Pike push-ups were, and still are, one of my favorite exercises to implement on push days.
Although the exercise is an extremely useful and effective bodyweight alternative to machines, barbells, or dumbbells for targeting the shoulders, it can be somewhat confusing in the beginning when you’re trying to figure out how to perform it correctly.
Unlike a regular push-up, simply moving yourself up and down isn’t enough. Your body position, the direction you’re pressing, and even the way you use your hands can make a big difference.
In this article, we’ll go through the fundamentals so that by the end, you’ll know exactly how to perform pike push-ups, which muscles they work, the mistakes to avoid, and how to progress them as you get stronger.
What Are Pike Push-Ups?
Pike push-ups are a variation of the regular push-up that puts much more emphasis on your shoulders.
Instead of keeping your body relatively straight like you would during a normal push-up, you raise your hips into the air so that your body forms something similar to an upside-down V.
From this position, you lower your upper body toward the floor and press yourself back up.
Changing your body position shifts more of your weight toward your upper body and changes the direction you’re pressing.
One way I like to think about the pike push-up is as a bodyweight version of an overhead press.
With an overhead press, you’re using dumbbells or a barbell to create resistance. With pike push-ups, you’re manipulating your body position and gravity to put more of your own weight onto your shoulders.
This is one of the reasons I like the exercise so much. You can get a challenging shoulder workout without needing a machine, barbell, or even dumbbells.
What Muscles Do Pike Push-Ups Work?
Pike push-ups primarily target the shoulders, particularly the front deltoids, while the triceps also play an important role in extending your elbows as you press yourself back up.
Your upper chest can contribute to the movement as well.
But like most bodyweight exercises, pike push-ups aren’t really an isolation exercise.
Several other muscles have to work to stabilize your body and maintain the correct position throughout the movement. Your core has to keep your torso controlled, while the muscles surrounding and controlling your shoulder blades help stabilize your upper body as you move.
The more vertical you make your body, the more the movement starts resembling an overhead press rather than a regular push-up.
That’s also what makes the exercise so easy to progress without adding external weight.
How to Do Pike Push-Ups Properly
Now we get to the important part.
Start in a regular push-up position with your hands roughly shoulder-width apart.
From there, move your feet toward your hands while raising your hips into the air. You want to create an upside-down V shape with your body.
Once you’re in position, bend your elbows and slowly lower your upper body toward the floor.
Don’t think about simply dropping your chest straight down like you would during a regular push-up. Your head should travel toward the floor as you bend your elbows and shift your weight forward.
Lower yourself as far as you can comfortably control before pressing through your hands and returning to the starting position.
At the top, actively push yourself away from the floor. I like to imagine that I’m trying to bring my shoulders slightly toward my ears rather than simply stopping the repetition as soon as my elbows become straight.
Keep the movement controlled instead of rushing through your repetitions.
Don’t Forget About Your Hands
Your hands are another part of the exercise that I think deserves more attention.
Instead of treating your hands like two completely passive platforms, learn to use your fingers to help control how your weight is distributed.
You don’t need to aggressively curl your fingers into the floor, but applying pressure through your fingertips can give you more awareness and control as your weight moves forward.
This becomes even more important if your long-term goal is progressing toward freestanding handstands and handstand push-ups.
When you’re balancing upside down, your fingers essentially become one of the tools you use to correct your balance.
If your body starts moving too far forward, changing the pressure through your hands and fingertips can help bring you back under control.
Pike push-ups give you an opportunity to start developing some of that awareness while your feet are still safely on the floor.
Common Pike Push-Up Mistakes
One of the biggest mistakes I see beginners make is not creating enough of a V shape.
If your body stays too horizontal, the exercise starts turning back into something closer to a regular push-up.
Remember why we’re raising the hips in the first place: we’re trying to shift more of our bodyweight toward the shoulders and create a more vertical pressing movement.
This is one of those exercises where it can be difficult to know exactly what your body is doing just by feel.
That’s why I recommend having a mirror nearby if possible or, even better, recording yourself performing a few repetitions.
Watch the recording afterward and look at your position.
Are your hips actually high? Is your head moving toward the floor? Are you controlling the descent? Are you pressing yourself fully back up?
Sometimes what feels like a perfect repetition looks completely different when you finally see it on video.
Another mistake is trying to progress too quickly.
There’s no benefit in immediately putting your feet on the highest surface you can find if your regular pike push-up technique falls apart.
Build control first. Then make the leverage more difficult.
Pike Push-Up Progressions
One of my favorite things about bodyweight training is that you don’t necessarily need to add plates to make an exercise harder.
You can manipulate leverage and gravity instead.
As you get stronger, regular pike push-ups may eventually become relatively easy.
That’s a good thing. It simply means you’re ready to make the exercise more difficult.
1. Regular Push-Ups
If you can’t perform a pike push-up yet, don’t worry.
I’d first focus on getting stronger at regular push-ups.
Regular push-ups aren’t identical to pike push-ups because they emphasize the chest more, but they can still help you build the general pressing and triceps strength you’ll need.
Once your regular push-ups become stronger and more controlled, start experimenting with the pike position.
2. Pike Push-Ups
Once you’re able to get into the correct V position, start practicing regular pike push-ups.
Don’t worry about doing huge numbers of repetitions.
Focus on learning the movement and controlling your body through a comfortable range of motion.
3. Elevated Pike Push-Ups
Once normal pike push-ups become easy, elevate your feet onto a stable surface.
This simple adjustment shifts more of your bodyweight away from your legs and toward your upper body.
In other words, you’ve just made yourself heavier without actually gaining any weight or putting on a weighted vest.
The higher your feet go, the closer your body can get to a vertical pressing position.
Just remember that increasing the elevation only makes sense if you can maintain good technique.
4. Toward Handstand Push-Ups
Eventually, pike push-ups can become part of your progression toward handstand push-ups.
Handstand push-ups are a completely different animal because you’re now dealing with substantially more of your bodyweight, a much more vertical position, and, depending on the variation, balance.
But the basic idea of pressing your body vertically is something you’ve already started practicing with pike push-ups.
That’s what makes them such a useful exercise if advanced calisthenics is something you’re interested in.
Pike Push-Ups vs Regular Push-Ups
Although both exercises are push-up variations, I wouldn’t consider them interchangeable.
Regular push-ups place considerably more emphasis on your chest, while your shoulders and triceps assist with the movement.
Pike push-ups change the angle of your body to shift more emphasis toward your shoulders. An easy way to think about it is:
Regular push-up = more horizontal pressing
Pike push-up = more vertical pressing
That’s why I don’t necessarily choose one over the other.
They can both have a place in the same training program.
On a bodyweight push day, for example, you could use regular or weighted push-ups for your chest and pike push-ups for additional shoulder-focused work.
Final Thoughts
Pike push-ups might look like a strange push-up variation when you first see them, but once you understand the mechanics behind the exercise, they make much more sense.
By raising your hips and shifting more of your weight toward your upper body, you can turn a traditional horizontal pushing movement into something much closer to an overhead press.
Start by learning the V-shaped position and getting comfortable controlling your bodyweight.
Once regular pike push-ups become easy, elevate your feet and gradually make the movement more vertical.
And if advanced calisthenics interests you, the strength and body control you develop here can eventually help prepare you for much harder movements like handstand push-ups.
Pike push-ups have remained one of my favorite exercises to include on push days because they’re simple, challenging, require almost no equipment, and can continue progressing alongside you as you get stronger.
