Push · Tier 2
Pike Push-up
The pike push-up is your first true vertical press — an inverted-V position that loads the shoulders overhead and builds the pressing strength every handstand push-up is built on.
Also known as: Downward-Dog Press- Difficulty
- 3/10 · Novice
- Tier
- 02
- Equipment
- none · bench
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The pike push-up sits at tier 2 of the push branch, the first real step from horizontal pressing into vertical pressing. You earn it off 15 clean push-ups, and once the head reaches the floor consistently it unlocks the wall handstand push-up — the gateway to pressing your full bodyweight overhead.
Treat it as a strength tool you can dial: the more vertical the pike, the closer you are to a true overhead press. Chase depth and a vertical line, not reps in a sloppy V — every honest crown-to-floor rep here is shoulder strength you'll cash in upside down later.
Readiness gates
Clear these measurable conditions before forcing the skill.
15 clean reps
Technique, step by step
Four checkpoints for one honest repetition or hold.
- 01Setup
Build the inverted V
Start in a push-up, then walk your feet in and push your hips high so your body forms an upside-down V. Hands just outside shoulder width, fingers spread, index fingers roughly parallel. The closer your hands are to your feet, the more vertical the press and the harder it gets — start with a moderate pike and steepen over time. Look back toward your feet, not at the floor in front, so your spine stays long and your shoulders stack over your hands.
- 02Lower
Crown to the floor, elbows back-and-out
Descend until the crown of your head lightly touches the floor, or hovers a finger's width above it. Let your elbows travel back and slightly out at about 45 degrees — not flared to 90, not pinned to your ribs. Keep the hips high and the V intact the whole way down; if your hips drop, you've turned it into a decline push-up. Control the descent on a 2-second count.
- 03Drive
Press straight up through the hands
Push the floor away and drive your head back up to the start, pressing in a vertical line rather than forward. Think about pushing your hips up and away from your hands as you extend. Keep the core braced so the V doesn't collapse and your low back doesn't arch. Exhale through the sticking point just past the bottom.
- 04Top
Lock out and reset
Finish with elbows fully straight, shoulders shrugged up toward your ears, and the inverted V restored exactly as you started. Pause for a beat at the top with active, packed shoulders before the next rep. Don't rush the reset — every rep should start from the same clean position, hips high and spine long.
Skill practice guide
Public skill guidance — not your protected personalized eight-week plan.
Build 8–12 clean pike push-ups with the head touching the floor, then steepen toward vertical.
4–5 sets of 5–8 reps with a full crown-to-floor range; use negatives if you can't yet reach the floor.
2–3×/week with 48h between pressing sessions.
When you hit 3 sets of 8 clean reps, walk your feet in closer or elevate them on a bench to make the press more vertical — that steeper angle is the bridge to wall handstand push-ups.
Common faults
My head goes forward of my hands instead of straight down+
Your hips aren't high enough, so you're pressing on a diagonal like a decline push-up instead of vertically. Walk your feet in closer to your hands and actively push your hips toward the ceiling before each rep. The crown of your head should land between or just behind your hands, not out in front.
My wrists hurt during pike push-ups+
Loading an extended wrist overhead is new stress, and the tendons need time to adapt. Warm up with wrist circles and gentle front-and-back rocks on all fours, spread your fingers to share the load, and grip the floor with your fingertips. If it persists, drop volume for a week or press on raised handles or fists to reduce the angle.
My shoulders are way more sore than my triceps+
That's expected and usually fine — the pike push-up is a shoulder-dominant vertical press, unlike the chest-dominant flat push-up. If the soreness is deep in the joint rather than the muscle, you may be flaring elbows too wide or going too deep too soon. Keep elbows around 45 degrees and only touch the crown lightly until the range feels strong.
I can't get my head all the way to the floor+
Your overhead pressing strength isn't there yet through the bottom range, which is normal early on. Train partial reps to your current depth plus slow 3-second negatives to the floor, and add pike holds at the bottom. The range will open up within a few weeks as the shoulders adapt.
My hips sag and it turns into a normal push-up+
Your core is disengaging mid-set, dropping the V and shifting load off the shoulders. Brace your abs and actively pull your hips upward throughout every rep, not just at the start. Filming a set from the side makes the hip drop obvious so you can feel where it happens.
Useful setup
Elevating your feet steepens the press toward vertical and adds load without needing a wall handstand yet.
They keep your wrists in a neutral grip and let your head drop below hand level for a deeper, stronger range.
Protects your head at the bottom so you can train a full range without bracing against a hard floor.
Primary muscles
Shoulders · Triceps · Upper chest