Chest · Bodyweight
Deep Push-up Hold
How to do the deep push-up hold, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- time
- Movement
- Isometric
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Set up in a push-up position with your hands on raised surfaces or push-up handles so your chest can sink below your hands. Lower until you feel a deep stretch across your chest, then hold that bottom position with your body in a straight line. Brace your core and breathe while you hold.
- 1Feel a deep stretch across your chest and front of your shoulders in the
- 2hold
- 3Keep your core tight and hips level so your body stays in one line
- 4Pin your shoulder blades together and keep tension through your arms
Common mistakes
- Avoid letting your hips sag or your head crane forward
- Don't flare your elbows wide; keep them around 45 degrees
- Don't sink so deep that you lose tension and dump into your shoulders
Muscles worked
The deep push-up hold mainly works the mid chest, with the triceps, upper chest, lower chest, front delts, upper abs, and lower abs assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- QuadsMinor
- GlutesMinor
Kovo programs the deep push-up hold for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More chest exercises
- How to do the archer push-up
- How to do the assisted dip
- How to do the resistance band chest flyes
- How to do the resistance band push-up
- How to do the barbell bench press
- How to do the paused bench press
Last reviewed June 2026.