push and pull force experiments

• sophieeherbert
• Jul 8, 2021

Hands-On Science: Engaging Push and Pull Experiments for Primary Students - A Comprehensive Guide

Updated: Jun 29, 2023

Last semester, we dove headfirst into the world of Push and Pull and Forces. There's nothing quite like the joy of executing an experiment each week and seeing the gleam of curiosity and appreciation in the eyes of the young learners!

To get things rolling, we set up a "Wondering Wall" with the students' questions and their existing knowledge. Once the stage was set, the real fun began as we embarked on a series of exciting experiments…

The World of Friction

We started by establishing a comprehensive definition of friction. The students, divided into small groups, selected various surfaces for testing the concept of friction with toy cars. The hands-on experience drove the understanding home!

Harnessing Wind Power

We ventured into the realm of wind power, exploring its capability to push and pull. The students designed miniature wind race tracks and, employing straws, used their breath to push a Malteser through the various pathways. The delight in the classroom was palpable!

Tea Bag Rockets

Undeniably a student favorite! The task was simple: empty a tea bag, prop it upright, and light the top. As the flame traveled down, the hot air, forced down the cylinder, propelled the ashes skyward, mesmerizing the young audience. And of course, gravity brought the ashes back down. Such was the fascination that we ended up repeating this experiment five times!

Pom Pom Poppers

This experiment was another crowd-pleaser. The students used Pom Pom Poppers to introduce a fun element of chaos in the classroom while understanding the interplay of pull and push forces. Instructions for constructing these poppers can easily be found online. Trust us, it's worth a try!

Paper Airplanes

In groups of four, the students crafted diverse paper airplanes from provided templates and designs. This activity prompted discussions on wind, gravity, and thrust (the force exerted by our muscles to launch the planes).

Every week, the students eagerly anticipated the upcoming experiment. It was quite a task to curate a diverse range of activities that illustrated the concepts of Push, Pull, and Forces, but the effort was absolutely worth it. Hopefully, this overview proves helpful to others on a similar journey!

Push and Pull - Unit of Fun

For a comprehensive guide to this unit, check out my Teachers Pay Teachers store! This all-inclusive package is sure to elevate your science curriculum. It requires minimal preparation and comes with a wealth of supporting resources, making teaching a breeze! The pack includes:

Why Choose Our Pack?

Highly Engaging Content : Our experiments are designed to be fun and engaging, making learning an enjoyable process.

Comprehensive Guides : Each experiment comes with a detailed 'How To' guide, including a list of required materials, step-by-step activity details, scientific explanations, and additional activities for further exploration.

POE Model Response Sheets : To enhance the learning process, our experiment response sheets follow the Predict-Observe-Explain (POE) model. This encourages students to make predictions, record observations, and explain their findings, fostering critical thinking skills.

Assessment Task: Assess your students science understandings with the Design your own Experiment task, including Lesson Plan, Task Description, Response Sheets and Rubric.

Bonus Homework Activity : To reinforce the concepts learned, we've included a bonus homework activity that students can do at home.

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4 Simple Experiments to Introduce Kids to Physics

It is never too early to start having fun with Physics!

This quick series of physics experiments is perfect for introducing little learners to concepts of push and pull! In the experiments that follow, kids will investigate how they can change the speed and direction of objects by applying varying degrees of strength. It’s a great way to get young students excited about physics and STEM in general.

Step 1: Introduce the Physics Experiments

First, connect motion to what the children already know. Ask them, “How do we move?” Have children raise their hands and demonstrate. Next, drop a stuffed animal on the ground. Ask students, “How can I make the stuffed animal move?” They will think about their past experiences with moving objects to derive an answer. Then, explain that a push and a pull are both forces. Force makes an object move or stop moving. When we push something, we are moving it away from us. When we pull something, we are moving it closer to us. (Act out motions with students: push = palms out, push away from body, and pull = two fists on top of each other, pull toward body.)

Brainstorm : Create a t-chart, write down objects that can be pushed or pulled (objects at home, in the classroom, on the playground).

Step 2: Do Small-Group Instruction  (Stations):

PHYSICS EXPERIMENT #1: SODA BOTTLE BOWLING

Push: Children experiment with pushing a ball hard and with less force to knock over soda bottles. They can compare a big push to a small push. What kind of push made the ball move the fastest? They will see how when objects collide (ball and soda bottle), they push on one another and can change motion.

PHYSICS EXPERIMENT #2: CHAIR PULLEY

PHYSICS EXPERIMENT #3: RAMPS AND MATCHBOX CARS

Push: Children create ramps using flat, rectangular wooden blocks and Duplo Lego bricks. They will investigate how the height of a ramp can change how fast and far their Matchbox car can go. They will also compare the distance and speed of the car on the ramp to using no ramp.

PHYSICS EXPERIMENT #4: SORTING PUSH AND PULL

Sort: Put out a paper bag that contains various real-world objects. Children collaborate and sort the objects using a Venn diagram (hula hoops). Children place the objects in the appropriate groups using this free printable”  push, pull or both .

Step 3: Reinforce the Concepts

After the physics experiments, children can play computer games to reinforce push and pull! I like these two:

• Push:  Piggy Push  from Cool Math Games
• Pull:  Hook the Fish  from Cookie

Or you can watch a  video  to reinforce pushes and pulls. For further reinforcement, the next day, have children go on a scavenger hunt and try to find things around the classroom that they can push and pull.

Step 4: Assessment

Children are assessed through observation, questions, and conversations while they work in small groups at stations, interacting with various objects that demonstrate pushing or pulling. I took notes and scored the children using a rubric  I made in iRubric. You can download it for free!

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Push and Pull

Law of motion #1: An object will remain at rest until an outside force puts it in motion. Force is the push or pulls that starts something moving.

Law of motion #2: The speed at which an object moves depends upon the amount of force used to move the object. The weight of an object also determines how it responds to the force being used to move it.

Newton’s laws have been able to answer many questions in the world of science for centuries, but sometimes it is hard to see how the laws of motion work.

Testing Newton’s laws

Let’s try a few things to see how the laws of motion work.

Simple Science – learning about forces

January 9, 2014 By Emma Vanstone 1 Comment

Today, we’ve been trying to learn about forces.

Pushes and pulls are examples of forces.

When we push or pull something, it moves.

Can you push a toy car softly? What happens? Does it move further if you push harder?

Can you think of things you push and things you pull? Are there things you can push and pull?

We drew a simple table with our ideas and then put them into a Venn diagram . The area in the middle where the circles overlap are things we push and pull.

Can you think of any more?

Examples of Push and Pull Forces

Push Forces

Push a scooter

Push a supermarket trolley

Push a swing

Push a bell

Pull Forces

A dog pulling on a lead.

Pull down a zip.

Pull a cracker

Push and Pull Forces

Hockey – push or pull the ball

Push or pull open a door.

If you’re starting a push and pull forces topic, you might like my push and pull puppets !

Don’t forget to take a look at my full collection of science activities for learning about forces .

Science concepts

Pushs and pulls

Amazon.com Widgets

Last Updated on February 8, 2024 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

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24 Elementary Force and Motion Experiments & Activities

Get teaching with these  force and motion  experiments, activities and videos to use in the elementary classroom. This collection of  force and motion activities and resources should help you cover the topics like  texture, gravity, incline and simple machines .

If you’re looking for helpful ideas and lesson plans – then this is the place to start!

Do you need a refresher as the teacher before planning your simple machines unit? This simple machines facts page is an excellent (and easy) way to jog your memory.

Force and Motion Experiments

Let’s plan some force and motion experiments for all elementary grades. Some of these can be adapted for different grade levels.

Set up ramps with different textures and send toy cars down. Use lots of questions to guide young students to extend their exploration.

Create catapults to explore how to make simple machines. With plastic utensils and marshmallows you’re set to build.

Take what you learned about building catapults in the above experiment to build a STEM engineering challenge. Students have to build a basketball hoop with classroom objects and recycled materials.

Skip the cars on an incline and go for liquids! Create a viscosity race with stuff from your fridge. Talk about how resistance to flowing is called viscosity and have fun.

Create a simple machines challenge . Students must create 3 ways to move a lion (or another small toy) using simple machines. Perfect to accompany the (affiliate) book How Do You Lift a Lion ?

Explore Newton’s first law together – the law of inertia – by seeing it in action. Create towers with note cards, string and a tower to feel the law as you take out each card separately, quickly or try to pull them all out at once!

Explore how to move the fulcrum on a lever to experiment how it impacts ease of use. All you need are some simple tools like rulers, a semi-heavy object and something to be the fulcrum.

A video explaining how a lever works is included.

Conduct trials with toy cars to see how you can make them go faster. Record the distance, time and speed with a free recording sheet.

Save a few water bottles and fill them with dry rice. Your students will love exploring friction in this floating rice experiment .

Aren’t those fun and clever force and motion experiments? Let’s move onto activities to help reinforce what you’ve taught.

Force and Motion Activities

After learning about how friction and force moves a roller coaster , set up your classroom to bring the concept to life.

Don’t be afraid to get messy! Combine art with science in this  force and motion marble painting activity .

Work on note taking. Use free simple machine notebooking pages and have students describe the lever, pulley, inclined plane, wedge, screw and wheel and axle. This would be a good resource for upper elementary.

Build a winch with paper towel tubes, spool and a straw. Students could make this recycled materials winch in pairs or small groups.

Attempt to lift heavier objects (by adding pennies to the object being lifted) feeling the change in force it takes to pull it up.

Make a foldable to summarize Sir Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion . Write each law and illustrate on the flap.

Force and Motion Free Games Online

Experiment online (for kindergarten and first grade ) with this push and pull online activity. [no longer available]

Try this forces and movement interactive game for first and second grade . [no longer available]

Experiment with forces in action with this online activity for 10-11 year olds. [no longer available]

While it’s tricky to build flying contraptions in the classroom – use this how do things fly online simulator to design your own airplanes can make it happen – virtually.

Learn about drag, lift, thrust and weight in this interactive activity.

Your students will totally get into this online simple machines game . This game can be challenging – but your students will learn! Reading skills are needed.

Explore forces, loads, materials and shapes with this interactive  force and motion building big activity . This is neat for upper elementary students to see simulated (but interactive) examples of what they are learning about – with more options than you can explore in the classroom.

Force and Motion Videos for Elementary

Here is a list of more force and motion videos for 4th and 5th grade.

Ready for more force and motion activities for the classroom? Check out these 19 Fun Ideas & Resources for Force and Motion .

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• 28 Awesome STEM Challenges for the Elementary Classroom
• Clouds Science for Kids: 23 Smart Ideas for the Classroom
• 21 Super Activities for Teaching Moon Phases
• Rocks for Kids – 15 Fun Activities and Ideas

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Leslie {aka the original Teach Junkie} loves learning new things to make teaching easier and more effective. She enjoys featuring creative classroom fun when she's not designing teacher shirts, making kindergarten lesson plans or planning her family's next trip to Disney World.

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Force Can Push or Pull

In this lesson, children will explore force and motion concepts as they play with boxes and objects found around the classroom.

Content Area:

Force and Motion

Learning Goals:

This lesson will help toddlers and preschoolers meet the following educational standards :

• Develop foundational skills in the use of science practices such as observing, asking questions, solving problems and drawing conclusions
• Explore concepts and information about the physical, earth and life sciences
• Understand important connections and understandings in science and engineering

Learning Targets:

After this lesson, toddlers and preschoolers should be more proficient at:

• Developing and using models to represent their ideas, observations and explanations 
• Exploring the physical properties of objects   
• Exploring the concepts of force and motion
• U sing tools and technology to assist with scientific and engineering investigations
• Carrying out simple investigations
• Exploring the effect of force on objects in the early childhood environment
• Generating explanations and communicating ideas and/or conclusions about their investigations

Lesson plan for toddlers/preschoolers

Step 1: gather materials..

• The book, S heep in a Jeep , by Nancy E. Shaw (author) and Margot Apple (illustrator) 
• Boxes and/or  laundry baskets
• Objects of various weights to push and pull in boxes and laundry baskets

Note : Small parts pose a choking hazard and are not appropriate for children age five or under. Be sure to choose lesson materials that meet safety requirements.

Step 2: Introduce activity.

• Explain that today we are going to use boxes/laundry baskets and objects to learn about force and motion and cause and effect.
• Introduce the vocabulary words force , motion , cause and effect .
• Read the book, S heep in a Jeep , by Nancy Shaw.
• Discuss how applying force to something means giving it a push or pull. The harder you push or pull, the more force is acted on it.
• Discuss what happens when we put different objects into the boxes or laundry baskets.

Step 3: Engage children in lesson activities.

• Bring in a couple of boxes or laundry baskets.
• Organize the children into groups and instruct them to experiment with pushing or pulling the boxes/laundry baskets when they are filled with objects of various weights (maybe even a child).
• Ask : “Which objects will require more force to push or pull? Why?”
• Encourage the children to make predictions and conduct experiments to test out their theories  about which objects will require more force to push or pull.
• After the children have experimented, ask them to discuss cause and effect . Say : “When you put the heavier items in the boxes or laundry baskets, did you have to apply more or less force to move them?”
• Ask the children to draw conclusions based on their investigations .

Step 4: Vocabulary.

• Cause : Something that gives rise to an action or condition
• Effect : The result of a physical action
• Force : T he push or pull on an object that causes it to change velocity
• Motion : Movement from one place to another
• Position : The place where you are (if you change your place, you are moving)
• Push :  The force to move an object away
• Pull : The force to move an object closer

Step 5: Adapt lesson for toddlers or preschoolers.

Adapt lesson for toddlers, toddlers may:.

•  Use a large box and a group of toddler friends to learn the simple vocabulary of push and pull

Child care providers may:

• Play a  simple game of push and pull
• Push a toy car, pull a wagon and introduce vocabulary

Adapt Lesson for Preschoolers

Preschoolers may:.

• Take this investigation over to the block area and try adding inclines to expand this lesson to include investigations into speed and gravity
• Extend this activity by adding weight, friction and other “obstacles” to change speed and direction

Suggested Books

• Forces: Physical Science for Kids by Andi Diehn (author) and Hui Li (illustrator)
• Oscar and the Cricket: A Book About Moving and Rolling by Geoff Waring
• Push and Pull  by Patricia J. Murphy

Music and Movement

“ Forces Can Push or Pull ” performed by Jack Hartmann

Outdoor Connections

• Conduct this activity outdoors on slides, ramps and hills to extend the learning and add science vocabulary such as balance , friction and speed to the lesson.

Web Resources

• Watch this video read-aloud version of the book, Sheep In A Jeep . 
• How do things move? Find out in this video, “ The Science of Force and Motion “!
• Learn about force and motion with ramps and playground slides in “ Force and Motion for Kids ” at the Kids Academy!

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Sowing Seeds Librarian

Providing youth access to ideas through their school and public library, kids’ stem workshop: marble maze (push and pull physics).

The skinny:  This was a super fun program, although it was one of our shortest ones yet. I talked with the kids for about 15 minutes giving them some background in forces, balance, and push and pull physics. Then, I turned the kids loose on building their own marble runs. It only took the kids 15 minutes to design their own, which was much less time than I expected. In the future, I will try to combine this with a second activity to stretch it out, because I do like these workshops to go for 45-60 minutes. It was budget friendly, with supplies left over for me to do this again during our summer reading program.

Inspiration:  I found this idea on  Buggy and Buddy Blog . Her photos were so engaging that I thought, “We can try that!”

Cost:  About $0.25 per child. I ordered a large box of  Wikki Stix  from Amazon for $23 (this box should serve 156 children, so we will certainly be doing this project again to go through it all!). I also ordered a large bag of Soak-Proof Foam Dinner plates ($4) so that the kids would have something sturdy to build on, and these plates had high edges. I also purchased three packs of 50 marbles for $1 at the Dollar Tree. We also used tape and scraps of construction paper that we had on hand. Each child received one plate, one marble, three of the Wikki Stix, and free access to the paper, markers, scissors, and tape.

Materials: Foam Plates Scissors Scrap construction paper Wikki Stix Tape Markers Marbles

Set up:  To keep the kids on track (and not using more supplies than they needed) I took the time to prepare individual bags and place settings for each child. That way we did not have to fight about which color or Wikki Stix each child wanted. In each bag I placed 3 of the Wikki Stix, all in different colors and 1 marble. I set up the tables so that each table had five plates with the prepared bags, and I also pre-cut a piece of blue painter’s tape about 8 inches long and stuck it to the table. That way, each child has the materials they needed. I also pre-cut about 200 strips of paper approximately 1″ by 4″ to use for building arches and guards for their marbles. The paper strips were placed on the tables in pie tins so that the kids could grab them and use them at will.

Resources:  I used the book,  Give it a Push! Give it a Pull! A Look at Forces  by Jennifer Boothroyd.

How it went : I brought all the kids and families into our Storytime/Programming Room. The kids sat on our magic carpet and I started off by placing a toy bus on the table. I asked the kids what the bus was doing. (Correct answer: nothing!) I then gave the bus a push. Now what is it doing? (Moving!) Why? One girl answered, “Because of the wheels!”) Really? I turned the bus on its side and gave it another push which sent it a few feet away. We got to the part that it was moving because I pushed it. I then pulled the bus over to me, and the kids go that it moved because I pulled it. Push=move something away from the force. Pull=moves something closer to the force.

After finishing the book, I showed the kids the marble run that I had created, and how they would be tilting the plate to push and pull and marble towards them, or away from them, for the marble to go through its maze. I had the kids count and time me to see how long it would take me for my marble to go through the maze that I had created. (Answer: 6 seconds!)

With the tables in place, the kids were ready to build! Like I said above, it only took them about 15 mintues to finished their maze. Then, the kids raced each other to see who could make their marble go through the maze fastest. I am getting smarter at this, and after the program I asked the kids to give me back and sandwich bag that held their marble and three Wikki Stix. I can re-use the bag, which cuts down on waste and cost! Some kids wanted to keep their bag, though, so their marble did not get lost on the way home, which was fine.

Another STEM Workshop in the books! Stay tuned for our February Workshops: Human Heart Science and Write Your Name in Computer Code!

Forces in playdough

• playdough (see recipe )

Introduce students to the concept of force, if it hasn't been done already: a force is a push or a pull. Hand out a ball of playdough each (about the size of a golf ball). Show students how to make it into a sausage. Ask students to bend/twist/manipulate their sausage into a new shape, or simply move it along the desk. They should think of where their fingers apply force to make the new shape/move the play dough to a new position. Ask students to draw the new shape/position, and add arrows to their drawing where forces were applied. Optional: introduce names for the things that forces can do to an object (push/pull/twist/bend/stretch/tear). Gather group to show shapes and describe the forces used to make them.

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• Categories S.T.E.A.M. , Science

Push And Pull Activities

• Greg Smedley-Warren
• March 22, 2024
• No Comments

If you’re looking for push and pull activities, our Push And Pull Research Project is just what you need. This engaging science unit is full of interactive push-and-pull activities designed to help students understand force, motion, and push and pull.

A staple of our classroom curriculum is our TKS Research Projects. These projects effectively integrate research and writing into our ELA block while also integrating science and social studies. What sets our research projects apart is their incorporation of hands-on activities and art projects, which enriches the learning experience.

Push And Pull Activities: Push And Pull Research Project

To introduce movement and force, we start by dancing.  I mean, that only seems natural?!  Right?!   We did the Hokey Pokey a few times, and after we “shook it all about,” we brainstormed as many different kinds of movements as we could come up with!

Our second activity started with a question: Can objects move by themselves? My kids created cars and trucks and used them to answer our questions. We then had a turn-and-talk discussion before sharing our thoughts. The turn-and-talk helped them fine-tune their ideas and build their confidence, making them more comfortable sharing!

After we voted I asked one student to move the chair.  Then we discussed what happened.  We quickly realized that objects cannot move by themselves.  They need a force!!    Then we got to be the force!  Each student picked something in our classroom to move!  After we moved the object, we decided if we pushed or pulled the object!

The students then drew a picture in their push and pull research journal showing them moving the object.

This allowed us to learn about two types of force:  push and pull.  And then we created our push and pull anchor chart!

We also created a push-and-pull sort to determine whether items could be pushed, pulled, or both!

Push And Pull Activities: The Great Laundry Basket Race

Once we understood push and pull, it was time to do some pushing and pulling! It was time for THE GREAT LAUNDRY BASKET RACE! The kids paired up and predicted how many seconds it would take them to push and pull their friends across the carpet! People, this was beyond EPIC! The laughter and learning that took place were everything that learning and science should be! Just check out the video!

We ended our push-and-pull research project with a Kindergarten Tug-Of-War championship! We competed with all 8 kindergarten classes to determine the push-and-pull champion, and yes, our class emerged the victors!

And if you win the tug of war championship and you’re learning about push and pull, you end the week with PUSH POPS!

All of our TKS RESEARCH PROJECTS are ALWAYS BUY 1 GET 1 50% OFF!  USE THE CODE RPBOGO50.  (Valid only in the TKS STORE!  www.tksstore.com)

Check out our other research projects:

Push and pull activities freebie.

For more information, check out these posts:

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Push-Pull Workouts: Definition, Benefits, And How To Add Them To Your Fitness Routine

Anyone interested in building lean muscle will love this method.

A push-pull workout is a type of split training that focuses on exercising the “pushing” muscles one day and the “pulling” muscles a different day, to target muscle groups that recruit the same movement pattern in one workout, explains Natalya Vasquez, CPT, a certified personal trainer, health coach, and founder of Bridal Bootcamp San Diego. The workouts are also split amongst alternating days to ensure different muscle groups and movement patterns have adequate time to recover , she adds.

Push exercises are any movement where you literally push something away (like the floor or a weight), whereas pulling exercises are any movement where the load gets pulled toward you, says Samantha Rothberg, CSCS, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and founder of Samantha Rothberg Fitness. Push exercises typically involve the chest, shoulders, and triceps , and pull exercises often involve the back and biceps, adds Vasquez.

Meet the experts: Samantha Rothberg , CSCS, is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and founder of Samantha Rothberg Fitness . Natalya Vasquez , CPT, is a certified personal trainer, health coach, and founder of Bridal Bootcamp San Diego .

Here’s everything you need to know about push-pull workouts, including why they're so great, how to program a push-pull workout split, and more, according to certified trainers.

How A Push-Pull Workout Routine Works

You perform only push or only pull exercises in that day’s program (more on that soon!), alternating with the other category during your next resistance training day, says Rothberg. The goal? Split your training between different days to ensure a variety of movement patterns and muscle groups are not overworked.

The frequency of a push-pull routine depends on your goals, skill level, schedule, and how quickly you recover, but beginners should start with one push workout and one pull workout per week, with a few rest days between workouts, says Vasquez. Intermediate to advanced exercisers can increase the frequency and do push and pull workouts every two to three days, she adds. For example, push on Monday and Thursday and pull on Tuesday and Friday.

Just note that if your push-pull workouts mainly target your upper body, you’ll also want to incorporate a lower-body training day, says Vasquez. “If you’re incorporating legs into the mix, which I highly recommend, then you would be doing a push or pull workout every three or four days to ensure that you’re working each of these major muscle groups at least once per week but also allowing enough time for your body to rest and recover.” A sample schedule may be push day, pull day, leg day, rest day, and then repeat the sequence.

How To Program A Push-Pull Workout

First things first: always warm up. Then, program three to four exercises per muscle group and aim for three sets of eight to 12 reps , says Vasquez.

Start with larger muscle groups first, and move onto smaller muscle groups, she adds. So, on a push day, start with chest exercises , then move onto shoulders, and finish with triceps. On a pull day, start with back exercises and end with biceps.

It’s also best to begin with bilateral movement across larger muscle groups, then move to unilateral exercises , before finishing with single-joint assistance exercises like a bicep or hamstring curl, says Rothberg. Another pro tip? Incorporate horizontal and vertical movement patterns for a balanced program.

You should have minimal overlap of muscle groups worked in a push versus pull workout, but each workout length itself may be longer since the goal is to exercise multiple muscle groups in one session, says Vasquez.

Examples Of Pushing Exercises

Dumbbell floor press.

Why it rocks: The dumbbell floor press is a horizontal pushing exercise that primarily targets the chest, but you’ll also feel a burn in your triceps, says Rothberg.

• Lie on your back with knees bent and feet placed flat on the ground, about a foot from butt.
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand and extend arms up over shoulders, palms facing toward each other.
• With control, bend arms and lower them to sides until triceps touch the floor (dumbbells will still be over wrists). Elbows should form a 45-degree angle with the body.
• Slowly reverse the movement and return to start. That's 1 rep.

Incline Pushup

Why it rocks: Not only does this move work the chest, triceps, and back, but the incline position allows you to bring your chest as low as you can while still maintaining core stability, says Rothberg.

• Place your hands on the seat of the chair, bench, or box with arms extended and shoulder-width apart, facing the back of the chair.
• Walk your feet back until you are in a plank position. Your abs engaged, and head in alignment with spine and hips.
• Bend the elbows and lower your body until the elbows are at 90-degrees.
• Push up to the starting position. That's 1 rep.

Arnold Press

Why it rocks: Unlike a standard shoulder press, the rotating motion of the Arnold press targets your entire shoulder, so your anterior, medial, and posterior delt shoulder muscles will put in the work as you go into the full extension, says Rothberg.

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, arms hanging at sides, and a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing away from you.
• Engage core, draw shoulders down and back, and gaze forward. Bend elbows to curl the dumbbells up to shoulders, keeping elbows tucked into sides. Palms should be facing the body. This is the starting position.
• On an exhale, press both dumbbells up to the ceiling, straightening arms while rotating wrists so palms face away from body. When fully pressed, hands should be aligned with shoulders.
• On an inhale, slowly reverse the movement, rotating wrists so palms face body and bending elbows to return to the starting position at shoulder height. That’s 1 rep.

Dumbbell Back Squat

Why it rocks: This classic style of squat loads the joints and is a full compound movement that targets the glutes, quads, core, and is excellent for building overall strength, says Rothberg. The setup also allows you to grab your heaviest dumbbells or load up the barbell to see what your bod is capable of.

• Start standing with feet parallel and shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in both hands and resting behind the neck.
• Engage core, push hips back, and lower down slowly until thighs are parallel with the floor.
• Press through your feet to reverse the movement and return to start. That's 1 rep.

Overhead Triceps Extension

Why it rocks: If you're looking to build arm definition, this move is definitely worth your time, says Rothberg. It also strengthens the elbow and shoulder and can help build muscle for more compound push exercises such as the bench press, she adds.

• Start standing, gripping one dumbbell with both hands, and lift the weight overhead, arms straight, feet hip-width apart.
• Keeping upper arms by ears, bend elbows to lower the weight slowly behind your head and pause.
• Straighten arms, returning to start. That's 1 rep.

Examples Of Pulling Exercises

Why it rocks: The Romanian deadlift is a technique-sensitive move, but when performed correctly, it fires up the glutes, hamstrings, lower back, core, and forearms. It's also great for building overall strength and stability in the posterior chain.

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, a dumbbell in each hand facing thighs.
• Hinge at the hips, keeping back straight and spine long, and lower until dumbbells reach shins.
• Maintain a neutral position with back and neck, engage core, drive heels into the ground, and return to standing starting position, keeping dumbbells close to body as you move in both directions. That’s 1 rep.

Alternating Bent-Over Row

Why it rocks: This move develops upper back strength and hits the rhomboids, rear delts, and lats, all of which are important for tall posture and shoulder health, says Rothberg.

• Start with feet hip-distance apart, holding one dumbbell in each hand with palms facing each other.
• Hinge at hips, keeping head in line with tailbone.
• Bracing core, pull right elbow back until right wrist is near ribs.
• Lower with control to return to start position.
• Bracing core, pull left elbow back until left wrist is near ribs.
• Lower with control to return to start. That's 1 rep.

Gorilla Row

Why it rocks: The gorilla row offers major bang for your buck since it hits your upper back, lats, rhomboids, core, and hamstrings, says Rothberg. The alternating motion also trains your neuromuscular development more than doing just one side at a time, she adds.

• Stand with feet wider than hip-width apart, toes pointed out, and back flat.
• Hinge forward at hips to grip dumbbells on the floor.
• Bend and pull the right elbow back and up until just above your back, while the other dumbbell rests on the floor.
• Low right arm back down with control to reverse the movement until the weight is back on the floor. Repeat on the other side. That’s 1 rep.

Alternating Lat Pull-Down

Why it rocks: As the name suggests, the lat pull down strengthens your lats, which are the second largest muscle in the body, while simultaneously engaging your upper back and triceps, says Rothberg.

• With a band around thumbs, stand with feet hip-width apart, arms overhead, hands shoulder-width apart.
• Pull the right elbow down as the left arm stays extended overhead, then extend arm back overhead.
• Repeat with the left arm. That's 1 rep.

Biceps Curl

Why it rocks: The biceps curl is a classic for a reason. Not only does it build muscle definition, but it seriously strengthens the bicep which is often the secondary mover for many pulling exercises, says Rothberg. And if the secondary mover is strong, you can lift heavier weights.

• Start standing with feet hip-width apart holding a pair of dumbbells at sides. Palms should be facing forward with back straight and chest upright.
• Without moving upper arms, bend elbows and bring weights up toward shoulders.
• Slowly lower the dumbbells back to starting position with control. That's 1 rep.

What Is A Push-Pull-Legs Workout?

A push-pull-legs workout is a full-body program that splits your training over three days: an upper-body push day, an upper-body pull day, and a lower-body day, says Rothberg.

Adding legs into the push-pull split ensures you have the most balanced exercise programming possible, says Vasquez. “If you’re thinking of doing push-pull workouts, then I highly recommend also including a leg day into your weekly workout split that include exercises to target your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes , and calves, which are equally important to physique balance and daily movement.”

Benefits Of Push-Pull Workouts

For starters, anyone interested in building lean muscle can do it, says Vasquez. In fact, a push-pull workout may be especially beneficial if you have a difficult time stepping out of your comfort zone or get stuck doing the same routine since most people have specific body parts they love to train and neglect other muscles, she explains.

With a push-pull split, though, you’re committing to working muscles you may not otherwise train, all while optimizing time and avoiding injury , she adds. Here are additional perks of push-pull workout splits:

• Promotes balance. Push-pull workouts target opposing movement patterns which ensures a balanced training program, says Vasquez. “Most people like to train specific muscle groups and avoid exercises they don’t like or aren’t confident in, but when your training scheduling is set up for push-pull days, you’re guaranteed to train a more rounded group of muscles.”
• Prevents fatigue. Alternating between push and pull days allows you to maintain intensity without overtraining and gives your body time to recover, says Vasquez. “If you’re working the push muscles one day, take a rest day, and then do a pull workout on the following day, there won’t be a strong overlap of muscles used,” she explains.
• Allows infinite progression. Thanks to the nature of push-pull workouts, you can continuously adjust variables such as volume, intensity, and exercise selection to challenge yourself and prevent plateaus, says Rothberg.
• Supports variety. Not only does training variety prevent boredom, but working out with machines, free weights, bodyweight exercises , cables, and resistance bands allows you to program based on your goals, preferences, and skill level, says Rothberg.
• Easily customizable. You don’t need to perform the most complicated lifts to execute a push-pull workout and people of varying fitness levels, regardless of what equipment they have access to, can train push-pull workouts, says Rothberg. This training style is also easily customizable depending on your needs and ability, adds Vasquez. Just change the number of exercises and sets you’re completing for a longer or shorter workout .

Andi Breitowich is a Chicago-based writer and graduate student at Northwestern Medill. She’s a mass consumer of social media and cares about women’s rights, holistic wellness, and non-stigmatizing reproductive care. As a former collegiate pole vaulter, she has a love for all things fitness and is currently obsessed with Peloton Tread workouts and hot yoga.  

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An Escalating War in the Middle East

Tensions are on a knife edge after israel carried out a strike on the hezbollah leader allegedly behind an attack in the golan heights..

Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise

Featuring Ben Hubbard

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Over the past few days, the simmering feud between Israel and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, has reached a critical moment.

Ben Hubbard, the Istanbul bureau chief for The New York Times, explains why the latest tit-for-tat attacks are different and why getting them to stop could be so tough.

On today’s episode

Ben Hubbard , the Istanbul bureau chief for The New York Times.

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Israel says it killed a Hezbollah commander , Fuad Shukr, in an airstrike near Beirut.

The Israeli military blamed Mr. Shukr for an assault on Saturday that killed 12 children and teenagers in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

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