Lay Down Push-up
Master the Lay Down Push-up, a powerful bodyweight exercise to build chest, shoulder, and tricep strength.
Description
A push-up variation where the performer lays flat on the ground between each push-up.
How to Do Lay Down Push-up
- 1Setup
Lie face down on the floor with your chest and hips in contact with the ground. Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, fingers pointing forward, with your elbows bent and tucked close to your body.
- 2
Engage your core and glutes, then push through your palms to lift your entire body off the floor in a straight line, fully extending your elbows.
- 3
Lower your body back down with control until your chest, hips, and thighs gently touch the floor, maintaining a rigid plank position throughout the descent.
- 4
Once your body is fully on the floor, briefly relax your muscles, allowing your hands to lift slightly off the ground if preferred, before resetting for the next repetition.
- 5
Immediately press back up to the starting extended arm position, driving through your chest and triceps.
Tips
- Maintain a straight line from head to heels throughout the entire movement, avoiding any sagging of the hips or arching of the lower back.
- Focus on initiating the push-up by squeezing your chest and driving through your palms, rather than leading with your head or shoulders.
- Control the lowering phase (eccentric) to maximize muscle engagement and prevent simply dropping to the floor.
- Exhale as you push up and inhale as you lower down to maintain proper breathing mechanics and core stability.
Common Mistakes
- ×Sagging hips or arching back indicates a lack of core engagement; ensure you brace your core and squeeze your glutes tightly throughout the movement to maintain a straight body line.
- ×Flaring elbows out too wide places undue stress on the shoulder joints; keep your elbows tracking backward and slightly out, aiming for about a 45-degree angle relative to your torso.
- ×Not fully laying down between reps defeats the purpose of the exercise's reset; ensure your chest and hips make full contact with the floor on each descent before initiating the next push.
Variations
Push-up Pull
Build upper-body pushing and pulling strength in one move with this challenging push-up and row combo.
Archer Push-up
Master the archer push-up, an advanced bodyweight exercise to build incredible chest, triceps, and shoulder strength with a challenging unilateral push.
Bird Dog Push-Up
Combine a push-up with the bird dog for a challenging full-body exercise. Strengthen your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core while improving stability
Scapula Push-Up
Strengthen your shoulder stabilizers with the Scapula Push-Up. This variation targets your scapular muscles, enhancing shoulder stability and upper body
Related Exercises
Negative Push-up
Strengthen your chest, shoulders, and triceps with negative push-ups. Master the controlled eccentric phase to build strength for full push-ups.
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.
Decline Push Up against Wall
Target your upper chest and shoulders with the decline push-up against a wall. Elevate your feet to increase intensity and build strength effectively.
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.
Bodyweight Kneeling Push-up Row
Build chest and back strength with this kneeling push-up variation that adds a rowing pull at the top.
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