Chest · Bodyweight
Twist Push-up
How to do the twist 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
- Reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Set up in a push-up position with your hands a little wider than your shoulders and your body in a straight line. Lower your chest toward the floor, then as you press back up, rotate your torso and reach one arm straight up toward the ceiling so your body forms a T. Return that hand to the floor, do another push-up, and twist to the other side. Alternate sides each rep.
- 1Feel your chest and triceps press you up out of each push-up
- 2Feel your obliques rotate and open your torso into the twist
- 3Keep your core tight so your hips stay level through the turn
Common mistakes
- Avoid letting your hips sag or your head crane forward
- Don't rush the twist; rotate under control and stack your shoulders
- Don't flare your elbows out wide on the push-up
Muscles worked
The twist push-up mainly works the mid chest, with the triceps, upper chest, lower chest, upper abs, obliques, lower abs, and front delts assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- GlutesMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the twist 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.