Sphinx Push Up

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Start in a forearm plank position with your elbows directly under your shoulders and forearms flat on the floor, parallel to each other.
2. Extend your legs fully with feet hip-width apart, engaging your glutes and core to create a straight line from head to heels.
3. Place your palms flat on the floor with fingers pointing forward, ensuring your hands are positioned slightly ahead of your elbows.

How to do it

1. Exhale and press firmly through your palms to straighten your arms, lifting both elbows off the floor simultaneously.
2. Continue the movement until your arms are fully extended, maintaining a rigid torso to prevent the hips from sagging.
3. Inhale as you slowly lower your elbows back to the starting position with a controlled 2-3 second tempo.
4. Touch your elbows to the floor lightly before immediately beginning the next repetition.

Form checklist

• Keep your elbows tucked in line with your wrists; do not let them flare out to the sides.
• Maintain a neutral spine by bracing your abs and avoiding any arching in the lower back.
• Ensure both arms move at the exact same time to avoid shifting weight to one side.
• Keep your gaze fixed on the floor slightly in front of your hands to maintain a neutral neck.

Pro tips

• To maximize tricep recruitment, focus on 'pushing the floor away' specifically through the base of your palms.
• Squeeze your quads and glutes throughout the set to create total-body tension, which stabilizes the pivot point at your toes.

Make it harder

• Move your hands further forward in front of your shoulders to increase the mechanical disadvantage and leverage on the triceps.
• Elevate your feet on a bench or stable platform to shift a higher percentage of your body weight onto your arms.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the sphinx push up work?

The sphinx push up primarily targets the deltoids, pectorals, and triceps, and also works the erector spinae, obliques, and serratus anterior as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the sphinx push up?

The sphinx push up requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the sphinx push up good for beginners?

The sphinx push up is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

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• Body Open Cross FeetBeginner · calves, deltoids, and pectorals