...when you do this exercise.

And it's a problem you may not even realize you have.

Now for this push-up problem, I'm specifically referring to the Feet-Elevated Push-Up...basically, the one done with your feet set up on a bench, hands on the floor and body angled down in order to focus on upper chest (and make the exercise a bit more challenging).

And I know it's weird to say it, but the problem here is the floor (bet you didn't even know the floor could be a problem with the push-up!)

When you do a normal feet-elevated push-up, as you come to the bottom, you have to flatten out your chest and torso, making them horizontal, in order to keep your face from hitting the floor.

You're basically turning it right back into a regular push-up only with your knees and body bent. 

And that's NOT what we're looking for with that exercise.

So to solve that, you're going to be setting your hands on a bench (FRONT EDGE) and hook your feet over a bar (or other solid object) to get your body at that downwards angle. Because your hands on the front edge, you're also going to get some additional tension by keeping yourself in place and from gripping the padding of the bench.

Set the bench a few feet in front of the bar (I'm using a bar set  in the power rack and pulled up against the uprights...you can use whatever is high enough up that you can get your feet on). Adjust the height of the bar to your liking.



Get your feet hooked over the bar and get your body straight. Now you're in the top position of the elevated-feet push-up.



Lower yourself down.



As you can see, in the bottom position my head is BELOW the level of the bench. THIS is what allows me to keep that declined body position and maintain tension on the upper pecs during the movement, which is what you CAN'T do if your hands are on the floor.

Now, can you use push-up handles or set your hands on dumbbell handles to mimic this? Absolutely. It'll help. 

But I STILL find that even with the hands raised a few inches on handles, it doesn't give you nearly as much range of motion as setting your hands on the bench in this fashion and not having to worry AT ALL about pressing your face into the carpet...especially if you elevate your legs even more than I have in the demo here (the more vertical your body goes, the more useful this technique becomes).

Give it a try next time you're training chest and see what you think!

---

IMPORTANT...The Best Bodyweight Exercises You've Never Heard Of

If you haven't yet checked out this book, I've posted 5 sample  exercises directly from it here...

It's got 85 bodyweight exercises just like the one I posted above.  And just fyi, they're not all "total" bodyweight exercises...I also teach you how to incorporate strategic resistance into bodyweight movements to make them even more effective.

Now, this may be a shock to you but there is absolutely NO pressure or deadline or ticking clock or limited quantities here whatsoever for you to pick up this book.

None.

If you enjoy bodyweight training, I think you should get it. It's not expensive and it's jammed full of really cool exercises and bodyweight training knowledge. I think you'll get a lot out of it.

I'm not going to raise the price without warning. I'm not going to stop selling it on some random date. I'm not going to make you feel pushed in any way.

Now go buy it or you're a bad person...

(kidding ;)

Check out the 5 free sample exercises here and pick up your copy whenever you darn well feel like it...

Nick Nilsson
The Mad Scientist of Muscle