Exercise – Foot Elevated Pike Push-Up

The Foot Elevated Pike Push-Up is a great bodyweight exercise to develop strong shoulders. If you’re looking to build the strength required for handstand push-ups, this drill is perfect for you. The only equipment you’ll need is an object to elevate your feet. This could be a box, chair, or any like-substitute – honestly something that’s anywhere between a couple of inches to a foot in height. Get your feet onto that object and place your hands on the ground, and pike through the hips. Bend the elbows, reaching them back towards your body. Press back up to your start position. The shoulders will need to come out in front of the hands to make the elbows bend back in the right direction. Really try to isolate the triceps and shoulders by keeping the forearms parallel during the press.

There are different ways to make this more challenging so that you can advance towards the full handstand press:

• Float one foot to have more weight on your arms as you press
• Use a taller object so that your feet are higher
• Perform this exercise slower going down and up