Exercise guide · Advanced · Compound

Plyo Push Up: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The plyo push up is an explosive bodyweight exercise that targets the pectoral muscles and also works the triceps, shoulders, and core. It involves pushing off the ground with enough force for your hands to leave the floor, requiring power, coordination, and upper body strength.

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

How to do the plyo 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 by bending your elbows, keeping your body in a straight line.
  3. Step 3: Push explosively off the ground, using your chest muscles to propel your upper body off the ground.
  4. Step 4: Land softly with your hands back in the starting position.
  5. Step 5: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the plyo 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.

Plyo 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.