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man using a box man using a box

Inverted Push-Up

Body Part: Shoulders, Anterior Deltoids, Deltoids, Traps, Triceps

Equipment: Box or Step

Difficulty: Intermediate

Description

Step 1: Position yourself similar to a down dog yoga set up (modified push up position with the tailbone piked up to the ceiling and arms and legs extended). Elevate the feet up onto a bench without sacrificing body position. Hands approximately 1-1.5x shoulder width, head in line with a neutral spine and toes pointing straight ahead. Draw in and brace the abs. Press away from the floor to stabilize the shoulder. Bend the knees as needed to ensure neutral spine.

Step 2: Slowly lower yourself toward the floor, bending the arms out to the side driving the top of the forehead toward an imaginary line between your finger tips until you are about 1 inch from the floor.

Step 3: Reverse the pattern and return to the starting position.

Step 4: Repeat. Maintain posture throughout. Avoid arching or slouching the back, collapsing or overly shrugging the shoulders, jutting the head forward, or pulling the inside of the palms off the ground.