Beginner Calisthenics

Every calisthenics exercise can target different muscles using different forms. This is also true for push-ups. Today, we will focus on using pike push ups to elevate your workout.

Standard Push ups help you target mainly your chest and also affects the back of your arms, shoulders and core muscles. Pike push ups help you target mainly your shoulders and also affects your upper chest and upper back muscles. Standard push ups are beneficial when you want to build upper body strength particularly in chest, shoulders and triceps. It engages your core for stability and can be considered cardio when done in higher repetitions. 

So if you are looking to build your shoulder muscles to eventually get to the handstand push ups, then pike push ups should be in your routine. 

Execution

How to execute the right form for a Pike push up:

1. Go into the dog position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your hips lifted, forming an inverted V shape. Look at the picture above to understand the starting position better as its the most important part
2. Bend your elbows to lower your head towards the floor.
3. Push back up to the starting position.
4. And Repeat

Right Form for Pike Push Ups

To make sure you keep the right form throughout:

• Arms and legs should remain straight
• Hips should be lifted high and back straight the entire time keeping the V shape.
• Your head should move towards the ground between your hands.
• Keep your head straight by making sure your nose goes towards the floor first and not your forehead.

Pike push ups can be more challenging compared to the standard push ups if you lack shoulder strength and mobility. Incorporating both exercises into your routine can help develop well-rounded upper body strength. If you are new to Calisthenics, you can also join our 12 week Training Program. For more tips on form, follow us on @purecalisthenics.

If you prefer to watch a video, here is the one which explains the right form and execution.

Available Equipment

There are ways to increase or decrease the difficulty level based on your fitness level and how much you want to challenge your body.

Resistance bands can assist in the movement by placing them around your hips and anchoring them to a sturdy object above you. This can help reduce the load on your shoulders and make the exercise easier.

If you have done standard push ups then you probably already have the push up bars. Push up Bars work the same as parallettes to reduce wrist strain. 

Instead of push up bars, if you use yoga blocks, you can increase the range of motion for your head while lowering towards the floor. It will increase the distance between and will force you to go further down and make the exercise more challenging. If you prefer the right alignment for your wrist, then we recommend using the wrist supported yoga blocks

If you want to make your push-ups more challenging, then you can place your feet or shins on a stability ball by adding an element of instability. This will help you engage your core muscles more.

Instead of a stability ball, you can also use an Ab wheel to increase the instability and challenge yourself. It will challenge your balance and core stability, making the exercise more advanced.

To increase the intensity of the exercise, you can keep your feet elevated on a wall. This will help you progress towards handstand push-ups.