Exercise Guide

Scapular Push-up

A push-up position where only the shoulder blades move, sliding together and apart with the elbows locked. Trains the serratus, and a good warm-up before pressing.

BeginnerStrengthPushIsolation
Form
Scapular Push-up - Start position
Start
Scapular Push-up - Mid position
Mid
Scapular Push-up - End position
End

Illustrations by Bryl Lim for Workout Guide, after Everkinetic. Used unchanged under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Details

Primary Muscle

Middle Back

Equipment

Bodyweight

Difficulty

Beginner

Category

Strength

Force

Push

Mechanic

Isolation

Secondary Muscles

ChestShouldersCore
How to Perform
  1. 1

    Set up in a push-up position with your arms straight and your body in a line.

  2. 2

    Without bending your elbows, let your chest sink as your shoulder blades squeeze together.

  3. 3

    Push the floor away, spreading your shoulder blades apart and rounding your upper back slightly.

  4. 4

    Move between the two positions slowly.

Tips
  • ★The elbows stay locked the entire time - any bend and it has become a very short push-up.
  • ★The range is small. A few centimetres of chest travel is the whole rep.
Explore by Muscle
Middle BackChestShouldersCore