Exercise Profile
- Target Muscle Group
- Exercise TypeStrength
- Equipment RequiredBodyweight
- MechanicsCompound
- Force TypePush (Bilateral)
- Experience LevelBeginner
- Secondary Muscles
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
Target Muscle Group
Chest

Push Up with Knee Drive Overview
The push up with knee drive is a combination movement that combines both a push up and a knee drive.
The push up portion of the push up with knee drives targets the muscles of the chest, shoulders, and triceps. The addition of the knee drive provides a core challenge to both contract to pull the knee up towards the chest and to stabilize the body while doing so.
Push Up with Knee Drive Instructions
- Assume a quadruped position on the floor with your hands under your shoulders, toes tucked, and knees under hips.
- Extend one leg at a time and assume a push up position with the legs straight, elbows extended, and head in a neutral position looking at the floor.
- Slowly descend to the floor by retracting the shoulder blades and unlocking the elbows.
- Descend until the upper arms are parallel or your chest touches the floor.
- Push back to the starting point by extending the elbows and driving your palms into the floor.
- Drive your knee towards your chest, slowly lower back to the starting position and then repeat on the opposite side.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Push Up with Knee Drive Tips
- Your arms should resemble an arrow in the bottom position, not a “T”.
- Your spine should remain rigid throughout the entire exercise, think of the push up as a moving plank.
- Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs before descending to keep the ribcage neutral.
- Keep the chin down and don’t look forward.
- Imagine you’re trying to push your thumbs together while completing the movement, this will improve activation of the pecs.
- Don’t allow the head to jut forward, the chest should touch at the same time as your nose.
- Think about trying to push yourself as far away from the floor as possible.
- Ensure you push all the way through the floor at the top of the repetition and allow your shoulder blades to move around your ribcage.
- Most folks cut the repetition short and don’t garner the full benefits.
0 Comments