Chest · Bodyweight
Downward Dog to Chest Press
How to do the downward dog to chest press, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Start in a downward dog with hips high and hands pressing into the floor. Shift forward into a plank, then bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the ground in a push-up press, driving back up and returning your hips to downward dog.
- 1Your chest and triceps working through the press
- 2A stretch through your shoulders and hamstrings in downward dog
- 3Your core staying braced as you shift forward
Common mistakes
- Letting your hips sag on the lowering press
- Flaring your elbows wide away from your body
- Rushing between positions and losing control
Muscles worked
The downward dog to chest press mainly works the mid chest, with the triceps, lower chest, front delts, upper chest, upper abs, and lower abs assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- LatsMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- GlutesMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- CalvesMinor
Kovo programs the downward dog to chest press 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.