The pike push-up is the best exercise for those who are seeking to build their shoulder strength. The pike push-up is an added benefit to your upper body workout routine. Also, this pike push-up is adjustable to any fitness levels. Let’s get into the pike push-up technique and what muscles you use during the exercise.

Like most of the other bodyweight exercises you know, the pike push up is a compound and holistic exercise as it enables most muscles in the body to perform. The pike push-up is ideal for the back of the shoulders, the hamstrings, the back and the core as well.

Pike push-up technique

When compared to the other types of push-ups, the pike push-up is different. It makes use of a different form than the regular push-ups you might know. It is vital that you use the correct pike push-up technique to ensure that you do not end up injuring yourself. To do the right technique, you have to follow these steps;

• To begin, you have to get down in the regular push up position. You have to ensure that your legs are hip-width apart. The same goes for the hands they should be shoulder width apart.
• While keeping your legs apart, walk your hands slowly back to your feet. Ensure that your feet are kept apart as you do this.
• Slowly push your hips up to ensure that it aligns with your shoulder, hands, and head. While doing this, ensure that your hands are kept shoulder-width apart. Make sure your body is now in a 90-degree angle.
• While your legs are straight and upper body are straight, begin the pike push up. Do this by bending your elbow away from your body at precisely 45 degrees until your head touches the floor. Then slowly push yourself back to the starting position.
• Perform about 10 or even 12 repetitions.

Like most or regular exercises, while doing the pike push up, you get to feel the impact more when you start to fatigue. For those that can perform the pike push up without much difficulty, try to increase more difficulty by raising the feet to a higher spot while maintaining the same 90-degree angle. Always keep above things in mind. You should perform specific other shoulder strengthening exercises; this will ensure that all the shoulder muscles are targeted and worked properly.

Pike push-ups, which muscles are you using?

The deltoid

Generally, the deltoid muscle has three major muscles that will enable you to move the body from the upper arm in any direction. The three muscles are; the anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, and posterior deltoid.

They refer to the deltoid muscle as the most complex joint in the body, and it also has several minor muscles that contribute to the general movement of the upper arms as well. The anterior deltoid which is a part of the deltoid enables most of the movement of the arms. For anyone performing calisthenics for a longer time, this deltoid is usually the biggest.

The medial deltoid allows the movement of the arms to the sides while the posterior deltoid enables the movement of your arms to the back. The pike push-up works the anterior deltoid primarily as you move during the exercise.

The triceps

As we all know, the triceps has three muscles that make up its head. They are the; medial, lateral and long muscles. The long head of the triceps descends between the teres major and the teres minor thus dividing the wedge-shaped interval between them and the humerus into the quadrangular and triangular spaces.

The long triceps head starts at the shoulder blade, and it is the only triceps head that does so. Because it starts at the shoulder blade, it performs specific functions that the medial and the lateral are not capable of doing. It helps in the movement of the upper arm into the body. Which also ensures that you can lift your body during the pike push up.

Pectoralis major

This muscle is located at the chest region of the body. It is a fan-shaped, thick muscle and at the same time being one of the superficials in the chest area. The widest part of this muscle originates at the breastbone. The muscle is attached to the upper head of the humerus, located at the shoulder.

This muscle functions in such a way that it helps in the rotation and movement of the of the joints at the shoulder. It aids to flex the arms of the shoulder joint. This helps you while doing the pike push up as it helps to lift your arms apart. It also helps in the movement of the arm back to the body while moving your arms across the front portion of your body.

Conclusion

The pike push-up is different from the other push-ups. It helps in building muscle in the shoulder region. The pike push-up also helps in the strengthening of the shoulder. You only get to benefit from this pike push up if you use the right pike push-up technique. The pike push up is essential and can fit in all workout routines. A pike push-up is an option for people of all different fitness levels.