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
Variations of Push-Up Plus
Chest Tap Push-up
Enhance your push-up strength and stability with the Chest Tap Push-up. This dynamic variation challenges your core and improves upper body power, making
Pseudo Planche Push-up
Master the Pseudo Planche Push-up. This advanced bodyweight exercise builds incredible chest, shoulder, and triceps strength, perfect for planche
Finger Push-up
Strengthen your fingers, hands, chest, and triceps with the challenging Finger Push-up.
Elevanted Push-Up
Elevated Push-Ups target your upper chest and shoulders more intensely than standard push-ups.
Description
A variation of the traditional push-up, the push-up plus targets the serratus anterior muscle in addition to the chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Save Push-Up Plus to a routine
Log sets, reps, and weight as you train — free in the Ellim app.
How to Do Push-Up Plus
- 1Setup
Begin in a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders, fingers pointing forward, and your body forming a straight line from head to heels.
- 2Setup
Engage your core and squeeze your glutes to ensure a rigid torso, preventing any sagging or arching in your lower back.
- 3
Lower your chest towards the floor by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your body, until your chest is just above the ground.
- 4
Push through your palms to extend your elbows and return to the high plank position, fully straightening your arms.
- 5
At the top, without bending your elbows, actively push your palms into the floor to protract your shoulder blades, allowing your upper back to slightly round as your torso elevates further.
- 6
Slowly retract your shoulder blades to return to the neutral high plank position, then seamlessly repeat the entire push-up and plus sequence.
Tips
- Focus intensely on the scapular protraction at the top; imagine pushing the floor away from you as far as possible to maximize serratus anterior engagement.
- Maintain locked elbows during the 'plus' phase to isolate the movement to your shoulder blades and prevent the triceps from taking over.
- Breathe in as you lower your body, and exhale forcefully as you push up and perform the 'plus' movement to enhance core stability.
- Perform the protraction and retraction with control, avoiding any sudden or jerky movements to ensure proper muscle activation and reduce injury risk.
Common Mistakes
- ×Not fully protracting the shoulder blades at the top: Actively push the floor away, allowing your upper back to slightly round and your shoulder blades to spread apart.
- ×Bending elbows during the 'plus' phase: Keep your arms completely straight and elbows locked during the scapular protraction and retraction to isolate the serratus anterior.
- ×Sagging hips or arching the lower back: Keep your core tight and glutes squeezed throughout the entire movement to maintain a straight, rigid body line.
In the Ellim app, Push-Up Plus unlocks
Free — no subscription needed
Log sets, reps, and weight
Track every set as you train
See your strength curve
Performance graphs across all sessions
Add to a routine
Save into a custom workout in one tap
Rest timer with Live Activity
Dynamic Island countdown between sets
HealthKit sync
Workouts flow to Apple Health
3,500+ exercise library
Search, filter, and pick variations offline
Ready to train push-up plus?
Get Ellim — FreeFrequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Push-Up Plus work?
Is Push-Up Plus good for beginners?
What equipment do I need for Push-Up Plus?
What are the best tips for Push-Up Plus?
What are common mistakes when doing Push-Up Plus?
Related Exercises
Deep Push-up on Parallel Bars
Perform deep push-ups on parallel bars to maximize chest stretch and activation. Achieve greater range of motion for superior pectoral development and
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
One Side Archer Push-up
Master the One Side Archer Push-up, an advanced bodyweight exercise for intense chest, shoulder, and triceps development.
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.
Track every rep of Push-Up Plus.
Watch your weight climb session by session. See your strength curve. Add it to a routine you'll actually run.
Get Ellim — Free