Push-Up
A push-up from the Front Leaning Rest with hands under the shoulders and a straight body line.
Demonstration
Official photo sequences from the Army's drill manual, read left to right, top to bottom.
Photos: U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training, ATP 7-22.02. Approved for public release.
How to perform it
Preparation Drill, exercise 10 of 10
Starting position
Front Leaning Rest, hands directly under the shoulders with fingers spread, feet together, body straight from head to heels throughout.
Front Leaning Rest: From the Squat, shift weight to the hands and thrust both feet back, landing with feet together. The body forms a straight line from heels to head without the hips dipping. ATP 7-22.02, para. 2-3, p. 2-2 (opens the official PDF)
Counts
- 1Count 1. Bend the elbows to lower the body until the upper arms are parallel to the ground.
- 2Count 2. Reverse the movement to the starting position.
- 3Count 3. Repeat count 1.
The ATP's printed steps end at count 3. Nothing has been added to fill the gap.
ATP 7-22.02, para. 3-13, p. 3-8 – 3-9, Figure 3-13 (opens the official PDF)
What it develops
Strengthens the chest, shoulders, arms, and trunk; performed to standard it prepares for more vigorous pushing in training, testing, and combat tasks.
Focus: Chest, Shoulders, Arms, Trunk
Form
Drawn from the cited instructions.
Cues
- Keep a straight line from the top of the head to the heels.
- Lower until the upper arms are parallel to the ground.
Substitutions
Alternatives described in the cited publication, and how they differ.
- Push-Up (modified, Six-Point Stance) — Hands and knees on the ground with the body straight from head to knees. The ATP uses it to limit range of motion and the load on the ankles, shoulders, arms, and wrists. ATP 7-22.02, para. 3-24, p. 3-18 (opens the official PDF)
- 8-Count T-Push-Up — Lowers to the ground and moves the arms out to a T before pushing up, like the hand release in the AFT push-up. ATP 7-22.02, para. 5-23, p. 5-12 – 5-13 (opens the official PDF)
- Supine Chest Press — Presses kettlebells while lying on the back, so the trunk does not have to hold a plank position. ATP 7-22.02, para. 13-9, p. 13-7 (opens the official PDF)