Push-up challenge, week 3: Core and Posture

If you want to get good at push-ups, you have to get good at the high plank. The reason should be obvious – the high plank is the top portion of a push-up. From this position, we can focus on essential details such as locking out our arms and actively reaching into the floor to stabilize our upper body. We can also use high plank progressions to address common weaknesses that stand in the way of mastering both the plank itself and the push-up.

Test it:

High Plank

Your first stop on the road to a full push-up, the high plank teaches the core how to connect the upper and lower body into a single, unified structure. If your hips sag or your rib cage flares here, your alignment will fall apart once you try to lower yourself toward the floor.

How to do it: Start on all fours, with your hands under your shoulders, and extend your legs straight behind you, feet hip-width apart. Grip the floor with your hands and rotate your arms so your elbows point backward. Pull your shoulders away from your ears as you brace your abs, squeeze your glutes, and lock out your knees. Maintain this long, straight line from head to heels, keeping your gaze fixed on the floor between your hands. Your goal is to hold this position for 60 seconds.

Key take-aways: Don’t just rest on your hands; spread your pinkies and thumbs apart as much as possible while pushing the floor away. Pulling your navel up into your lower back while squeezing your glutes will help to keep that area from dipping or sagging to the floor. And remember to breathe!

Train it:

Shoulder Tap Plank

Once you can hold a solid high plank, the next step is learning how to maintain that rigid alignment while gravity is trying to knock you off balance. Lifting one hand to tap the opposite shoulder introduces a rotational force that jolts the core into action. You have to fight to keep your hips level, while your bracing arm learns how to drive force into the floor on its own.

How to do it: Set up in a high plank position, but with your feet at least shoulder-width apart. Slowly lift one hand and tap the opposite shoulder while keeping your body completely still. Return the hand to the floor with control, then repeat on the opposite side. The further you spread your feet, the easier it will be to keep your body still. Perform two to three sets for 30–60 seconds each.

Key take-aways: Imagine balancing a full glass of water on your lower back. Your hips should not shift, rock, or twist as you switch hands. Don’t rush the taps! Spend a deliberate second balancing on three limbs before placing your hand back down.

Hollow-Body Plank

This variation reinforces the mechanics involved in the reaching and locking-out portions of the push-up. By driving your hands through the floor and spreading your shoulder blades apart, you wake up the serratus anterior – a critical stabilizer that acts as an anchor for your scapula, allowing your shoulders to function safely under a heavy load.

How to do it: Starting in a high plank position, push the floor away as hard as you can, focusing on widening the space between your shoulder blades. Maintain this “hollow” shape by drawing your navel up through your spine while tucking your tailbone slightly and pulling your ribs down toward your hips. Perform two to three sets for 20–45 seconds each.

Key take-aways: Don’t confuse the hollow body position with shrugging or slouching. The upper body shape comes entirely from spreading the shoulder blades as wide apart as possible. Keep your neck long as you guide the shoulder blades down your back.

High-Low Plank

The ultimate bridge to the full push-up pattern, the high-low plank forces you to maintain total core control while lowering and raising your body weight one arm at a time. It mimics the exact demands of a push-up, but breaks the pattern down into a more manageable sequence.

How to do it: Start in your standard high plank position. Keeping your core braced and hips level, lower your right forearm down to the floor, followed immediately by your left forearm, landing in a low plank. From there, place your right hand back under your shoulder and push yourself back up, followed by the left hand, returning to the high plank. Now repeat the sequence with your left arm leading the way, alternating arms until the set is done. Perform two to three sets for 30–60 seconds.

Key take-aways: When pushing back up to the top, make sure you place your palm exactly where your elbow just was. The moment you move from hand to forearm is when your hips will want to sway; keep your glutes tight and abs braced to prevent twisting.