ProgreviaPike push-up
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How to do it
From an inverted-V position with hips high, lower your head toward the floor between your hands. It's the vertical press of equipment-free training; elevating your feet increases the load.
Muscles worked
Mainly hombros. Train it inside a balanced routine to progress safely.
Technical sheet
- Movement pattern
- Vertical push
- Minimum level
- Intermediate
- Technical demand
- Needs coaching
- Fatigue it generates
- Moderate (1 out of 2.2)
- Risk if technique breaks down
- Medium
These are the values the generator uses to decide where the exercise goes within the session.
Recommended sets and reps
As a compound lift, it fits in 3–5 sets of 5–12 reps leaving 1–3 reps in reserve (RIR). Prioritize it at the start of the session, when you're fresh.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using torso momentum (swinging) to lift the weight instead of isolating the deltoid.
- Using too much weight at the cost of technique and full range of motion.
- Doing reps too fast, without controlling the eccentric (lowering) phase.
How Pike push-up compares with other shoulders exercises
The catalogue has 15 exercises with shoulders as the main muscle group. Ranked from least to most fatiguing with the same values the generator uses, Pike push-up is number 10.
It sits in the middle of its group: it works as the day's main exercise or as a second or third one.
With different equipment, the same movement pattern offers 4 alternatives, such as Arnold press, Seated dumbbell press and Z-bar overhead press.
| Exercise | Equipment | Fatigue | Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pike push-up | bodyweight | Moderate (1 out of 2.2) | Needs coaching |
| Arnold press | dumbbells | High (1.3 out of 2.2) | Needs coaching |
| Seated dumbbell press | dumbbells | High (1.4 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Z-bar overhead press | barbell | High (1.5 out of 2.2) | Advanced |
| Overhead press | barbell | Very high (1.7 out of 2.2) | Needs coaching |
Bodyweight. In the trial by Kotarsky et al. (2018), four weeks of progressively harder push-ups significantly improved bench press 1RM, just like training the bench press itself. It is a strength result, not a hypertrophy one, and the condition is the word progressive: the exercise has to keep getting harder.
- Kotarsky CJ, Christensen BK, Miller JS, Hackney KJ. Effect of progressive calisthenic push-up training on muscle strength and thickness. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2018;32(3):651-659.
Alternative exercises
More Vertical push exercises
Add it to your routine
Progrevia can generate a personalized routine that includes Pike push-up based on your level, goal and available days.
Build your Shoulders workout
Generate a full routine with the emphasis on Shoulders and Pike push-up among your preferred exercises. Free, no sign-up.
Not sure what to pick? The setup assistant walks you through it, one question at a time. Open the assistant
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does Pike push-up work?
Pike push-up mainly works the hombros muscle group, plus synergist and stabilizer muscles depending on the variation.
How many sets of Pike push-up should I do?
Between 3 and 5 sets per session, adjusting the total weekly volume for hombros to your level (about 10–20 sets per muscle per week).
Is Pike push-up good for building muscle?
Yes. Combined with progressive overload, good technique and enough rest, it's an effective tool to grow hombros.
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