Open Exercise

Development draft, v0. Formats and IDs may change.

Catalogue

Weighted Push-Up

oec:weighted-push-up

A progressive variation of the standard push-up performed with external resistance loaded on the upper back or torso.

Generated by gemini-3.8-flash from the sources below. No person has checked this record. Don't rely on it for safety.

Also called: Weighted Pushup, Plate-Loaded Push-Up, Weighted push-ups

How to do it

Setup

  1. Assume a high plank position on your hands and toes with hands roughly shoulder-width apart.
  2. Secure external load onto your upper-to-mid back, either by having a partner place a weight plate flat across your shoulder blades or by wearing a snug weight vest.
  3. Engage your abs, squeeze your glutes, and establish a rigid straight line from your heels to the back of your head.

Movement

  1. Lower your body under control by bending your elbows and allowing your shoulder blades to retract.
  2. Descend until your chest is within an inch of the floor, keeping your elbows tucked at roughly a 45-degree angle to your torso.
  3. Press firmly through the floor to extend your arms, pushing your shoulder blades forward into slight protraction at the top.

Breathing

Inhale smoothly as you lower toward the floor, and exhale forcefully through the sticking point on the ascent.

Cues

  • Body like a moving plank.
  • Arrowhead elbow angle, not a T.
  • Push the floor away.

Common faults

Plate placed too low on the lumbar spine causing excessive lumbar extension.
Ensure the weight rests centered across the upper back and shoulder blades, not the lower back.
Sagging hips and loss of core tension under load.
Squeeze glutes and brace your abdomen tightly before initiating each repetition.
Flaring elbows out ninety degrees to the sides.
Tuck elbows slightly toward the ribs to protect the shoulder joints and emphasize the chest and triceps.

Safety

  • Use a partner to place and remove weight plates safely, especially at heavier loads.
  • If training alone, a weight vest is safer and more stable than a loose plate.

Muscles

  • Pectoralis major, sternal head prime mover
  • Triceps brachii prime mover
  • Front deltoid prime mover
  • Pectoralis major, clavicular head synergist
  • Serratus anterior synergist
  • Rectus abdominis stabilizer
  • Transversus abdominis stabilizer
  • Gluteus maximus stabilizer
  • Quadriceps stabilizer

Joints

  • Shoulder: Horizontal adduction, Flexion
  • Elbow: Extension
  • Shoulder blade: Protraction, Retraction
  • Lumbar spine: Isometric stabilization

Details

Movement
Horizontal push, Anti-extension
Modality
Strength, Hypertrophy, Calisthenics
Mechanics
compound
Force
push
Laterality
bilateral
Kinetic chain
closed
Level
intermediate
Equipment
Weight plate or Weight vest
Record
Repetitions and Load
Load
bodyweight plus external, total

Related

Sources

This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.

Data

weighted-push-up.json