Supine Push Up

Difficulty

3

Body Focus

Upper Core Lower Total

Equipment You'll Need

No Equipment, Mat

Workout Type

Low Impact, Strength Training, Toning

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Exercise Instructions

Lie on your back with arms out to sides and elbows bent.
Push into the ground with your elbows, lifting your shoulders and torso as high as you can off of the mat (this will be a very small range of motion).
Slowly lower your shoulders back down but don’t completely relax until all repetitions are complete. Continue for a set number of repetitions or a set time period. Up and back down is one repetition.

Exercise Purpose

The Supine Push Up, is good way to target the upper back, specifically the rhomboids without using a single piece of equipment. This exercise can feel a bit awkward, as its range of motion is incredibly small especially if you do not have particularly strong rhomboids. No matter how small your range of motion as long as you contract the rhomboids as hard as you can (even if you don’t move at all) it is still an effect exercise for toning and strengthening the upper back. This is a good exercise to use in a home upper body workout when no equipment is available. To get more range of motion and to make this exercise harder, place a yoga block under each elbow (books, 2x4 or 4x4 blocks would also work).