Exercise guide · Advanced · Compound

Clock Push-Up: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The clock push-up is a dynamic bodyweight exercise that targets the chest, triceps, shoulders, and core. It involves a rotational movement where one arm extends out to the side as you lower into a push-up, increasing the challenge to stability and coordination.

Primary muscles
Chest
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Advanced · Compound
Demonstration of the clock push-up
Front view: muscles worked by the clock push-up. Primary: chest. Secondary: abs, shoulders, triceps and obliques.
Back view: muscles worked by the clock push-up. Primary: chest. Secondary: abs, shoulders, triceps and obliques.
Primary Secondary

How to do the clock push-up

  1. Step 1: Start in a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your body in a straight line.
  2. Step 2: Lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
  3. Step 3: As you lower, rotate your body to the left, extending your left arm straight out to the side.
  4. Step 4: Push back up to the starting position, while rotating your body to the center.
  5. Step 5: Repeat the push-up, this time rotating your body to the right and extending your right arm out to the side.
  6. Step 6: Continue alternating sides with each repetition.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the clock push-up by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Clock Push-Up alternatives

More exercises that train the chest as their main target:

More chest exercises

See the best chest exercises, ranked →

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.