Raised Leg Push-Up: Benefits, Proper Form, and Progression Strategies

How to Do a Raised Leg Push-Up

The raised leg push-up is an advanced bodyweight exercise that significantly increases the demand on the upper body, primarily targeting the chest, shoulders, and triceps by elevating the feet to shift more body weight onto the arms.

What is a Raised Leg Push-Up?

The raised leg push-up, often referred to as a decline push-up, is a challenging variation of the standard push-up where your feet are elevated on a stable surface. This elevation changes the angle of your body relative to the floor, increasing the percentage of your body weight that your upper body muscles must push, thus intensifying the exercise. It's a crucial progression for building superior upper body strength and is a stepping stone towards more advanced calisthenics movements.

Muscles Worked

This exercise engages a broad spectrum of upper body and core musculature, with a particular emphasis on the following:

• Primary Movers:
  • Pectoralis Major: Especially the clavicular (upper) head, which is heavily recruited due to the decline angle.
  • Anterior Deltoid: The front part of the shoulder, responsible for shoulder flexion and internal rotation.
  • Triceps Brachii: The muscle on the back of the upper arm, crucial for elbow extension.
• Stabilizers:
  • Serratus Anterior: Stabilizes the scapula against the rib cage, crucial for preventing "winging" of the shoulder blades.
  • Rhomboids and Trapezius: Help stabilize the scapula during the movement.
  • Core Musculature (Rectus Abdominis, Obliques, Transverse Abdominis): Engaged isometrically to maintain a rigid, straight body line and prevent hip sagging.
  • Glutes and Quadriceps: Contribute to maintaining the rigid plank position.

Benefits of Incorporating Raised Leg Push-Ups

Adding raised leg push-ups to your routine offers several distinct advantages:

• Increased Upper Body Strength: By increasing the load, this variation challenges your chest, shoulders, and triceps more intensely than a standard push-up, leading to greater strength gains.
• Enhanced Shoulder Stability: The demand for scapular stability is higher, which strengthens the muscles surrounding the shoulder joint.
• Greater Core Engagement: Maintaining a straight line from head to heels against gravity requires significant isometric strength from the core muscles.
• Targets Upper Chest: The decline angle places more emphasis on the clavicular head of the pectoralis major, contributing to a more developed upper chest.
• Progression for Advanced Calisthenics: It builds the foundational strength necessary for exercises like handstands, handstand push-ups, and planche progressions.
• Improved Body Awareness: Mastering this exercise requires precise control and coordination throughout the entire body.

Proper Form: Step-by-Step Guide

Executing the raised leg push-up with correct form is paramount to maximizing its benefits and preventing injury.

1. Setup:

   • Choose your elevation: Select a stable surface such as a weight bench, plyo box, or sturdy chair. The higher the elevation, the more challenging the exercise. Start with a lower elevation if you're new to the movement.
   • Hand Placement: Place your hands on the floor, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with your fingers pointing forward. Ensure your wrists are directly beneath your shoulders at the top of the movement.
   • Foot Placement: Place the balls of your feet on the elevated surface. Your body should form a straight line from your head through your shoulders, hips, and heels. Avoid piking your hips up or letting them sag down.
   • Engage Your Core: Brace your abdominal muscles as if preparing for a punch. Squeeze your glutes and quads to maintain a rigid plank position. Your gaze should be slightly ahead of your hands.

2. Lowering Phase (Eccentric):

   • Controlled Descent: Inhale deeply and slowly lower your chest towards the floor by bending your elbows.
   • Elbow Position: Keep your elbows relatively tucked, roughly at a 45-degree angle to your torso, to protect your shoulder joints and maximize triceps engagement. Avoid flaring your elbows out wide.
   • Depth: Continue lowering until your chest is just an inch or two from the floor, or as deep as your flexibility allows without compromising form. Maintain tension throughout your body.

3. Pushing Phase (Concentric):

   • Explosive Drive: Exhale and powerfully push through your hands, extending your elbows to return to the starting position.
   • Maintain Body Line: Ensure your body remains in a straight line throughout the push; avoid leading with your hips or letting them sag.
   • Full Extension: Fully extend your arms at the top, engaging your triceps, but avoid locking out your elbows aggressively.

4. Top Position:

   • Reset: At the top of the movement, your body should once again be in a perfect plank position, with your core and glutes engaged.
   • Controlled Reps: Perform each repetition with control, focusing on muscle activation rather than speed.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Sagging Hips: Allowing your hips to drop towards the floor indicates a weak core or insufficient glute engagement. This puts undue stress on the lower back.
• Piking Hips: Raising your hips too high, resembling an inverted V, reduces the load on the chest and shoulders, making the exercise easier and less effective.
• Flaring Elbows: Letting your elbows point directly out to the sides places excessive stress on the shoulder joints and can lead to injury. Keep them tucked in.
• Incomplete Range of Motion: Not lowering your chest sufficiently or not fully extending your arms at the top limits the effectiveness of the exercise.
• Head Dropping: Keep your neck in a neutral position, in line with your spine. Don't let your head drop or hyperextend your neck.
• Rushing Reps: Performing repetitions too quickly sacrifices form and reduces time under tension, diminishing muscle growth and strength gains.

Progression and Regression Strategies

To ensure continuous progress and safety, it's important to know how to modify the exercise.

• To Make it Easier (Regression):

  • Lower Elevation: Reduce the height of the surface your feet are on.
  • Standard Push-Ups: Master the fundamental push-up on the floor first.
  • Incline Push-Ups: Elevate your hands on a bench or sturdy surface, which places less load on the upper body.
  • Knee Push-Ups: Perform push-ups on your knees for a further reduction in difficulty.

• To Make it Harder (Further Progression):

  • Higher Elevation: Increase the height of the surface your feet are on.
  • Weighted Raised Leg Push-Ups: Place a weight plate on your upper back (requires a spotter for safety).
  • Plyometric Raised Leg Push-Ups: Explode upwards, lifting your hands off the floor, potentially clapping in between.
  • One-Arm Raised Leg Push-Ups: An extremely advanced variation requiring significant unilateral strength and stability.
  • Decline Pseudo Planche Push-Ups: Shift your hands lower towards your hips and lean forward significantly, increasing the leverage challenge.

Who Should Consider Raised Leg Push-Ups?

This exercise is ideal for individuals who have:

• Mastered Standard Push-Ups: You should be able to perform 15-20 clean repetitions of a standard push-up with excellent form before progressing to a raised leg variation.
• Strong Core Stability: A solid plank and ability to brace the core effectively are prerequisites.
• Goals for Upper Body Hypertrophy and Strength: Looking to build a stronger, more defined chest, shoulders, and triceps.
• Aspiring Calisthenics Athletes: Those working towards more advanced bodyweight skills.

Safety Considerations

• Warm-Up: Always perform a dynamic warm-up that includes arm circles, shoulder rotations, wrist mobility, and light cardio before attempting this exercise.
• Listen to Your Body: If you experience any sharp pain in your shoulders, wrists, or elbows, stop immediately.
• Prioritize Form: Never sacrifice proper form for more repetitions or a higher elevation. Poor form increases the risk of injury.
• Stable Surface: Ensure the surface you elevate your feet on is completely stable and will not slip or collapse.

Conclusion

The raised leg push-up is a highly effective and versatile exercise for building significant upper body strength, improving shoulder stability, and enhancing core engagement. By understanding its mechanics, adhering to proper form, and strategically applying progression, you can leverage this movement to elevate your fitness journey and achieve impressive gains in strength and muscle development. Incorporate it wisely, and you'll unlock new levels of bodyweight mastery.