Chest · Bodyweight
Prayer Push Hold
How to do the prayer push hold, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- time
- Movement
- Isometric
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Press your palms together hard in front of your chest, elbows out, in a prayer position. Push your hands into each other and hold the squeeze, feeling constant tension across your chest. Maintain the press for the prescribed time.
- 1Inner chest contracting as you press the palms together
- 2Steady, even pressure held throughout the hold
- 3Elbows lifted so the pecs stay engaged
Common mistakes
- Letting the press fade partway through the hold
- Dropping the elbows and shifting load off the chest
- Holding your breath instead of breathing steadily
Muscles worked
The prayer push hold mainly works the mid chest, with the triceps, forearms, upper chest, front delts, and internal rotators assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- Internal RotatorsSupport
- Lower ChestMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
Kovo programs the prayer push hold 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.