How to Do Plyo Pushups (and Variations) for a Stronger Upper Body

Co-authored by Monica Morris

Last Updated: October 21, 2021 References

Even if you work out regularly, you may not have heard of a plyo push up before. Plyo is short for plyometrics, which uses short bursts of explosive energy for high-intensity muscle training. Basically, to do a plyo push up, you’ll launch yourself up off the ground instead of raising yourself smoothly. This really kicks your workout into high gear and gives you more cardio training than an average push up. If you think you can handle it, get started now!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

The Basic Motion

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Get into a standard push up position. A plyo push up starts in the same position as a regular push up. Get on the ground and place your palms on the ground a little further than shoulder-width apart, then straighten your arms to push yourself up.

Keep your legs straight behind you so you're in a plank position. Keep your feet about hip-width apart for better balance. Look straight ahead rather than looking at the ground.^{[1]
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Keep your body nice and straight through the whole exercise. Tightening your core helps keep you stable. You could also start with your feet together. This makes the exercise a little harder for a better workout.^{[2]
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- If you’re working out on a mat, make sure it doesn’t slip at all. You could get hurt if your mat moves during the exercise.
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Lower your body slightly above the ground. Bend your elbows like you’re doing a normal push up. Keep your back straight and lower yourself until your chest is just above the ground.^{[3]
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- Don’t let your midsection sink or arch as you’re lowering your body. Squeeze your core and glutes to keep yourself straight.
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Explode upwards and lift your hands off the ground. Here’s where the plyo push up is really different from a regular push up. Instead of raising yourself back up smoothly, push off with enough force to lift your hands off the ground. Tighten your core to keep your back straight, and keep your hands in the same, shoulder-width position through the whole motion.^{[4]
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- If you can’t visualize this, imagine that your feet make a hinge with the ground. Your body raises up like a door opening.
- You can make the exercise harder by pushing your body further up. However, start off by only coming up 1–3 in (2.5–7.6 cm) to get used to the exercise. Then you can try to make it harder later on.
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Land flat on your palms to distribute the weight evenly. Keep your body straight and your hands in the same position through the whole motion to cushion yourself when you come back down.

Keep your palms flat and your elbows slightly bent to distribute your weight evenly. When you land, bend your elbows and let your body fall a little bit so your arms absorb the impact, then tense your arms to stop yourself before you hit the floor.^{[5]
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If you’re not doing another push up, then tighten your muscles to stop yourself from falling to the ground. If you are doing another, then keep the momentum going to throw yourself back up.
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Do 10 reps for a full set. Like other exercises, a standard set for a plyo workout is about 10 reps.^{[6]
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Research source} Keep the momentum going in between your push ups and maintain a smooth motion. Complete 10 reps to finish a set, and do 3 full sets for a workout.
- Since plyometric training is high-intensity, you can do fewer reps in the beginning. You’ll still get a great workout in.

Method 2

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Adding Variations

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Elevate your hands on a bench to make the exercise easier. Plyo push ups are tough, and you might have a hard time with them even if you’re in good shape. Luckily, you can make them a little easier while you’re learning how to do them correctly.

Start off with your hands on a raised surface, like a bench, staircase, or exercise platforms. With your body at an incline, you won’t have to work as hard to lift yourself up. Place your hands on the raised surface and do the plyo push ups normally.^{[7]
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The height depends on how easy you want the workout to be. Generally, making a 45-degree angle with your body and the ground is a good target. That way the exercise will be easier, but still tough enough to get a workout.

Make sure any surface you use is stable and won’t fall down while you’re working out. Also be very careful when you’re coming back down so your hands don’t slip off.
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Raise your feet up to increase the difficulty. Whereas raising your hands makes this workout easier, raising your feet makes it harder. Try putting your feet up on a bench or staircase for your starting position, then do the push ups from here.^{[8]
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- A 45-degree angle in the other direction, with your head towards the ground instead of your feet, is a good target for the right incline.
- It’s easy to bend your back when your feet are raised. Make sure you keep your core tight so your back is stable for the whole exercise.
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Hop side to side for a lateral plyo push up. This is a great way to train your upper body from a different angle. Instead of pushing yourself straight up during the upward part of the push up, push yourself to the left instead.

Then on the next push up, push yourself to the right. Continue this alternating side to side motion for each set in your workout.^{[9]
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The distance varies depending on how hard of a workout you want. Try to land with your right hand where your left hand was before you hopped, and vice versa. This is a tough workout, so don't worry if you can't make it that far right away.

You’ll need a bit more room for this variation, so make sure there’s nothing on either side that you could crash into.
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Do clapping push ups for more of a challenge. This is a plyo push up variant you’ve probably seen before. The basic motion is the same, but when your hands are in the air, clap once. Then quickly bring your hands back into position to catch yourself when you land.^{[10]
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- Make sure you push yourself up high enough to clap. Otherwise, you won’t be able to get your hands back fast enough and you might fall on your face.
- To make the workout even more intense, you could clap more than once for each push up. You’ll have to push yourself up higher to pull this off.
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Isolate your triceps more with diamond plyo push ups. Diamond push ups are a popular push up variation, and you can incorporate them into a plyometric routine too. To start, get into a regular push up position and press your hands flat on the ground in front of your face.

Then angle your hands and press your thumbs and index fingers together, forming a diamond shape with the space between your hands. Use this as your starting position to really work your triceps.^{[11]
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Since your hands are pushed together for this variant, it’s a little more dangerous because you could roll your wrist when you land. Keep your palms and fingers stretched out so you have a wide platform to land on, and tense your arm muscles to keep your wrists tight.

Expert Q&A

Question

What is a good quality warm up?

Monica Morris
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Monica Morris is an ACE (American Council on Exercise) Certified Personal Trainer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 15 years of fitness training experience, Monica started her own physical training practice and gained her ACE Certification in 2017. Her workouts emphasize proper warm-ups, cool-downs, and stretching techniques.

Monica Morris

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

Expert Answer

Do a combination of dynamic stretches and static stretches to get a good warm up. Dynamic stretches include exercises like knee highs, jumping jacks, and swinging your arms side-to-side. For static stretches, focus on stretching your arms and legs.
Question

How often should I do pushups?

Monica Morris
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Monica Morris is an ACE (American Council on Exercise) Certified Personal Trainer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 15 years of fitness training experience, Monica started her own physical training practice and gained her ACE Certification in 2017. Her workouts emphasize proper warm-ups, cool-downs, and stretching techniques.

Monica Morris

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

Expert Answer

After you do pushups, it's a good idea to wait about 3 days before you do them again. That way, you won't tax the muscle fibers, and you'll give them time to recover and develop.

Warnings

Plyo push ups can be tough on your wrists. If you have any pain or soreness in your wrists, it's best to skip the workout until you feel better to avoid any injuries.

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