Lying Reverse Push-Up
Lying Reverse Push-Up Exercise Description
The Lying Reverse Push-up is a supine, bodyweight pulling drill that targets the upper back and posterior shoulder using the floor as resistance. You press the elbows and upper arms into the ground to lift the chest slightly while drawing the shoulder blades back and down. The movement emphasizes scapular retraction and depression with a small, controlled thoracic extension, performed while maintaining a neutral lumbar spine and long neck. Primary contributors include the middle and lower trapezius and rhomboids, with assistance from the posterior deltoid and latissimus dorsi. Because the hands stay fixed and the pull is created through the elbows, it teaches clean scapulothoracic motion and shoulder positioning without external equipment. The range is intentionally modest—focus on smooth control, keeping shoulders away from the ears and ribs quiet, rather than lifting high.
- Muscle Groups: Back, Traps
- Target Muscles: Rhomboid Major, Rhomboid Minor, Trapezius - Lower Fibers, Trapezius - Middle Fibers
- Assisting Muscles: Deltoid - Posterior, Latissimus Dorsi
- Stabilizing Muscles: External Obliques, Iliocostalis, Longissimus, Spinalis, Transversus Abdominis
- Body Area: Upper Body
- Body Parts: Back, Mid Back, Upper Back
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Bilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Other
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Scapular Depressors, Scapular Retractors
- Joint Involvement: Single-joint
- Muscle Location: Lower Traps, Mid Traps, Upper Back
- Movement Direction: Other
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Male
How To Do The Lying Reverse Push-Up Exercise
‘- Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat, and pelvis neutral; keep the back of your head on the floor with a gentle chin tuck.
– Bend elbows to about 90 degrees at your sides; place the backs of your upper arms and elbows firmly on the floor, palms facing up or neutral.
– Set your shoulders: draw the shoulder blades down and together; lightly brace the midsection to keep ribs from flaring.
– Drive the elbows and upper arms straight down into the floor to initiate a pull; allow the sternum/chest to rise slightly as the shoulder blades retract and depress.
– Keep neck long and gaze up; do not shrug or press through the hands or feet.
– Maintain neutral lower back—movement comes from the scapulae and upper back, not from arching the lumbar spine.
– Pause briefly at the top with steady breathing, then lower the chest with control, keeping shoulder blades moving smoothly.
– Reset shoulder position between repetitions; stop if you feel pinching at the front of the shoulder.
Lying Reverse Push-Up Tips
‘- Keep knees bent, feet flat, and pelvis neutral to support a stable starting position.
– Maintain a gentle chin tuck with the back of your head on the floor to keep the neck long.
– Bend elbows to about 90 degrees at your sides with upper arms and elbows firmly pressed into the floor.
– Choose palms facing up or neutral and avoid pressing through the hands.
– Before each rep, draw the shoulder blades down and together and lightly brace the midsection to prevent rib flare.
– Initiate the movement by driving elbows and upper arms straight down into the floor, not by arching the lower back.
– Let the sternum/chest rise only slightly as the shoulder blades retract and depress; avoid trying to lift too high.
– Keep shoulders away from the ears and do not shrug as you press into the floor.
– Pause briefly at the top and lower the chest with smooth, controlled scapular motion.
– Reset shoulder position between reps and stop if you feel pinching at the front of the shoulder.
Lying Reverse Push-Up Beginner Introduction
In the Lying Reverse Push-up, the body rests on the back while the floor acts as the “weight.” Instead of pushing away from the ground like a traditional push-up, this drill reverses the idea: the elbows and upper arms drive into the floor so the chest can gently rise and the shoulder blades slide back and down. The hands stay relatively passive, so the effort centers on a subtle pulling action through the upper back rather than through the arms alone.
This movement highlights strength and control in the muscles between the shoulder blades, the lower portion of the upper back, the back of the shoulders, and the lats. The neck and lower back stay calm and supported while the upper spine moves through a small, comfortable lift. Because the motion is deliberately small, the exercise emphasizes precision, smooth shoulder-blade motion, and steady trunk positioning over big, dramatic height. It serves as a simple way to explore pulling mechanics and shoulder alignment using only bodyweight and the floor.