Sphinx Push Up
From a forearm plank, you press your palms into the floor and straighten your arms to lift your forearms up, then lower back down, working your triceps with your bodyweight.
- Primary muscles
- Triceps
- Secondary
- Upper chest, Middle chest, Lower chest, Front delts
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
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Why do it
It's one of the most direct bodyweight triceps exercises, since the movement happens almost entirely at the elbow, much like a skull crusher with your body as the weight. That makes it a solid home option for people who have outgrown bench dips or close-hand push-ups. It's hard at first: doing it on your knees or with your forearms on a bench scales it down, and lowering the bench over time builds toward the floor version. Your chest and shoulders hold the plank, but the triceps do the moving.
How to do it
Start in a forearm plank: elbows under your shoulders, forearms and palms flat on the floor, body in a straight line from head to heels.
Press your palms into the floor and straighten your arms, lifting your forearms off the floor until you're in a straight-arm plank. Your hands stay where they are.
Bend your elbows to lower yourself back onto your forearms under control.
Keep your hips level and your core tight the whole time. To make it easier, do it on your knees or with your forearms on a bench.
Common mistakes
Letting your hips sag
When the hips drop, your lower back takes the strain and the plank falls apart. Keep a straight line from head to heels, squeezing your glutes if needed.
Piking your hips to help
Pushing your hips up shifts your weight back toward your feet and makes the press easier. Keep them level so your triceps lift the full plank.
Walking your hands back
If your hands creep toward your chest, it turns into a push-up. Keep your hands where they started and let your forearms peel up from the floor.
Crashing onto your forearms
Dropping down onto your elbows skips the lowering half. Bend your elbows slowly and touch down with control.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
