Assume a pushup position, but place your hands on the floor so that they’re directly under your shoulders. Placing your hands closer together works your triceps harder.
Your body should form a straight line from your head to your ankles. Brace your abdominals and squeeze your glutes. Maintain these contractions for the duration of the exercise.
Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor. Tuck your elbows as you lower so that your arms form a 45-degree angle with your body in the bottom position. Pause and then push yourself back to the starting position as quickly as possible.
Step by Step
- Lie on the floor face down and body straight with your toes on the floor and the hands wider than shoulder width for a wide hand position and closer than shoulder width for a close hand position. Make sure you are holding your torso up at arms length.
- Lower yourself until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale.
- Using your pectoral muscles, press your upper body back up to the starting position and squeeze your chest. Breathe out as you perform this step.
- After a second pause at the contracted position, repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Variations:
- If you are new at this exercise and do not have the strength to perform it, you can either bend your legs at the knees to take off resistance or perform the exercise against the wall instead of the floor.
- For the most advanced lifters, you can place your feet at a high surface such as a bench in order to increase the resistance and to target the upper chest more.