‘Grasshopper Push-Ups’ Target Hard-to-Hit Obliques (and TBH, Just About Every Other Muscle)
The push-up has long been held as the absolute best move for working your upper body and core, no extra weight required. But if you want to kick things up a notch and turn it into a full-body move? Try the grasshopper push-up.
This 2.0 take on the exercise involves lowering your body to the ground (the same way you would with the regular version) while twisting to bring your knee to your opposite elbow. "The movement is a combination of upper and lower body activation working your chest, glutes, quads, triceps, and abdominal muscles," says Anthony Crouchelli, a fitness trainer. It works nearly every muscle in your body (including those hard-to-reach lower abs and obliques) in a single rep.
- Anthony Crouchelli, CPT, a fitness trainer, certified personal trainer, and the director of talent at Liteboxer
Since this is technically a more advanced version of your standard up-and-down, you'll want to first master the basic push-up. Here's how to make sure you've got that down:
When you're ready to progress, you'll want to make sure your core is strong enough to carry you through the full expression of the move. "Building strength in this exercise can be tricky, but working the core foundation is essential leading up to this move," says Crouchelli. Try alternating side plank hits, which involve transitioning your side-plank from side to side, as well as a downward-facing dog to side plank hits, in which you transition from a down dog into a side plank. Then, you'll be ready to try the grasshopper push-up out for yourself.
"The grasshopper push-up begins in a high plank position," says Crouchelli. "The activation begins in the lats as you begin to descend bending one of your knees and sliding that knee underneath your body. Activate your push-up without allowing that bent knee to hit the floor, and reset to your starting position." Alternate on the other side, and be sure to hit your left and right legs with an even number of reps.
Follow along with the video below to build full-body strength in no time at all.
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