Navy Pushup: Definition, Muscles Worked, Form, and Benefits

What is a Navy pushup?

The Navy pushup is a challenging variation of the traditional pushup, characterized by a narrow hand placement directly beneath the shoulders, primarily emphasizing the triceps, anterior deltoids, and shoulder stability while maintaining significant core engagement.

Understanding the Navy Pushup

The Navy pushup, sometimes referred to as a "close-grip pushup" or "triceps pushup," derives its name from its historical use in military fitness assessments, particularly within naval forces, where it's valued for its ability to build robust pushing strength. Unlike a standard pushup where hands are typically placed wider than shoulder-width, the Navy pushup requires the hands to be positioned much closer together, often directly under the shoulders or even slightly narrower. This specific hand placement significantly alters the biomechanical demands, shifting a greater proportion of the load onto the triceps brachii and the anterior head of the deltoid muscle, while still engaging the pectoralis major. It serves as an excellent progression for individuals who have mastered the standard pushup and seek to enhance upper body strength and muscular endurance with a focus on arm and shoulder development.

Muscles Worked

The Navy pushup is a compound exercise that engages multiple muscle groups, with a primary focus on the pushing muscles of the upper body and significant contribution from core stabilizers.

• Primary Movers:

  • Triceps Brachii: The narrow hand placement places maximal emphasis on all three heads of the triceps, making this exercise highly effective for triceps strength and hypertrophy.
  • Anterior Deltoid: The front part of the shoulder muscle is heavily involved in shoulder flexion and contributes significantly to the pressing motion.
  • Pectoralis Major (Sternal and Clavicular Heads): While the emphasis shifts away from the chest compared to a wide-grip pushup, the pectoralis major still acts as a strong synergist in the pushing action, particularly the clavicular (upper chest) head.

• Synergistic and Stabilizer Muscles:

  • Serratus Anterior: This muscle, located on the side of the rib cage, helps to protract the scapula (shoulder blade) and stabilize it against the rib cage, preventing "winging" during the movement.
  • Core Musculature (Rectus Abdominis, Obliques, Transverse Abdominis): These muscles work isometrically to maintain a rigid, straight body line from head to heels, preventing sagging of the hips or arching of the lower back.
  • Erector Spinae: These back muscles assist in maintaining spinal alignment.
  • Glutes and Quadriceps: These muscles engage to maintain lower body rigidity and contribute to the overall plank-like stability.

How to Perform a Navy Pushup: Step-by-Step Guide

Proper form is paramount to maximize the benefits of the Navy pushup and minimize the risk of injury.

1. Starting Position:

   • Begin in a high plank position with your body forming a straight line from your head to your heels.
   • Hand Placement: Place your hands directly under your shoulders, with your fingers pointing forward. Your thumbs should be roughly in line with your armpits. Ensure your wrists are straight and stable.
   • Body Alignment: Engage your core, glutes, and quadriceps. Your head should be in a neutral position, looking slightly forward or down, not hyperextended.

2. Descent (Eccentric Phase):

   • Keeping your elbows tucked close to your body (they should point backward, not flare out to the sides), slowly lower your chest towards the floor.
   • Maintain a straight body line throughout the descent. Avoid letting your hips sag or pike upwards.
   • Lower until your chest lightly touches the floor, or as low as your flexibility and strength allow while maintaining good form. Your elbows should be fully flexed.

3. Ascent (Concentric Phase):

   • Powerfully push through your hands, primarily engaging your triceps and anterior deltoids, to return to the starting high plank position.
   • Keep your core engaged and body straight as you push up.
   • Fully extend your elbows at the top, ensuring your shoulder blades are protracted (pushed forward) slightly to engage the serratus anterior.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Flared Elbows: The most common mistake. Allowing elbows to flare out compromises triceps engagement and places undue stress on the shoulder joint.
• Sagging Hips or Piking: Indicates weak core engagement. The body should remain a rigid plank throughout the movement.
• Incomplete Range of Motion: Not lowering sufficiently or not fully extending at the top reduces the effectiveness of the exercise.
• Neck Hyperextension: Looking too far forward or letting the head drop can strain the neck. Maintain a neutral spine.
• Speeding Through Reps: Rushing the movement reduces muscle engagement and increases injury risk. Focus on controlled, deliberate execution.

Benefits of Incorporating Navy Pushups

Integrating Navy pushups into your training regimen offers several distinct advantages:

• Enhanced Triceps Strength and Hypertrophy: The narrow grip places a high demand on the triceps, making it a superior exercise for developing arm strength and muscle mass.
• Improved Shoulder Stability: The close hand position challenges the stabilizing muscles around the shoulder joint, leading to greater control and resilience.
• Increased Anterior Deltoid Development: This variation effectively targets the front of the shoulders, contributing to overall shoulder strength and definition.
• Greater Core Engagement: Maintaining a rigid body line against the increased leverage challenge of the narrow grip significantly strengthens the core musculature.
• Progression for Pushing Strength: For those who have mastered standard pushups, the Navy pushup serves as an excellent stepping stone towards more advanced bodyweight pressing exercises, such as one-arm pushups or weighted pushups.
• Functional Strength: Builds pushing strength that translates to various daily activities and sports.

Integrating Navy Pushups into Your Routine

The Navy pushup can be incorporated into various workout structures:

• Warm-up: A few sets can be used as part of a dynamic warm-up to activate the triceps and shoulders.
• Strength Training: Perform 3-4 sets of 8-15 repetitions as a primary upper body exercise.
• Circuit Training: Include them in a full-body or upper-body circuit.
• Finisher: Use them at the end of a workout for muscular endurance, performing as many repetitions as possible (AMRAP) in a set or within a time limit.

Always ensure proper warm-up before performing pushups and adjust the volume and intensity based on your current fitness level.

Variations and Progressions

The Navy pushup can be modified to suit different strength levels:

• Easier Variations (Regressions):

  • Kneeling Navy Pushup: Perform the exercise on your knees rather than your toes, reducing the bodyweight load.
  • Incline Navy Pushup: Elevate your hands on a stable surface (e.g., bench, sturdy chair, wall). The higher the incline, the easier the exercise.
  • Negative Navy Pushup: Focus solely on the slow, controlled eccentric (lowering) phase, then reset at the top. This builds strength for the full movement.

• Harder Variations (Progressions):

  • Decline Navy Pushup: Elevate your feet on a stable surface. This increases the load on the upper chest and shoulders.
  • Weighted Navy Pushup: Place a weight plate on your upper back (requires a spotter) or wear a weighted vest.
  • Plyometric Navy Pushup: Explode upwards at the top of the movement, lifting your hands off the floor.
  • Single-Arm Navy Pushup (Advanced): A highly advanced variation requiring extreme core and unilateral upper body strength.

Who Should Consider the Navy Pushup?

The Navy pushup is suitable for:

• Fitness Enthusiasts: Individuals looking to diversify their pushup training and target specific muscle groups more intensely.
• Personal Trainers: As a challenging bodyweight exercise to prescribe to clients with a solid foundation in standard pushups.
• Athletes: Especially those involved in sports requiring strong pushing power and shoulder stability (e.g., martial arts, gymnastics, throwing sports).
• Individuals Seeking Triceps Development: Anyone looking to build stronger, more defined triceps without external weights.

Safety Considerations and Contraindications

While a highly effective exercise, the Navy pushup's specific demands mean certain precautions are necessary:

• Wrist Discomfort: The narrow grip can place more stress on the wrists. Ensure proper wrist alignment and consider using pushup handles if you experience discomfort.
• Shoulder Pain: Individuals with pre-existing shoulder impingement or rotator cuff issues should approach this exercise with caution or avoid it, as the narrow grip can increase internal rotation and stress on the shoulder joint.
• Elbow Pain: If performed with poor form (e.g., elbows flaring out, hyperextending at the top), it can strain the elbow joint.
• Master Foundational Movements: Ensure you can perform standard pushups with excellent form before attempting the Navy pushup.
• Listen to Your Body: Discontinue the exercise if you experience sharp pain in your wrists, elbows, or shoulders.
• Warm-up: Always perform a thorough warm-up, including dynamic stretches for the shoulders, wrists, and elbows, before engaging in intense pushup variations.