How to do the Push-Up to Down Dog
- Start in a high plank, hands slightly wider than your shoulders.
- Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor.
- Press up and push your hips up and back into an inverted V.
- Shift forward to a straight-body plank before the next rep.
Full technique — 7 steps
- Set up in a high plank with hands slightly wider than shoulder width and feet together or apart.
- Tighten your stomach and glutes so your hips stay level with your shoulders.
- Bend your elbows and lower your body as one unit until your chest nears the floor.
- Keep elbows angled back rather than flared straight out as you reach the bottom position.
- Press through your palms and push your hips up and back into an inverted V.
- Straighten your arms fully, let your head move between your upper arms, and lower your heels toward the floor.
- Shift your weight forward and lower your hips back to a straight-body plank for the next rep.
Common mistakes
- Hips sagging below the shoulders
- Cutting the bottom short
- Elbows flaring straight out
- Shrugging shoulders toward ears
- Bending elbows during transition
- Returning to a piked plank
Form cues
- Keep elbows angled back
- Body moves as one
- Hips up and back
- Press through the palms
- Return to full plank
Substitutes by equipment
Same muscles, same movement — pick the version you have the gear for.
Weight plates
- Weighted Push-Up Harder
- Deficit Push-Up Same level
Medicine ball
Resistance bands
- Band Assisted Push-Up Easier
- Resistance Band Floor Press Easier
Kettlebell
- Kettlebell Crossover Push-Up Same level
Where to start and where to go next
Same muscles, same movement. Too hard for now — step down; once it gets easy — step up.
- Easier Cobra Push-Up
- Easier Close Grip Knee Push-Up
- This exercise Push-Up to Down Dog
- Harder Side to Side Push-Up
- Harder Single Arm Push-Up
Too hard for now? Start with the Close Grip Knee Push-Up.
Quick answers
What muscles does the Push-Up to Down Dog work?
Primary: Mid chest 8/10, Triceps 8/10. Also works: Front delts 7/10, Serratus anterior 5/10, Lats 4/10, Traps 3/10.
When should I do the Push-Up to Down Dog in a workout?
Accessory. Goes after the main lifts. ≈ 7 min with rest.
How many sets and reps of the Push-Up to Down Dog?
Strength: 3–4 sets of 6–8 reps, rest 2 min, 2 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps, rest 1 min 15 s, 2–3 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 12–20 reps, rest 45 s, 3–4 reps in reserve.
What can I do instead of the Push-Up to Down Dog?
Weight plates: Weighted Push-Up, Deficit Push-Up. Medicine ball: Lying Medicine Ball Chest Press. Resistance bands: Band Assisted Push-Up, Resistance Band Floor Press. Kettlebell: Kettlebell Crossover Push-Up.
What is an easier version of the Push-Up to Down Dog?
Close Grip Knee Push-Up (53% of bodyweight), Cobra Push-Up (40% of bodyweight).
What is a harder version of the Push-Up to Down Dog?
Side to Side Push-Up (72% of bodyweight), Single Arm Push-Up (110% of bodyweight).
