The handstand push-up (press-up) - also called the vertical push-up (press-up) or the inverted push-up (press-up) also called "commandos"- is a type of push-up

exercise Exercise is a body activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardiovascular system, hone athletic ...

where the body is positioned in a handstand. For a true handstand, the exercise is performed free-standing, held in the air. To prepare the strength until one has built adequate balance, the feet are often placed against a wall, held by a partner, or secured in some other way from falling. Handstand pushups require significant strength, as well as balance and control if performed free-standing.

Similar exercises

The movement can be considered a bodyweight exercise similar to the military press, while the regular push-up is similar to the

bench press The bench press, or chest press, is a weight training exercise in which the trainee presses a weight upwards while lying on a weight training bench. Although the bench press is a full-body exercise, the muscles primarily used are the pectorali ...

Muscles

The primary muscles used in the handstand push-up are the anterior deltoid, middle deltoid, posterior deltoid,

pectoralis major The pectoralis major () is a thick, fan-shaped or triangular convergent muscle, situated at the chest of the human body. It makes up the bulk of the chest muscles and lies under the breast. Beneath the pectoralis major is the pectoralis minor, a ...

, upper trapezius, and triceps brachii.

Ability

The handstand push-up is measured in the Men's Gymnastics Functional Measurement Tool (MGFMT). According to one test on competitive male gymnasts in the United States, those competing at Level 4 averaged 3.0 handstand push-ups while those at Level 10 averaged 15.7.

References

External links

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