The first progression after full push-ups towards the handstand push-up, is the decline push-up. By elevating your feet, more weight will go through the upper body, which will condition your body ready for the next progression.
Muscles Worked
Primary
Pectoralis major, clavicular (upper)
Triceps Brachii
Secondary (Synergists)
Pectoralis major, sternal (lower)
Deltoid anterior (front)
Stabilizers (Fixators)
Pectoralis minor
Serratus anterior
Quadriceps
Gastrocnemius
Soleus
Instructions
Start Position
- Place your hands on the floor, shoulder width apart, with your feet elevated on an object around knee height.
- The rest of your body should be in a straight line, from head to toe with your feet together.
- Your arms should be be straight, but not locked out at the elbows.
- Lower yourself under control until until your forehead touches the ground.
- Hold for a second, then return back to the start position.
Decline Push-up Form
Elbow Position
Elbows should be by your side throughout the movement, don’t flare them out. This will focus on your triceps, as well as keeping your shoulder joint stable.
Don’t Lock Your Elbows
Whilst your arms should be straight, never lock out the elbow, this puts the pressure through the ligaments rather than the muscles.
Full Range of Motion
Full range of motion is all the way down and all the way up. Putting your tricep through the full range of motion will gain the maximum benefit and help strengthen the joints.
Keep Your Body Straight
Your body from head to toe should be in a straight line throughout the movement. Engaging your abdominal muscles will make this easier.
Breathing
Breath in during the eccentric phase (lowering yourself), breath out during the concentric phase (pushing yourself back up). Try to breath through your stomach rather than chest to get more strength from your abdominal muscles.
Cadence
At a minimum your should be aiming for one second down, one second hold, then one second back up (1-1-1). Ideally you want to be aiming for 2-1-2.
Progression / Regression
Incline / Decline
Theoretically, you could keep increasing the incline until you’re performing a handstand push-up. However, your hand position needs to change along the way, hence the reason these tutorials have a few more progressions. Progress them to waist height, before moving onto pike push-ups.
If they are too difficult, simply lowering your feet will make them easier.
Hand Position
Moving your hands closer together put more emphasis through the triceps, a nice way of varying your training from time to time.
- Decline Push-ups
- Pike Push-ups
- Wall Handstand
- Handstand Push-ups