Chest Tap Push-up

Description

How to Do Chest Tap Push-up

1. 1
   Setup

   Begin in a standard push-up position with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, fingers pointing forward, and body forming a straight line from head to heels.

2. 2
   Setup

   Ensure your wrists are directly under your shoulders and your elbows are slightly bent, not locked out; engage your core and glutes to maintain a rigid torso.

3. 3

   Lower your chest towards the floor by bending your elbows, keeping them tucked at about a 45-degree angle to your body, until your chest is just above the ground.

4. 4

   Explosively push through your palms to return to the starting position, exhaling as you drive up.

5. 5

   At the top of the push-up, quickly lift one hand off the floor and tap your sternum (chest) with your palm, maintaining core stability and a level torso.

6. 6

   Place that hand back down and immediately repeat the push-up, tapping your chest with the opposite hand at the top of the next repetition.

Tips

• Focus on core engagement throughout the entire movement to prevent hip sagging or arching, especially when lifting a hand off the floor.
• Control the eccentric (lowering) phase to build strength and maintain tension in your chest and triceps before pushing back up.
• To make the chest tap smoother, shift your weight slightly to the stabilizing arm *before* lifting the other hand, maintaining balance.
• Keep your eyes focused a few inches in front of your hands to help maintain a neutral spine and proper body alignment.

Common Mistakes

• ×Sagging Hips: Allowing your hips to drop towards the floor during the push-up compromises spinal alignment; fix this by actively squeezing your glutes and bracing your core throughout the movement.
• ×Lack of Stability During Tap: Losing balance or rotating your torso excessively when tapping the chest indicates insufficient core and shoulder stability; fix this by slowing down the movement and consciously engaging your obliques and shoulder stabilizers.
• ×Flaring Elbows: Letting your elbows flare out wide to the sides puts undue stress on the shoulder joints; fix this by keeping your elbows tucked closer to your body at approximately a 45-degree angle during the lowering phase.