ABROFIT
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Deficit Push-Up

Push · chest · intermediate

Deficit Push-Up — start positionStart
Deficit Push-Up — end positionFinish
similar: Pushups

How to do it

Put each hand on a book or block so the hands sit a few inches above the floor, then lower until the chest drops below hand level and press back up.

Muscles worked

Primary: chest · Also works: triceps, front delts

Equipment

No equipment

Common mistakes

  • Using a deficit so deep that the shoulders roll forward at the bottom
  • Letting the elbows flare out to relieve the stretch
  • Bouncing out of the bottom instead of controlling the stretched position

Variations

  • One-inch deficit to start
  • Deficit push-up with a one-second pause at the bottom

Can't do this one? Swap it for

Take care: ABROFIT automatically removes this movement for anyone who has flagged a shoulder problem. If that's you, use one of the swaps above and speak to a physio before loading it.

Related exercises

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