Push-up Toe Touch
Perform a dynamic push-up followed by an alternating toe touch to build upper body strength, improve core stability, and enhance full-body coordination.
Description
Push-up Toe Touch is a beneficial workout that primarily targets the chest and secondary muscles like the core and shoulders. Start in a high plank position, do a push-up, and then lift one hand off the ground to touch the opposite toe, then return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
How to Do Push-up Toe Touch
- 1Setup
Assume a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, fingers pointing forward, and body forming a straight line from head to heels.
- 2Setup
Engage your core and glutes to maintain a rigid torso, ensuring your hips are neither sagging nor piking upwards.
- 3
Lower your chest towards the floor by bending your elbows, keeping them tucked slightly towards your body, until your chest is just above the ground; inhale during this phase.
- 4
Explosively push through your palms to return to the high plank position, exhaling as you press up.
- 5
Immediately after the push-up, lift one hand off the ground and simultaneously pike your hips upwards, reaching across your body to touch the opposite foot or ankle.
- 6
Return the hand and foot to the high plank position, then repeat the push-up and toe touch on the other side, alternating hands and feet with each repetition.
Tips
- Focus on maintaining a stable core throughout the entire movement, especially during the toe touch, to prevent excessive hip rotation or sagging.
- Control the eccentric (lowering) phase of the push-up to maximize muscle engagement and prevent simply dropping to the floor.
- For the toe touch, actively drive your hips high to create enough space and leverage to reach your opposite foot comfortably.
- Coordinate your breath: inhale on the way down for the push-up, exhale on the way up, and maintain steady breathing during the toe touch phase.
Common Mistakes
- ×Sagging hips during the push-up compromises spinal alignment; fix this by actively engaging your core and glutes to keep your body in a straight line.
- ×Rushing the toe touch without control reduces core engagement; correct this by performing the reach with deliberate control, focusing on stability rather than speed.
- ×Not fully extending the elbows at the top of the push-up reduces triceps activation; ensure a complete lockout at the top of each push-up repetition.
Variations
Push-up to Knee Tap
Perform a dynamic push-up, then tap your opposite knee with one hand. This plyometric exercise builds upper body strength, core stability, and improves
Push-up Pike Toe Touch
Combine strength and flexibility with the Push-up Pike Toe Touch. Perform a push-up, then pike your hips up and reach for the opposite toe, enhancing core
Related Exercises
Kick Through Push-up
Perform a dynamic full-body exercise combining a powerful push-up with a rotational kick-through.
Heel to Toe Walk
Improve balance and coordination with the heel-to-toe walk. This simple bodyweight exercise enhances proprioception and stability, perfect for all fitness
Cross Body Push-up
Master the cross-body push-up to build powerful chest, shoulder, and triceps strength while significantly engaging your core for rotational stability and
Plate Push
Boost explosive power and endurance with the Plate Push. This high-intensity, full-body exercise involves pushing a weight plate across the floor for a
Stepback Pulldown
Boost cardio endurance and dynamic strength with the Stepback Pulldown. This plyometric bodyweight exercise targets your core, back, and shoulders through
Alternating Step Out
Improve agility and lower body endurance with the Alternating Step Out. This dynamic bodyweight exercise targets your glutes and quads, enhancing lateral
Track Push-up Toe Touch in your workouts
Log sets, reps, and weight. See your progress over time.
Get Ellim — Free