What muscles does push up jacks work?

Push Up Jacks mainly works your chest. It also works your shoulders, triceps and abs.

What equipment do you need for push up jacks?

You do not need any equipment for push up jacks. You can do it with just your body.

How do you do push up jacks?

Here is how to do push up jacks. Start in a strong plank position with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders and your feet together. Set your body in one straight line from head to heels. Brace your core and squeeze your glutes so your hips do not sag or pike. Set your shoulders down and back and spread your fingers for a stable base. Take a breath and lower your chest toward the floor by bending your elbows, keeping them tucked to about 45 degrees rather than flaring wide. Control the descent over about a second. Lower until your chest is just above the floor, keeping your body rigid and your hips level. This is the push-up portion of the movement. As you press back up by straightening your arms, jump your feet wide apart at the same time, like the legs of a jumping jack. The jump adds a cardio and core challenge to the push-up. Land softly on the balls of your feet in the wide position, keeping your hips level and your core tight. Do not let your lower back sag as your feet spread. Jump your feet back together as you begin lowering into the next push-up. Coordinate the leg jump with the arm movement in a smooth rhythm. Keep your core braced and your body in one line the whole time, no matter what your legs are doing. The abs work hard to keep you stable as your feet move. Breathe in a steady rhythm and keep the pace controlled but brisk. This is a conditioning-style move, so most people do best in timed sets or the 10 to 20 rep range for 3 to 4 rounds.

What are common mistakes to avoid with push up jacks?

When you do push up jacks, avoid these common mistakes: letting your hips sag toward the floor; piking your hips up in the air; flaring your elbows out wide.

Is push up jacks good for beginners?

Push Up Jacks is an intermediate exercise. It works best once you know the basics.

Push Up Jacks Exercise - How To Video & Tips

Push Up Jacks Overview

Push up jacks mix a push up with a jumping jack. This move works your chest. Your chest muscles are the big muscles across the front of your body. You do a push up. Then you jump your feet wide and back together with each rep. This also works your shoulders, triceps, and abs. You need no equipment, just your body and some floor space. Push up jacks build chest strength and get your heart pumping at once. The foot jumps add speed and a core challenge. This move suits lifters who can already do good push ups. Use it on push day or in a fast circuit. It is a great way to burn energy and build your upper body. You can do push up jacks at home with no gear at all.

What Is The Point of the Push Up Jacks?

Push up jacks combine push ups with jumping jacks to torch calories while building upper body strength. You get cardio and strength training in one killer move.

How To Do The Push Up Jacks

Start in a strong plank position with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders and your feet together. Set your body in one straight line from head to heels.
Brace your core and squeeze your glutes so your hips do not sag or pike. Set your shoulders down and back and spread your fingers for a stable base.
Take a breath and lower your chest toward the floor by bending your elbows, keeping them tucked to about 45 degrees rather than flaring wide. Control the descent over about a second.
Lower until your chest is just above the floor, keeping your body rigid and your hips level. This is the push-up portion of the movement.
As you press back up by straightening your arms, jump your feet wide apart at the same time, like the legs of a jumping jack. The jump adds a cardio and core challenge to the push-up.
Land softly on the balls of your feet in the wide position, keeping your hips level and your core tight. Do not let your lower back sag as your feet spread.
Jump your feet back together as you begin lowering into the next push-up. Coordinate the leg jump with the arm movement in a smooth rhythm.
Keep your core braced and your body in one line the whole time, no matter what your legs are doing. The abs work hard to keep you stable as your feet move.
Breathe in a steady rhythm and keep the pace controlled but brisk. This is a conditioning-style move, so most people do best in timed sets or the 10 to 20 rep range for 3 to 4 rounds.

Push Up Jacks Form Tips

Keep your body in one straight line. Do not let your hips sag or rise.
Place your hands a bit wider than your shoulders.
Lower your chest toward the floor. Get a full push up each rep.
Keep your hips level as your feet jump wide.
Land soft on your feet. Do not stomp down.
Keep your core tight the whole time. This holds your body steady.
Look at the floor. Keep your neck in line with your back.
Breathe in as you lower. Breathe out as you push and jump.
Move with control. Do not let the jumps throw off your form.

Common Mistakes to Avoid for the Push Up Jacks

Letting your hips sag toward the floor. When your core gives out, your lower back arches and takes strain while your chest stops working. Squeeze your glutes and brace your core so your body stays in one straight line from head to heels.
Piking your hips up in the air. Hiking your butt up makes the push-up easier but takes the load off your chest and turns it into a shoulder move. Keep your hips level with your shoulders throughout.
Flaring your elbows out wide. Elbows that point straight out to the sides stress the shoulders and weaken your press. Tuck them to about 45 degrees so the chest and triceps do the work.
Only doing half push-ups. Bending your arms just a little bit cheats the range and skips most of the chest work. Lower your chest to just above the floor on every rep.
Losing core tension when your feet jump. It is easy to let your midsection go soft as you focus on the leg movement. Keep bracing hard so your hips stay level while your feet jump wide and back.
Landing hard and heavy on your feet. Slamming your feet down jars your joints and throws off your rhythm. Land softly on the balls of your feet and stay light and controlled.
Rushing so fast your form falls apart. Racing through the movement quickly turns it into a sloppy flail that works nothing well. Keep a brisk but controlled pace where each push-up is real.
Craning your neck up or dropping your head. Lifting your chin to look forward or letting your head hang strains your neck. Keep your neck in line with your spine and your gaze at the floor.
Doing the push-up and the jack separately instead of together. Splitting the two into disconnected moves loses the flowing challenge. Coordinate the press up with the feet jumping for the intended effect.
Holding your breath through the reps. Locking your breath on a conditioning move leaves you gassed and dizzy fast. Keep a steady breathing rhythm throughout.
Letting your hands drift out of position. If your hands creep too wide or forward, your shoulders take a bad angle. Keep your hands slightly wider than your shoulders and stacked under your upper chest.

Push Up Jacks Workout Tips

Keep your body in one rigid line from head to heels. A strong plank shape is the foundation that lets the push-up and the jack work together.
Brace your core hard the entire time, especially as your feet jump. The abs work overtime to keep you stable while your legs move.
Tuck your elbows to about 45 degrees on the push-up. This protects your shoulders and keeps the chest and triceps loaded.
Lower your chest to just above the floor every rep. A full range works the chest far better than shallow half reps.
Chase the mind-muscle connection with your chest on the press. Even in a fast-paced move, thinking about your chest keeps the push-up productive.
Land softly on the balls of your feet when you jump wide. Light landings protect your joints and keep your rhythm smooth.
Use push up jacks as a conditioning finisher or in a circuit. They blend chest strength with cardio, so they are great for fat loss and endurance.
Program them in timed sets, like 30 to 45 seconds, or in the 10 to 20 rep range for 3 to 4 rounds. Match the format to your conditioning goal.
Scale down by dropping to your knees or removing the jump if the full version is too hard. Build strength first, then add the challenge.
Scale up by adding a clap or a deeper jump once the basic version feels easy. That is your progressive overload for a bodyweight move.
Coordinate the press and the leg jump into one smooth motion. The flowing rhythm is what makes the exercise effective and fun.
Keep your neck neutral and your gaze at the floor. This protects your neck and keeps your plank position honest.
Film a set from the side to check for sagging or piking hips. The camera shows your body line breaking before you feel it.
Pair push up jacks with other bodyweight moves for a no-equipment workout. They fit perfectly into a home or travel routine.
Keep the pace brisk but never so fast that your form breaks. Quality reps at a steady clip beat a frantic sloppy blur.
Squeeze your chest at the top of each push-up. That brief contraction adds quality even in a fast-moving set.
Be consistent. Push up jacks build chest strength and conditioning at once, making them a time-efficient staple you can do anywhere.