Plyo Push-up
How to do the Plyo Push-up
- 1
Move into a prone position on the floor, supporting your weight on your hands and toes.
- 2
Your arms should be fully extended with the hands around shoulder width. Keep your body straight throughout the movement. This will be your starting position.
- 3
Descend by flexing at the elbow, lowering your chest towards the ground.
- 4
At the bottom, reverse the motion by pushing yourself up through elbow extension as quickly as possible. Attempt to push your upper body up until your hands leave the ground.
- 5
Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise.
- 6
For added difficulty, add claps into the movement while you are air borne.
How to program the Plyo Push-up
Sets and reps
As a compound movement, the Plyo Push-up responds well to heavier loading. For strength, work in the 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps range with 2–3 minutes of rest between sets. For muscle growth, 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with 90 seconds of rest is the classic hypertrophy zone. Place it early in your session, when you're freshest, and leave 1–3 reps in reserve on most sets.
Progression
The Plyo Push-up is beginner-friendly. Start with a load (or rep count) you can complete with clean form on every set, then add a small amount of weight or 1–2 reps each week. When you hit the top of your rep range on all sets, increase the load and drop back to the bottom of the range — simple double progression.
Secondary muscles worked
Put the Plyo Push-up into a plan
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Plyo Push-up work?
The Plyo Push-up primarily targets the Chest. It also recruits the Shoulders, Triceps as supporting muscles.
What equipment do I need for the Plyo Push-up?
You need Body Only. Difficulty level: Beginner.
How many sets and reps of the Plyo Push-up should I do?
For strength, do 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps with 2–3 minutes rest. For muscle growth, do 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with about 90 seconds rest.
