Chest · Bodyweight
Lay Down Push-up
How to do the lay down push-up, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Start lying face down on the floor with your hands flat beside your chest and arms relaxed. Set your hands, brace your core, and press the floor away to push yourself up into a full plank in one motion. Lower all the way back down to the floor and reset before each rep.
- 1Feel your chest, shoulders, and triceps drive you off the floor
- 2Keep your core tight and glutes squeezed so your body rises as one unit
- 3Press through full range and lock out at the top
Common mistakes
- Avoid letting your hips lift first or sag as you press
- Do not flare your elbows wide; keep them at about 45 degrees
- Do not snake up chest-first with your hips dragging behind
Muscles worked
The lay down 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
- GlutesMinor
Kovo programs the lay down 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.