Pike Push-Up (Between Benches)
What Is the Pike Push-Up (Between Benches)?
Pike Push-Up (Between Benches) is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders and also engages the triceps and upper chest. It is an advanced-level movement and the hardest step on the pike push-up progression before a free-standing handstand press.
Two changes make it harder than a standard Pike Push-Up. The feet sit on an elevated bench, which tips more of your bodyweight onto the hands and steepens the pressing angle toward vertical. The hands rest on the edges of a second bench so the head can travel below hand level, adding a deficit that extends the range of motion at the bottom.
That combination turns a bodyweight movement into a genuine overhead strength exercise. The front and lateral deltoids do most of the work, the triceps finish the lockout, and the serratus and trapezius control the shoulder blades as they rotate upward. For anyone training without heavy dumbbells or a barbell, it is the closest bodyweight substitute for the Barbell Overhead Press.
The steeper you make the hips, the more vertical the press becomes and the harder it gets. Shifting the feet further back or lowering the elevation gives you a straightforward way to regulate difficulty within a single session, which is useful when you are working close to failure.
It suits calisthenics athletes building toward the Handstand Push-Up, as well as lifters who want extra overhead volume without loading the spine.
Muscles Worked
- Deltoid
- Primary
- Pectoralis Major
- Medium
- Serratus Anterior
- Medium
- Upper Trapezius
- Medium
Instructions
- Set two flat benches roughly shoulder-width apart, with a stable gap between them for the head to pass through.
- Place the hands on the inner edges of the benches, slightly wider than shoulder-width, fingers pointing forward.
- Walk the feet up onto the far bench so the body forms an inverted V with the hips stacked high over the shoulders.
- Brace the core and set the shoulder blades, keeping the ribs down rather than letting the back arch.
- Bend the elbows and lower the head between the hands in a controlled tempo.
- Descend until the head is just below hand level, keeping the elbows at roughly 45 degrees to the body.
- Press back up by extending the elbows and pushing the floor away, letting the shoulder blades rotate upward.
- Lock out with the hips still high and reset your breath before the next rep.
Common Mistakes
Hips drifting low
Letting the hips sag turns the exercise into a [Decline Push-Up](/exercises/decline-push-up) and shifts the work from the shoulders to the chest.
Flaring the elbows wide
Elbows pointing straight out to the sides compress the front of the shoulder in the bottom position.
Cutting the range short
Stopping before the head passes below hand level throws away the deficit that makes this variation worth doing.
Resting the head on the bench
Taking weight through the head or neck at the bottom means the shoulders are no longer doing the work and puts the cervical spine at risk.
Unstable bench setup
Benches that can slide apart under load turn a hard rep into a fall.
Rushing the descent
Dropping quickly into the deficit removes the controlled stretch and loads the shoulder with momentum instead of tension.
Injuries
Pike Push-Up (Between Benches) is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The load is only your bodyweight, but the near-vertical pressing angle and the deficit put the shoulder in a demanding overhead position at the bottom of every rep.
The front of the shoulder is the usual strain point. Flaring the elbows straight out to the sides pinches the joint at depth, so keep them angled forward at roughly 45 degrees. The wrists take the second-highest load, since they are extended and bearing most of your weight. Warm them up first and stop the set if you feel any pinching in the wrist joint. Because the head passes below the hands, bench stability is a real safety concern: check that both benches are solid and will not slide before the first rep.
Build up to it rather than jumping in. The standard Pike Push-Up on the floor comes first, then feet elevated on a single bench, and only then the deficit between benches. If the head or neck ever takes weight at the bottom, the movement is too hard for your current strength and you should regress.
Stop immediately if you feel sharp shoulder pinching, wrist pain, or if you cannot control the descent and are dropping the last few inches.
- Primary Focus
- Shoulders
- Equipment
- Body weight and bench
- Modality
- Strength
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How do I make it easier?
Lower the foot elevation, walk the feet further from the hands so the press is less vertical, or move back to a floor Pike Push-Up until you own the range.
- Q: How do I make it harder?
Raise the foot elevation, walk the hands closer to the benches so the torso is more vertical, or slow the descent to a three second tempo.
- Q: Is it a good substitute for overhead pressing?
Yes. It trains the same vertical pressing pattern without a barbell, which makes it valuable for home and travel training.
- Q: My wrists hurt. What should I do?
Warm up the wrists thoroughly and try gripping the bench edges so the hands stay in a more neutral position, or use parallettes so the wrists stay straight.
- Q: How many reps should I aim for?
Treat it as a strength exercise: sets of 5 to 8 controlled reps with a rep or two left in reserve are more productive than grinding to failure.