Twisting Push Up
The twisting push up (also called a push up and twist or floor push up with rotation) is an advanced upper-body and core exercise that combines a standard floor push up with a side-plank rotation. It targets the chest, triceps, obliques, and deep abdominal muscles while loading the bones of the wrists, spine, and hips, making it one of the most effective bodyweight exercises for both strength and bone health.
If you have osteoporosis, you may have been told to avoid all twisting movements. That blanket advice is well-intentioned but overly cautious. The concern is with uncontrolled spinal rotation under load, think golf swings or sit-ups with a twist.
The twisting push up is fundamentally different: your spine stays in a neutral, supported plank position throughout the movement, and the rotation happens through the thoracic spine with your body weight distributed through your arms and feet.
In my Exercise for Better Bones program, I include this as an Elite-level exercise for clients who have already mastered the floor push up. (The next section covers the floor push up and is then followed by the twisting push up.)
Not ready for the floor version yet? Start with my guide to incline push ups, where I show you how to progressively build through each level.
Floor Push Up for Seniors
The Floor Push up exercise is an Athletic level strength exercise from the Exercise for Better Bones Program. I demonstrate the exercise in this video.
Muscles Used in The Floor Push Up
The floor push up exercise targets muscles in the chest, triceps and abdominals as well as bones in the wrists, hips and spine.
Floor Push Up Instructions
- Have your hands positioned wider than shoulder, up to one and a half shoulder-widths.
- My shoulders are about 14 inches wide, so I can place my hands up to 21 inches in width.
- Place your hands turned slightly towards one another and the elbows out to the side.
- Have your hands underneath your shoulders.
- Rest onto the balls of your feet, toes right underneath you, equal weight-bearing through all your toes.
Take your breath in.
Your upper arms come down to where you’re parallel to the floor and press back away.
You want to ensure that your entire body is moving towards the floor simultaneously.
Do not lead with your head or your pelvis.
One training tip that works really nicely is to place a ruler down your shirt.
The ruler along the back ensures that your head stays in line.
Step 1 of the Floor Push Up
Step 2 of the Floor Push Up
Twisting Push Ups and Osteoporosis Exercise
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Twisting Push Up
The Twisting Push Up is a strength exercise from the Exercise for Better Bones program specifically designed for the Elite Level.
Muscles Used in the Twisting Push Up
The exercise targets the muscles of the chest, triceps, deep abdominals and back. It also targets the bones in the wrist, spine and hips.
Twisting Push Up Instructions
The tricky part of the twisting push up exercise is your foot position. You want your feet wide enough apart so that when you rotate, you’re able to go onto the inside and also the outside of each foot without them getting in each other’s way.
The twisting push up is done once you’ve mastered your floor push ups.
- With your feet at least 10 inches apart, depending on the size of your feet, you want to have your hands under your shoulders.
- They can be slightly wider than shoulder width up to one and a half shoulder-width apart.
- You take your breath in, go down, and do a full push-up.
- As you come out of it, you explode up onto one hand.
- Back down, and explode up.
- Rotate or twist.
- Note here the position of the feet.
- In the side plank position, you maintain your body alignment, so your head is in line with your sternum and with your pelvis.
- Do not drop or go too high through your plank position with the twist.
- A training tip would be to perform this with the ruler.
Shoulder Pain From Twisting Push Ups
Push ups are a popular exercise. However, what if you experience should pain from twisting push ups? Could you damage your shoulder if you do not do push ups properly?
My post will help you diagnose and correct your push up pain.
Twisting Push Ups FAQ
Margaret Martin
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