📖 Read-only demo. All content is browsable; accounts, saved progress, and quizzes need the full app — run it locally from GitHub.

Skip to content
beginnerhorizontal-pushclosed-chainSource-checked

Push-Up Plus

Also called: Scapular push-up (plus)

Primary muscles: Serratus anterior

Secondary muscles: Deltoid, Pectoralis major

Joints / actions: Glenohumeral joint (flexion)

Plane: transverse

Equipment: bodyweight

What it is

A push-up with an extra push at the top that rounds the upper back slightly, spreading the shoulder blades apart.

Purpose

Strengthens the serratus anterior and trains healthy scapular protraction/upward rotation.

Starting position

Start in a push-up (or, to regress, a hands-elevated) plank position with a straight body.

Step by step

  1. Perform a normal push-up (optional — the 'plus' can be done from the top position alone).
  2. At the top, without bending the elbows, push the floor away further so your upper back rounds slightly and the shoulder blades spread apart.
  3. Reverse smoothly, letting the shoulder blades draw back together.

Breathing

Exhale on the push/protraction; inhale as you return.

Coaching cues

"Push the floor away and reach the upper back to the ceiling." Small, controlled range.

Common mistakes

Bending the elbows to fake the movement; shrugging the neck; overarching the low back.

Easier regression

Perform against a wall or on hands elevated on a bench; or do the 'plus' on hands and knees.

Harder progression

Full push-up plus, or add a slow tempo.

Alternatives

Wall slides, serratus wall push, bear-crawl holds.

Who may benefit

People wanting better shoulder-blade control and shoulder health, and those with 'winging' tendencies.

Who should modify or avoid it

Anyone with acute shoulder pain should get assessed before loading.

Why this exercise works

The 'plus' (scapular protraction) directly loads the serratus anterior, which is essential for stable, pain-free overhead and pressing mechanics and is often under-trained.

⚠ Safety note

Keep the neck relaxed and the low back neutral. Stop if the shoulder pinches.

Sources

“The serratus anterior protracts and upwardly rotates the scapula and holds it against the thoracic wall.”

Anatomy and Physiology 2e — OpenStax, Rice University · Ch. 11.5 Muscles of the Pectoral Girdle and Upper Limbs

Peer-reviewed textbook · License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Last checked 2026-07-19

Sign in to save this exercise and add notes.