Exercises / Horizontal push
Push-up
Horizontal push Bodyweight Complexity 3/5
Working position
Setup
Hands under the shoulders, body in a straight line.
Execution
Lower until the chest is just off the floor, then press back up.
Coaching cues
- Elbows at about 45 degrees
- Ribs down, glutes tight
- Full lockout at the top
Common fault
Elbows flare to 90 degrees
Fix: Cue elbows back and in; regress to an incline push-up.
Muscles trained
Primary: Pectoralis major (pecs)Triceps brachii (triceps)
Secondary: Deltoid (delts)Transversus abdominis (TVA)
Regression and progression
Easier: Incline push-up
Harder: Dumbbell bench press
Rule
Never advance complexity and load in the same week. When the variation gets harder, the load comes down.