Plyometric Push-up

How to perform it

1. 1Preparation and positioning. Use a non-slip surface or stable handles. Place the hands and feet so the prescribed body line and range can be repeated without the equipment shifting. Use a stable, non-slip surface and rehearse a small hand-release amplitude before increasing height.
2. 2Starting position. Set the hands and feet in the prescribed relationship, extend the elbows, and stack the ribcage over the pelvis. Set the body line and foot position so the hands can return to the same support without reaching or twisting.
3. 3Eccentric phase. Lower the body as one coordinated unit through the defined elbow and shoulder path. Allow normal scapular movement without collapsing or creating depth through the lower back.
4. 4Bottom position. Reach the fixed depth marker without bouncing, twisting, or losing hand contact. Use only the range that can be reversed under control.
5. 5Concentric phase / lockout. Press the support away and return to the prescribed lockout or top position. Press with maximal intent so the hands leave the surface, keeping the trunk coordinated in flight.
6. 6Breathing and bracing. Inhale during the descent as appropriate, maintain moderate trunk and glute tension, and exhale through the press or landing preparation.
7. 7Valid rep. A valid repetition uses the stated hand position, depth, body line, and assistance standard from start to finish. Both hands leave the support and the landing returns to the same defined hand position without collapse.

Common mistakes

• Sagging or piking

  Fix: Stack the ribcage over the pelvis and reduce the difficulty before the trunk becomes the limiter.

• Elbows escaping

  Fix: Choose a repeatable elbow path that keeps the shoulders controlled rather than forcing a universal angle.

• Bouncing the bottom

  Fix: Lower to a fixed marker and reverse without rebound.

• Chasing height with a hip snap

  Fix: Keep ribs and pelvis coordinated; reduce amplitude before adding speed.

Safety

• This is a power and landing exercise; dynamic push-up styles can increase muscle activation and spinal loading compared with slower forms, so impact tolerance and technique govern selection.
• Choose a setup, load, assistance level, and exit strategy that allow the defined standard to be maintained; do not train through acute, sharp, electric, or worsening symptoms.

Progressions & alternatives

• regressionPush-up— Build the pressing pattern without an airborne phase.
• progressionClap Push-up— Add the clap only after take-off and landing are reliable.
• alternativePush-up— Use a non-impact option when strength or hypertrophy is the objective.
• prerequisiteClap Push-up— Explosive take-off is a direct preparation for the clap standard.