Chest
Blast Off Push Ups
A push up with a rock back first: sit your hips back toward your heels, then drive forward and down into a push up. It works your chest, shoulders and triceps and keeps your heart rate up.
- Works
- Chest, triceps, shoulders, core
- Equipment
- No equipment
- Load
- Bodyweight
How to do it
- 1Start in a high plank, hands just wider than your shoulders, body in one straight line.
- 2Keep your hands planted and push your hips back toward your heels, bending your knees so they hover just off the floor.
- 3Drive forward into your plank and lower all the way to the floor, elbows at about 45 degrees.
- 4Push up fast to your high plank, then sit your hips back again for the next rep.
Cues
- Lower all the way to the floor, then push back up fast.
- Hands stay planted as you rock back.
- Squeeze your glutes in the plank so your hips don't sag.
Common mistakes
- Half reps. Lower all the way down every time. Put your knees down if you can't yet.
- Hips sagging. Brace your core and squeeze your glutes before you lower.
- Elbows flared straight out. Keep them at about 45 degrees from your body to protect your shoulders.
Easier
Tiff's version keeps her hips on the floor: rock back, then press your chest up into a cobra.
Harder
Pause for 1 second at the bottom before you push up fast, or add a second push up before you rock back.
Try it: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps, or 30 seconds on and 30 off.
What is a blast off push up?
It's a push up with a rock back between reps. You sit your hips back toward your heels, then drive forward into the push up, like a rocket taking off. The rock back stretches your shoulders and keeps you moving.
