Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Drop Push Up: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The drop push up is a bodyweight exercise that targets the pectorals and also works the triceps and shoulders. It involves lowering the chest towards the ground in a plank position, dropping the knees to the ground at the bottom, and then pushing back up.

Primary muscles
Chest
Secondary muscles
Triceps , Shoulders
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the drop push up
Front view: muscles worked by the drop push up. Primary: chest. Secondary: triceps and shoulders.
Back view: muscles worked by the drop push up. Primary: chest. Secondary: triceps and shoulders.
Primary Secondary

How to do the drop push up

  1. Step 1: Start in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  2. Step 2: Lower your chest towards the ground, keeping your elbows close to your body.
  3. Step 3: Once your chest is just above the ground, quickly drop your knees to the ground.
  4. Step 4: Push yourself back up to the starting position by extending your arms.
  5. Step 5: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the drop 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.

Drop 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.