Tiger Bend 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 surface and a controlled forearm-supported start; rehearse the elbow and wrist transition with assistance.
2. 2Starting position. Begin with the forearms or hands in the declared contact position, shoulders controlled, and the trunk braced.
3. 3Eccentric phase. Lower the body as one coordinated unit through the defined elbow and shoulder path. Lower or roll into the forearm position without crashing through the elbows or shoulders.
4. 4Bottom position. Reach the fixed depth marker without bouncing, twisting, or losing hand contact. Pause only in a stable forearm support from which the return is possible.
5. 5Concentric phase / lockout. Press the support away and return to the prescribed lockout or top position. Extend the elbows and press back to the hand-supported position without using a hip wave.
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. The forearm-to-hand transition and return are controlled; a handstand press or ordinary push-up is not the same exercise.

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.

• Crashing onto the forearms

  Fix: Use a partial range and more assistance until the transition is quiet.

Safety

• The transition places high local demands on the wrists, elbows, and shoulders; direct outcome evidence is absent, and it remains a skill for individual professional review rather than automatic 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.

When to stop

• The trunk line, hand position, or prescribed depth changes materially between repetitions.
• The working shoulder, elbow, or wrist becomes asymmetric or the body can no longer return under control.
• A hand slips, a landing becomes uncontrolled, or an external surface provides unplanned assistance.
• Stop for acute, sharp, electric, or rapidly worsening pain; new numbness or weakness; chest pain; unusual breathlessness; dizziness; or near-fainting.

Progressions & alternatives

• RegressionWall-assisted Handstand Push-up— Use a more stable vertical press without the forearm transition.
• ProgressionFreestanding Tiger Bend Push-up— Any unsupported progression is a separate exercise and needs its own review.
• AlternativeFreestanding Handstand Push-up— Use a vertical press with a clearer standard when the transition is not the goal.