Ankle Tap Pushups
How to do Ankle Tap Pushups
- 1
Adopt the top position of a push up, with your hands directly underneath your shoulders and your shoulders, hips and ankles forming a straight line angled slightly towards the floor. This is the starting position.
- 2
Lower your body towards the floor by flexing at the elbows, keeping them tucked into the side of your torso as you do so.
- 3
When your chest is just above the floor and your elbows are fully flexed, push through your hands and extend at the elbows. As you reach the top position of the push up, push your bottom towards the ceiling and fold at the hips, keeping both your arms and legs straight as you do so. As you move into this V-shape, lift your left hand from the floor and reach to touch your right ankle.
- 4
Return your left hand to the position underneath your shoulders in contact with the floor, and lower your hips back towards the floor until you have returned to the top position of a push up, and the starting position outlined above.
- 5
The act of performing the movements outlined above so that you have touched each ankle with the opposite hand, is equal to one repetition (i.e. you will have to perform two push ups in order to have completed one full repetition. Repeat for as many reps as necessary.
Form cues
- It is very common to allow your hips to sag in the top position of a push up, which moves your lumbar spine into extension and can cause discomfort. In order to prevent this from happening, it is important to engage your core fully. Imagine you are pulling your belly button towards your spine in order to help you do so.
Breathing: 1. Inhale as you lower your body towards the floor from the starting position. 2. Exhale as you push back to the top of the push up position and touch one ankle with the opposite hand.
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