Exercise Description
What are the Pike Push Ups?
The Pike Push Ups is a variation of the traditional push up that is perfect for improving shoulder strength and practice for the handstand push up. It also recruits the core muscles for keeping the body in pike position.
This exercise has some variations as it can ve performed on the ground on placing the feet in a higher place such as a box or platform. The higher you place your feet, the harder the exercise will be, as it will be more similar to the handstand push up and the body weight will be resting over the shoulders.
How to do the Pike Push Up
The steps to follow to do the Pike Push ups are:
– Place your hands in the floor (or small bars) at shoulder width or slightly wider. Your feet can be at ground height or higher (by using a platform). Remember that the higher the feet, the harder the exercise.
– The distance between the hands and the feet is not the same as in the regular push up: it needs to be smaller. Therefore, place your feet as close as possible, so you can keep your legs straight during the exercise execution. The butt needs to the highest part of the body.
– With the head between your arms, descend advancing your body slightly forward, so your hand-head-hand form a triangular shape. Control the descent. We recommend you to look at the ground at all times in order to practice for the handstand push ups.
– Once your nose is reaches the ground or the hands’ height, push back up following the same path of the descent.
Technique specifications
– It is important to notice that the Pike Push up is very demanding for the shoulders, therefore it’s important to keep an eye in proper volume during trainings and past shoulder injuries. It is always better to pay attention to proper form and controlled repetitions rather than poor form.
– We would recommend you to look to the ground while performing the push up as it will be the same technique that you will be using in the handstand push up.
– Control the descent.
– Don’t let your elbows flare out at any moment during the exercise.
Main Muscles Worked
The main muscles worked in the Pike Push Ups are:
– Main Muscles: Anterior deltoid and triceps.
– Secondary Muscles: Pectoralis majors (clavicular), Lateral Deltoid, Trapezius, Serratus and core muscle groups.
