Is the Push-Up Jack a strength or a cardio exercise?

It is mainly a conditioning drill that also builds upper-body endurance. The push-up loads the chest, shoulders and triceps, while the continuous hopping keeps the heart rate high, so it fits best in circuits and intervals rather than heavy strength work.

Do the feet jump out on the way down or at the top?

In this version the feet hop out as you lower and back together as you press up, so arms and legs move at the same time. Some coaches teach a full push-up followed by a jack at the top, which is easier to coordinate and a good stepping stone to the synchronized version.

What can I do if a full Push-Up Jack is too hard?

Step the feet out and in one at a time instead of hopping, or place the hands on a bench to lighten the push-up. You can also build each half separately with the Push-Up and the Plank Jack.

How many Push-Up Jacks should I do?

They are usually programmed as 20 to 40 second intervals or sets of 8 to 15 reps inside a circuit. End each set when your hips start to sag or your push-ups get shallow, rather than chasing a number.

Push-Up Jack

What Is the Push-Up Jack?

Push-Up Jack is a compound exercise that primarily targets the chest and also engages the shoulders, triceps and core. It is an intermediate-level movement that joins a full Push-Up to a jack: the feet hop out wide as the body lowers and hop back together as the arms press up, so every rep loads the upper body while keeping the heart rate high.

The Push-Up Jack is a conditioning drill rather than a pure strength builder. It is most at home as a station in HIIT, bootcamp and circuit workouts, or as a finisher at the end of an upper-body session, usually done for timed intervals rather than slow, heavy sets. It suits anyone who wants pressing work and cardio in the same block without equipment, though for building maximal pressing strength a slower push-up or a loaded press remains the better tool.

The pressing work falls on the chest, front shoulders and triceps, with the serratus anterior keeping the shoulder blades against the ribs. The core works harder than in a plain push-up, because it has to stop the hips sagging or twisting each time the feet land in a new position. The outer hips drive the legs apart, the inner thighs bring them back, and the calves supply the small hop. Some coaches teach a version with a full push-up followed by a jack at the top, which is easier to coordinate than moving arms and legs together, while placing the hands on a bench lowers the pressing load.

The exercise suits people who can already perform a set of clean push-ups and hold a steady high plank. If either is missing, build them separately with the Push-Up, the Plank and the Plank Jack, then combine them once both feel controlled. Clients who should avoid jumping can step the feet out and in one at a time and keep the same push-up.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Pectoralis Major: Primary
Deltoid: High
Triceps Brachii (Lateral Head): High
External Oblique: Medium
Rectus Abdominis: Medium
Serratus Anterior: Medium
Triceps Brachii (Medial Head): Medium
Adductor Longus: Low
Gastrocnemius (Medial Head): Low
Gluteus Medius: Low

Instructions

Start in a high plank with your hands flat on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width, fingers spread, and your feet together on the balls of your feet.
Brace your core and lightly squeeze your glutes so your body forms a straight line from head to heels, with your neck neutral and your eyes on the floor just ahead of your hands.
Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor, keeping them at about 45 degrees from your torso, and at the same moment hop both feet out to a stance wider than your hips.
Land softly on the balls of your feet as your chest reaches just above the floor, with your hips level with your shoulders.
Press the floor away to straighten your arms and, as you rise, hop your feet back together.
Arrive back in the high plank with your feet together, arms straight and body still in one line, then flow straight into the next rep.
Keep the hop low and quiet, breathing in as you lower and out as you press.
End the set when your hips sag or pike or your push-up no longer reaches full depth.

Common Mistakes

Sagging hips
Letting the lower back drop as the feet land wide loads the lumbar spine and takes the core out of the exercise.
Piking the hips
Pushing the hips up to make the hop easier shortens the push-up and shifts weight off the chest and arms.
Half reps
Cutting the push-up short to keep pace with the feet turns the press into a small bounce and removes most of the upper-body work.
Flared elbows
Letting the elbows point straight out to the sides puts more stress on the front of the shoulder than keeping them at about 45 degrees.
Big, heavy landings
Jumping the feet too wide or landing flat and loud jolts the hips out of line, while a low hop onto the balls of the feet keeps the plank steady.

Injuries

Push-Up Jack is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. It carries the wrist, elbow and shoulder demands of a standard push-up and adds a repeated hop in the plank, which every landing must absorb without the hips dropping or twisting. Most problems appear late in a timed set, when fatigue lets the lower back sag and the push-up gets shorter and sloppier.

The wrists take body weight in full extension, so stack the hands under or just outside the shoulders, spread the fingers and press through the whole hand rather than the heel of the palm. The shoulders are most stressed when the elbows flare straight out to the sides; keeping them at about 45 degrees from the torso spreads the load more evenly. The lower back is protected by bracing the core and lightly squeezing the glutes, and by keeping the hop low and quiet so the landing does not throw the hips out of line.

To regress, step the feet out and in one at a time, or practice the Push-Up and the Plank Jack separately before combining them. To progress, lengthen the work intervals or move on to the Burpee. Stop the set when the hips sag or pike, or the push-up no longer reaches depth, and stop entirely if you feel sharp pain in the wrists, shoulders or lower back.

Overview

Primary Focus: Chest and cardio
Equipment: Body weight
Modality: Cardio
Difficulty: Intermediate

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the Push-Up Jack a strength or a cardio exercise?: It is mainly a conditioning drill that also builds upper-body endurance. The push-up loads the chest, shoulders and triceps, while the continuous hopping keeps the heart rate high, so it fits best in circuits and intervals rather than heavy strength work.
Q: Do the feet jump out on the way down or at the top?: In this version the feet hop out as you lower and back together as you press up, so arms and legs move at the same time. Some coaches teach a full push-up followed by a jack at the top, which is easier to coordinate and a good stepping stone to the synchronized version.
Q: What can I do if a full Push-Up Jack is too hard?: Step the feet out and in one at a time instead of hopping, or place the hands on a bench to lighten the push-up. You can also build each half separately with the Push-Up and the Plank Jack.
Q: How many Push-Up Jacks should I do?: They are usually programmed as 20 to 40 second intervals or sets of 8 to 15 reps inside a circuit. End each set when your hips start to sag or your push-ups get shallow, rather than chasing a number.