Shoulders · Bodyweight
Pike Push-up with Parallettes
How to do the pike push-up with parallettes, 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 parallettes on the floor and get into a pike position gripping the bars, hips high and feet walked in toward your hands. Bend your elbows to lower your head between the parallettes, using the raised grip for extra depth, then press back up through your shoulders. The neutral grip is easier on the wrists and lets you sink deeper.
- 1Your shoulders and triceps doing the pressing work
- 2Hips high over your hands in an inverted V
- 3A solid grip on the bars keeping your wrists neutral
Common mistakes
- Don't flare your elbows out to the sides
- Avoid letting your hips sag or your head hang loose
- Don't rush the lower; control your head down between the bars
Muscles worked
The pike push-up with parallettes 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 with parallettes 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.