Now for this push-up problem, I'm specifically referring to the
Feet-Elevated Push-Up...basically, the one done with your feet
set up on a bench, hands on the floor and body angled down in
order to focus on upper chest (and make the exercise a bit more
challenging).

And I know it's weird to say it, but the problem here
is the floor (bet you didn't even know the floor could be a
problem with the push-up!)

When you do a normal feet-elevated push-up, as you come to
the bottom, you have to flatten out your chest and torso, making
them horizontal, in order to keep your face from hitting the floor.

You're basically turning it right back into a regular push-up only
with your knees and body bent.

And that's NOT what we're looking for with that exercise.

So to solve that, you're going to be setting your hands on a bench
(FRONT EDGE) and hook your feet over a bar (or other solid
object) to get your body at that downwards angle. Because your
hands on the front edge, you're also going to get some additional
tension by keeping yourself in place and from gripping the
padding of the bench.

Set the bench a few feet in front of the bar (I'm using a bar set
in the power rack and pulled up against the uprights...you can
use whatever is high enough up that you can get your feet on).
Adjust the height of the bar to your liking.



Get your feet hooked over the bar and get your body straight. Now
you're in the top position of the elevated-feet push-up.



Lower yourself down.



As you can see, in the bottom position my head is BELOW the level
of the bench. THIS is what allows me to keep that declined body
position and maintain tension on the upper pecs during the movement,
which is what you CAN'T do if your hands are on the floor.

Now, can you use push-up handles or set your hands on dumbbell
handles to mimic this? Absolutely. It'll help.

But I STILL find that even with the hands raised a few inches on
handles, it doesn't give you nearly as much range of motion as
setting your hands on the bench in this fashion and not having to
worry AT ALL about pressing your face into the carpet...especially
if you elevate your legs even more than I have in the demo here
(the more vertical your body goes, the more useful this technique
becomes).

Give it a try next time you're training chest and see what you think!

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