Chest · Bodyweight
Explosive Kneeling Push-up
How to do the explosive kneeling push-up, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Set up in a kneeling push-up position with your hands under your shoulders and knees on the floor, body straight from knees to head. Lower your chest toward the ground, then press up explosively so your hands leave the floor at the top. Land soft, absorb into the next rep, and repeat.
- 1Your chest and triceps firing hard to launch off the floor
- 2Core staying tight so the hips do not sag mid-rep
- 3A soft landing absorbing into the next lower
Common mistakes
- Letting your hips drop or pike as you tire
- Flaring the elbows way out to the sides
- Landing stiff with locked elbows
Muscles worked
The explosive kneeling push-up mainly works the mid chest and triceps, with the upper chest, lower chest, front delts, upper abs, and lower abs assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsPrimary
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- QuadsMinor
- GlutesMinor
- Internal RotatorsMinor
Kovo programs the explosive kneeling push-up 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.