Fingertip Push Ups 101 Video Tutorial
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Exercise Synopsis
Target Muscle Group
Chest
Secondary Targets
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
Execution
Compound
Force Type
Push (Bilateral)
Required Equipment
Bodyweight
Fitness Level
Intermediate
Variations
None
Alternatives
None
Timer
Hour
Minute
Second
Stopwatch
00:00:00:00
Overview
Fingertip push-ups are a challenging bodyweight exercise targeting the chest while engaging the abs, shoulders, and triceps as secondary muscles. Unlike standard push-ups, this variation requires balancing on the fingertips, which intensifies the load on the upper body and increases grip and finger strength. To perform this exercise, begin in a standard push-up position but lift onto the fingertips, ensuring a tight core and straight body alignment. Lower your chest toward the floor with controlled movement, then press back up, keeping the fingertips engaged. Fingertip push-ups are ideal for building upper body strength, enhancing muscular endurance, and improving hand and finger stability.
How to Perform
Start Position: Begin in a quadruped position on the floor, with your hands placed directly under your shoulders and fingers spread for balance. Tuck your toes, positioning your knees under your hips.
Lift to Fingertips: Press up onto your fingertips, avoiding contact between your palms and the floor. This position will engage your hand and finger muscles, setting up a strong base.
Assume Push-Up Position: Extend one leg at a time to straighten both legs behind you, assuming a full push-up position. Keep your elbows extended, core tight, and head in a neutral position, with your gaze directed at the floor.
Lowering Phase: Slowly lower your body toward the floor by retracting your shoulder blades and unlocking your elbows. Control the movement as you descend, engaging your chest, shoulders, abs, and triceps.
Depth of Descent: Continue descending until your upper arms are parallel to the floor or until your chest lightly touches the ground. Maintain stability on your fingertips throughout this movement.
Return to Start: Push yourself back up by extending your elbows and pressing firmly into the floor with your fingertips. Keep your core engaged to prevent sagging through the movement.
Repeat: Complete the desired number of repetitions, maintaining form and control with each push-up for optimal muscle engagement and fingertip strength.
★ Bonus: For exercises that involve external weights (such as dumbbells, barbells, or machines), the One Rep Max (1RM) calculator can help you estimate your maximum lifting capacity. Use it to track your strength progress and adjust your training for optimal results.
Tips
Alternative Practice: If fingertip push-ups are too challenging, try starting with push-ups on your knuckles to build strength and stability in the hands and wrists.
Arm Position: At the lowest point of the push-up, your arms should angle close to your body, forming an arrow shape rather than a “T” shape.
Maintain Core Stability: Keep your spine aligned and core engaged throughout, as if performing a plank with movement. This stability will enhance overall body control.
Engage Core and Glutes: Before lowering, tighten your glutes and brace your abs to keep your ribcage in a neutral position, which helps prevent your back from arching.
Head Position: Avoid lifting your chin or looking forward; instead, keep your chin slightly tucked to maintain a neutral head position.
Focus on Chest Activation: Visualize pressing your thumbs toward each other as you push up; this mental cue can improve pec engagement throughout the exercise.
Avoid Head Forward Motion: Do not allow your head to reach forward. Aim for your chest and nose to reach the floor simultaneously to keep alignment.
Push with Power: As you press yourself up, think of pushing away from the floor as strongly as possible to fully activate your muscles.
Complete Each Rep Fully: At the top of each rep, push through the floor completely and let your shoulder blades move around your ribcage. Avoid cutting reps short, as full range of motion maximizes the benefits.
How Not to Perform
Avoid Collapsing Your Core: Do not allow your core to relax or sag, as this shifts tension away from the chest and can strain your lower back. Engage your abs and glutes throughout to keep your body in a straight line.
Don’t Let Your Elbows Flare Out: Avoid letting your elbows spread too wide from your body, which places stress on the shoulders and reduces chest activation. Instead, keep your elbows angled slightly inward to form an “arrow” shape with your body.
Avoid Dropping Your Head: Do not let your head dip toward the floor or look forward. Dropping your head can misalign your spine and increase neck strain. Keep your chin slightly tucked and head in a neutral position.
Don’t Rush the Movement: Performing fingertip push-ups too quickly sacrifices control and can lead to poor form. Slow, controlled movement ensures you’re properly activating the target muscles—chest, shoulders, triceps—and reduces the risk of slipping or losing balance.
Avoid Letting Your Palms Touch the Floor: Keeping your palms off the floor is essential to fingertip push-ups. Allowing your palms to touch reduces the load on your fingers, preventing proper grip and stability training and reducing focus on the chest.
Don’t Forget Full Range of Motion: Failing to lower your body fully until your chest nearly touches the ground or pushing up only partially limits muscle engagement. Ensure each rep uses a full range to maximize muscle activation.
Avoid Overloading Your Fingers: If your fingertips feel strained or unstable, avoid forcing the movement, as this can lead to finger injuries. Build up strength gradually by starting on a stable surface, such as knuckles, before progressing to fingertips.
Don’t Hold Your Breath: Holding your breath restricts oxygen flow and can lead to fatigue. Breathe steadily through each rep, exhaling as you push up to maintain control and focus.
Avoid Shoulder Shrugging: Shrugging your shoulders or letting them come up toward your ears reduces chest activation and strains the upper back. Keep your shoulders down and back, focusing on chest engagement to drive the movement.
Variations
Variations of fitness exercises refer to different ways of performing a specific exercise or movement to target various muscle groups, intensities, or goals. These variations aim to challenge the body differently, prevent plateaus, and cater to individuals with varying fitness levels.
Alternatives
Alternative exercises in fitness refer to different movements or activities that target similar muscle groups or serve the same training purpose as the primary exercise. These alternative exercises can be used as substitutes when the original exercise is unavailable or challenging to perform due to various reasons such as equipment limitations, injuries, or personal preferences.
