Push Up Jack
Push Up Jack Exercise Description
Push-Up Jack combines a standard push-up with a plank-jack style foot hop, training an upper-body horizontal press while challenging whole-body stability. Primary movers are the pectoralis major, triceps brachii, and anterior deltoids. The serratus anterior, rotator cuff, and other scapular stabilizers support the shoulder complex through controlled retraction on the descent and protraction on the press. The quick abduction/adduction of the feet engages the gluteus medius/minimus and hip adductors, while the rectus abdominis, obliques, and gluteals brace to maintain a neutral spine and resist lumbar extension or rotation. Because the base of support changes rapidly, the exercise reinforces keeping the torso rigid and hips level as the arms work. Land softly, control knee/hip alignment, and keep the head in line with the spine to preserve clean mechanics throughout the movement.
- Muscle Groups: Chest, Delts, Pecs, Shoulders, Triceps
- Target Muscles: Deltoid - Anterior, Pectoralis Major - Sternal Head, Triceps Brachii - Medial Head
- Assisting Muscles: Pectoralis Major - Clavicular Head
- Stabilizing Muscles: External Obliques, Infraspinatus, Rectus Abdominis, Serratus Anterior, Subscapularis
- Body Area: Upper Body
- Body Parts: Arms, Chest, Shoulders, Upper Arms
- Body Surface: Back, Front
- Body Symmetry: Other
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Push
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Elbow Extensors, Horizontal Shoulder Adduction, Shoulder Flexors
- Joint Involvement: Multi-joint
- Muscle Location: Deep Tricep, Front Shoulder, Mid Chest
- Movement Direction: Horizontal
- Muscle Position: Anterior, Posterior
- Gender: Female
How To Do The Push Up Jack Exercise
‘- Set up in a high plank: hands slightly wider than shoulders, wrists stacked under shoulders, feet together, body in a straight line head-to-heels.
– Brace the abdominals and glutes; set ribs down to maintain a neutral spine and neck.
– Grip the floor and create light external rotation torque at the shoulders; avoid shrugging.
– Inhale and bend the elbows about 45 degrees from the torso as you hop the feet out to hip-to-shoulder width; keep hips level.
– Lower the chest and thighs together as one unit—no sagging or piking.
– Exhale and press through the palms to extend the elbows as you hop the feet back together.
– Land softly on the balls of the feet; keep knees slightly soft and aligned.
– Let the shoulder blades move naturally: slight retraction on the way down, protraction as you press up.
– Repeat with steady rhythm and full-body tension.
– Low-impact option: step one foot out then the other during the descent; step them back in as you press up.
Push Up Jack Tips
‘- Start in a straight-line high plank with hands slightly wider than shoulders, wrists stacked under shoulders, and feet together.
– Before moving, brace the abdominals and glutes and set the ribs down to maintain a neutral spine and neck.
– Grip the floor and create light external rotation torque at the shoulders while avoiding shrugging.
– Inhale as you bend the elbows about 45 degrees from the torso and hop the feet out to hip-to-shoulder width, keeping the hips level.
– Lower the chest and thighs together as one unit, avoiding sagging or piking.
– Exhale and press firmly through the palms to extend the elbows as you hop the feet back together.
– Land softly on the balls of the feet with the knees slightly soft and aligned.
– Let the shoulder blades move naturally—slight retraction on the way down, protraction as you press up.
– Maintain a steady rhythm and full-body tension throughout the set.
– Use the low-impact option by stepping one foot out, then the other during the descent, and stepping them back in as you press up.
Push Up Jack Beginner Introduction
Push-Up Jack blends a classic push-up pattern with a fast, jumping leg action, turning a familiar move into a full-body challenge. The arms and chest drive the pressing motion, with strong help from the triceps and front of the shoulders. Around the shoulder blades, smaller supporting muscles and the rotator cuff guide smooth movement as the body lowers and rises, encouraging controlled motion rather than a stiff upper back.
At the same time, the feet hop apart and together in a jack-style rhythm, bringing the hips, glutes, and inner thighs into the work. The abs and side abs, along with the glutes, stiffen the midsection so the lower back does not arch or twist as the support points shift under the body. Because the legs move quickly while the upper body handles the push-up, the exercise highlights body control, alignment through the head and spine, and a steady, unified torso from shoulders to heels.