Chest · Bodyweight
Rotating Push-up
How to do the rotating 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
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Start in a standard push-up position and lower your chest to the floor. As you press back up, rotate your body to one side and reach that arm toward the ceiling into a side plank, then return and alternate sides each rep.
- 1Your chest and triceps driving the press portion
- 2Your obliques and shoulder stabilizing as you rotate open
- 3Your top arm reaching tall with your hips stacked
Common mistakes
- Letting your hips sag through the push-up or the rotation
- Rushing the turn and losing control at the top
- Flaring your elbows wide on the press
Muscles worked
The rotating push-up mainly works the mid chest, with the triceps, upper chest, lower chest, obliques, front delts, upper abs, and lower abs assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- GlutesMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
- Rear DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the rotating 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.