Shoulders · Bodyweight
Pike Push-up From Deficit
How to do the pike push-up from deficit, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- VerticalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Set up in a downward dog pike position with your hands on a raised surface or your feet elevated so your hands sit in a deficit, hips high overhead. Lower your head toward the floor between your hands by bending your elbows, dropping below hand level, then press back up. The deficit increases the range and shoulder loading.
- 1Your shoulders and triceps pressing you back up
- 2Hips stacked high over your hands in an inverted V
- 3A deep stretch through the shoulders at the bottom
Common mistakes
- Don't flare your elbows wide out to the sides
- Avoid letting your hips sag out of the pike
- Don't let your head crash down; control the descent
Muscles worked
The pike push-up from deficit mainly works the front delts, triceps, and side delts, with the forearms, upper chest, upper traps, and upper abs assisting.
- Front DeltsPrimary
- TricepsPrimary
- Side DeltsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower TrapsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
Kovo programs the pike push-up from deficit 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 shoulders exercises
- How to do the battle rope alternating waves
- How to do the arm circles
- How to do the arnold press
- How to do the resistance band front raise
- How to do the resistance band lateral raise
- How to do the resistance band overhead press
Last reviewed June 2026.