Pike Push up
Master the Pike Push-up to build strong shoulders, upper chest, and triceps. This bodyweight exercise enhances upper body strength and stability.
Description
A bodyweight exercise that targets the shoulders, upper back, and core muscles. It involves a push-up in a piked position.
How to Do Pike Push up
- 1Setup
Start in a high plank position, then walk your feet closer to your hands, lifting your hips high into an inverted V-shape. Ensure your arms and legs are straight, and your head is neutral, looking towards your feet.
- 2Setup
Position your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, with fingers pointing forward, and elevate your heels so you are on the balls of your feet.
- 3
Inhale as you bend your elbows, lowering the crown of your head towards the floor between your hands. Keep your elbows tracking slightly backward and out, not flaring wide.
- 4
Continue lowering until your head lightly touches or is just above the floor, maintaining a straight line from your hips to your head.
- 5
Exhale as you powerfully push through your palms to extend your elbows, pressing your body back up to the starting inverted V-position. Focus on engaging your shoulders and triceps.
Tips
- To increase difficulty, elevate your feet on a stable surface like a bench or box, which shifts more weight onto your shoulders.
- Maintain a tight core throughout the movement to prevent your hips from sagging and to keep your body stable.
- Focus on a controlled descent and powerful ascent, emphasizing the eccentric (lowering) and concentric (pushing) phases for better muscle activation.
- Keep your gaze directed towards your feet or slightly forward to maintain a neutral cervical spine and avoid neck strain.
Common Mistakes
- ×Flaring elbows out to the sides too much puts unnecessary strain on the shoulder joint; instead, keep your elbows tracking slightly backward and angled about 45 degrees from your torso.
- ×Rounding your back or letting your hips sag reduces the effectiveness of the exercise for your shoulders; maintain a straight line from hips to head by engaging your core and glutes.
- ×Not going deep enough limits the range of motion and muscle activation; aim to gently touch the crown of your head to the floor or get as close as possible.
Variations
Decline Push Up
Elevate your feet to intensify your push-up, targeting the upper chest and shoulders more effectively.
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.
Push Up
Master the classic push-up to build chest, shoulder, and triceps strength. This fundamental bodyweight exercise improves upper body endurance and core
Plyo Push Up
An explosive push-up variation building upper body power. Explode up from the floor, briefly lifting hands, then absorb impact.
Related Exercises
Push-Up Plus
Enhance your push-up with the Push-Up Plus, specifically targeting the serratus anterior for shoulder stability and overall chest, shoulder, and triceps
One Side Archer Push-up
Master the One Side Archer Push-up, an advanced bodyweight exercise for intense chest, shoulder, and triceps development.
Elevanted Push-Up
Elevated Push-Ups target your upper chest and shoulders more intensely than standard push-ups.
Chest Dip
Sculpt a strong chest with bodyweight Chest Dips. This powerful exercise targets your lower pecs, shoulders, and triceps for upper body strength.
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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