Bent Over Cable Fly

Bent over cable flyes are an excellent accessory movement Jeff Nippard included in his workout. This exercise mainly targets the muscles of your shoulder, specifically your rear delts and upper back. This exercise helps to increase your range of motion and improves your posture.

Jeff Nippard says you can change your position to focus more on your pecs. Lean forward over the cables and keep your bodyweight grounded with the floor. Bending until your torso is almost parallel with the floor emphasizes your mid-pectorals.

Machine Lateral Raise

The machine lateral raise is a variation of dumbbell lateral raises and is a great way to accentuate your V-taper. This exercise targets the lateral and anterior deltoid heads. Nippard performs 3 sets with 20 reps in each set. 

While doing his reps, Jeff Nippard does the first five reps with slow eccentrics. He says this will help you feel the side delt fibers pulling. He then does rep six to 20 regularly with constant tension. 

“For those first five reps, the slow eccentrics should help you find your delts on the negative, and you should be able to zone in on feeling the side delt fibers pulling, and then, when you’ve locked that connection in, from there, you can kind of just blast them with more standard constant tension reps.”

Plate Front Raise

The plate front raise primarily builds your anterior delts. Other muscles this exercise also builds include the upper pecs, lateral delts, and traps. This great push shoulder exercise will add strength and definition to your shoulders. 

Nippard says that although the delts can tolerate a lot of volume, he feels the anterior delts get enough stimulation from compound movements. This makes them overdeveloped compared to the lateral delts, explaining why he doesn’t do as much for them. You can engage your side and anterior delts by rotating your arms internally during the front raise. 

Diamond Pushup

The main target of diamond pushups is the triceps. However, this routine also works on your rear delts, chest, and abs. In fact, activation of the pectoralis minor, infraspinatus, and triceps is greater because of the palmar width used in the diamond pushups (2). Lower body muscles like the glutes, hamstrings, and quads also get activated with this exercise. 

Jeff Nippard finishes this push workout with an all-out set. This builds mental fortitude because you know you gave your training session your best. 

“I like finishing the workout with an AMRAP (as many reps as possible) set because there are no sets lefts to interfere, so you can just give it everything you’ve got.”

You can watch Nippard’s full push workout on his YouTube channel below:

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References 

1. Larsen, S., Gomo, O., & van den Tillaar, R. (2021). A Biomechanical Analysis of Wide, Medium, and Narrow Grip Width Effects on Kinematics, Horizontal Kinetics, and Muscle Activity on the Sticking Region in Recreationally Trained Males During 1-RM Bench Pressing. Frontiers in sports and active living, 2, 637066. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2020.637066 
2. Kim, Y. S., Kim, D. Y., & Ha, M. S. (2016). Effect of the push-up exercise at different palmar width on muscle activities. Journal of physical therapy science, 28(2), 446–449. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.28.446