Kneeling Push-up
Build foundational chest, shoulder, and triceps strength with the kneeling push-up. Develop proper form and control for a stronger upper body.
Description
A push-up variation where you kneel on the ground. It uses the chest, shoulders, triceps, and back muscles.
How to Do Kneeling Push-up
- 1Setup
Kneel on the floor with your knees hip-width apart and your feet together, or slightly apart for more stability.
- 2Setup
Place your hands on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width, with your fingers pointing forward and directly under your shoulders. Ensure your body forms a straight line from your head to your knees, engaging your core and glutes.
- 3
Inhale as you slowly lower your chest towards the floor by bending your elbows, keeping them tucked at about a 45-degree angle relative to your torso. Lower until your chest is just above the floor or you feel a good stretch in your chest.
- 4
Exhale as you push through your palms to extend your elbows and return to the starting position, maintaining the straight line from head to knees. Focus on squeezing your chest at the top of the movement.
Tips
- Maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement by keeping your gaze slightly forward, avoiding neck hyperextension or flexion.
- Control the eccentric (lowering) phase to maximize muscle engagement and build strength more effectively.
- Focus on driving through the heels of your palms, imagining pushing the floor away from you, to activate your chest and triceps fully.
- If you find your hips sagging, increase core engagement by bracing your abdominals as if preparing for a punch.
Common Mistakes
- ×Flaring elbows out too wide places undue stress on the shoulder joints; keep your elbows tucked at approximately a 45-degree angle to your torso to protect your shoulders and better engage your triceps and chest.
- ×Sagging hips or arching your lower back indicates a lack of core engagement and can strain your spine; actively brace your core and squeeze your glutes to maintain a straight line from your head to your knees.
- ×Not going low enough limits the range of motion and muscle activation; lower your chest until it's just above the floor or you feel a good stretch in your chest, ensuring your elbows are bending significantly.
Variations
Decline Push Up
Elevate your feet to intensify your push-up, targeting the upper chest and shoulders more effectively.
Incline Push-Up (on box)
Master the incline push-up on a box to build chest, shoulder, and triceps strength. This modified push-up reduces difficulty, perfect for beginners.
Elevanted Push-Up
Elevated Push-Ups target your upper chest and shoulders more intensely than standard push-ups.
Twist Push-up
Master the twist push-up for a dynamic challenge, building chest and core strength.
Related Exercises
Wide Hand Push up
Perform wide hand push-ups to intensely target your chest muscles. This bodyweight exercise strengthens your pectorals, deltoids, and triceps effectively.
Single Arm Push-up Supported Wall
Master the single arm push-up with wall support. This advanced bodyweight exercise builds incredible chest, shoulder, and triceps strength while engaging
Push Up
Master the classic push-up to build chest, shoulder, and triceps strength. This fundamental bodyweight exercise improves upper body endurance and core
Isometric Chest Squeeze
Engage your chest muscles with the Isometric Chest Squeeze, a bodyweight exercise focusing on sustained contraction.
Assisted Standing Triceps Dip
Build triceps strength with machine assistance that lets you focus on proper dip form at a manageable load.
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.
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