The Explosive Floor-Breaking Bounce

Trail Log · Movement Breakdown

So you've mastered regular push-ups and you're thinking, 'These are fine, but I wish they were more terrifying.' Enter the plyometric push-up, also known as the push-up that tries to launch you into low Earth orbit. You start in the standard face-down position, hands and toes on the ground, arms extended, body straight — the usual push-up opening ceremony.

You descend like a normal push-up, chest heading toward the floor, elbows bending. But at the bottom, instead of your usual gentle push back up, you drive through your palms with violent urgency. You push so hard and so fast that your hands actually leave the ground. For a brief, glorious moment, you are airborne. You are a bird. You are freedom incarnate. Then gravity remembers you exist, you land, and you immediately do it again.

If you want to really show off — and let's be honest, at this point you clearly do — you can add a clap while your hands are in the air. That's right: push up, release, clap, land, repeat. It's the push-up equivalent of doing a trick on a skateboard, except the skateboard is the floor and the trick is not breaking your wrists. This builds explosive upper-body power that translates to anything requiring fast pushing — throwing a punch, passing a basketball, shoving a creepy guy out of your personal space. Start with regular plyo push-ups before adding claps, and always land with slightly bent elbows to protect your joints from the impact of being awesome.