Cobra Push up
Strengthen your chest, shoulders, and triceps with the Cobra Push-up. This bodyweight exercise also improves spinal mobility and engages your core
Description
A variation of the traditional push-up exercise that targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps, while also stretching the core and back muscles.
How to Do Cobra Push up
- 1Setup
Lie face down on the floor with your legs extended straight back, tops of your feet flat on the ground. Place your hands flat on the floor directly under your shoulders, fingers pointing forward.
- 2Setup
Ensure your hips and lower body are pressing gently into the ground, setting the foundation for the movement.
- 3
Inhale, then exhale as you press through your hands, straightening your arms to lift your chest off the floor. Keep your hips and lower body firmly grounded as your upper body rises.
- 4
Continue to push up, arching your back and lifting your gaze slightly upwards, feeling a gentle stretch in your abdomen and lower back. Avoid shrugging your shoulders towards your ears.
- 5
Hold briefly at the top of the movement, focusing on the stretch and muscle engagement. Slowly and with control, lower your chest back down to the starting position, maintaining tension.
Tips
- Focus on keeping your hips glued to the floor throughout the entire movement to maximize the spinal extension and abdominal stretch, rather than lifting into a full push-up.
- Initiate the upward push by engaging your chest and triceps, actively pushing the floor away, to protect your lower back from excessive strain.
- Control the lowering phase of the exercise to build eccentric strength and prevent simply collapsing back to the floor.
- Breathe deeply: inhale as you prepare to push up, and exhale as you press your chest away from the floor and arch your back.
Common Mistakes
- ×Lifting the hips off the floor reduces the intended spinal extension and abdominal stretch; ensure your hips remain grounded throughout the upward phase of the movement.
- ×Shrugging the shoulders towards the ears strains the neck and upper traps; actively depress your shoulders away from your ears as you push up.
- ×Hyperextending the lower back excessively without core engagement can cause discomfort; gently engage your abdominal muscles to support your spine as you arch.
Variations
Kneeling Cobra Push up
Build upper body strength with the Kneeling Cobra Push-up. Target your chest, shoulders, and triceps, engage your core, and improve hip flexibility.
Pike to Cobra Push-up
Master the Pike to Cobra Push-up, a dynamic bodyweight exercise that strengthens your chest, shoulders, and core while improving spinal mobility.
Incline Push up
Perform incline push-ups to build upper body strength, targeting your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Clock Push Up
The Clock Push Up is a dynamic bodyweight exercise that strengthens your chest, shoulders, and triceps by rotating hand positions like a clock face.
Related Exercises
Push-up Pull
Build upper-body pushing and pulling strength in one move with this challenging push-up and row combo.
Rotational Push Up
Master the rotational push-up to build powerful chest, shoulder, and core strength.
Push-up Jack
A combination of a push-up and a jumping jack that targets the chest and shoulder muscles, while also working the core and increasing heart rate.
Push up (With push up handles)
Perform push-ups with handles to deepen your chest engagement and protect your wrists.
Dumbbell Complex Push-up Row Clean and Press
The ultimate full-body dumbbell complex combining a push-up, row, clean, and overhead press in one flow.
Dumbbell Renegade Row to Squat
Build total-body strength with this demanding complex combining renegade rows and explosive squats.
Track Cobra Push up in your workouts
Log sets, reps, and weight. See your progress over time.
Get Ellim — Free