How to do a Balance Trainer Narrow Push Up
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
Workouts with Balance Trainer Narrow Push Up
Instructions for Proper Form
Similar to other Push Up Variations, this exercise primarily targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. A narrow grip further emphasizes recruitment of the triceps, while the use of a Balance Trainer adds significantly more instability to the movement.
- Stand behind the Balance Trainer in a dome side down position.
- Place the hands on top of the platform in a narrow stance and step back into plank position.
- Flex the arms and lower the chest toward the balance trainer.
- Press slowly back up to the straight arm plank position.
- Maintain a braced core throughout the exercise and avoid arching the lower back.
Common Form Mistakes
Flared Elbows
Flaring your elbows out can sometimes help you lift heavier weights, but it places more tension on your shoulders. The ideal position can vary slightly from person to person, but try to keep your elbows around 45 degrees from your torso, and make small adjustments from there.
Flat Back
Don’t allow your hips to sag or raise up during this exercise. It’s very common to see this especially as you become fatigued during your set. Keeping your core engaged will help you keep your spine in a neutral position. It can also help to think of this exercise as a plank first, and the movement as a secondary piece to this exercise.
Sets & Reps Calculator
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Alternatives & Variations to Balance Trainer Narrow Push Up
1. Push Up
94.5 mSCORESWAPPED 121 TIMESPush Ups may be the most recognizable exercises out there. It’s one of the best bodyweight exercises you can do, and is a great way to develop functional strength in your upper body for pushing movements. It’s fantastic for beginners, or anyone with limited equipment, while still being a great addition for even the most seasoned lifters.
- Intermediate
- Chest
2. Dumbbell Fly
98.3 mSCORESWAPPED 116 TIMESDumbbell Fly’s are one of the most common isolation chest exercises, and for good. It primarily targets the muscles in the chest, but also recruits the shoulders for stability. The use of dumbbells ensures that you’re targeting each side of the body independently, and prevents compensating for any weaknesses between sides. In addition the isolated nature of this exercise is a great way to fatigue your chest, and focus on building both muscle mass and increasing strength in your chest.
3. Cable Crossover Fly
97.3 mSCORESWAPPED 83 TIMESCable Crossover Fly is an isolation exercise that targets the chest. It’s a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Fly, and can easily be adapted to further isolate specific areas of the chest. Using cables to add resistance allows you to keep more consistent tension on your chest, as well as control the angle that the resistance is coming from.
4. Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
99 mSCORESWAPPED 71 TIMESDumbbell Incline Bench Press is a variation on the more standard Barbell Incline Bench Press. This compound exercise primarily targets the chest, but the incline also places more emphasis on the shoulders. The use of dumbbells makes this exercise more unstable than its barbell counterpart, while also forcing you to address any strength discrepancies between sides.
5. Machine Fly
98.2 mSCORESWAPPED 70 TIMESMachine Fly is a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Fly. This isolation chest exercise primarily targets the chest, but also recruits the shoulders. The use of a machine makes the exercise more stable allowing you to focus on exertion or learn the movement with minimal risk of injury. This is a great exercise for beginners looking to learn the movement, or advanced lifters looking to push this movement to it’s limit.
6. Barbell Bench Press
99.2 mSCORESWAPPED 70 TIMESBench Press is one of the three Powerlifting movements, and one of the most common upper body exercises. It’s a fantastic compound exercise that can help you build strength in your chest, shoulders, and triceps. It’s a staple in most fitness programs, and is often used as a metric for tracking upper body strength in general.
7. Decline Push Up
82.3 mSCORESWAPPED 63 TIMESDecline Push Up is a variation of the standard Push Up. This compound, bodyweight exercise primarily targets the chest and triceps, but places more emphasis on the upper chest and shoulders due to the inclined position of the feet. This is a great progression for those looking to make their Push Ups more challenging and to develop greater upper body strength.
- Intermediate
- Chest
- Flat Bench
8. Dumbbell Bench Press
99.7 mSCORESWAPPED 60 TIMESDumbbell Bench Press is a variation on the standard Bench Press. Like Bench Press, this compound exercise primarily targets the chest, while also training the triceps and shoulders. The use of dumbbells allows for greater instability which can help you become more stable on pushing movements in general, while also isolating each side of the body to prevent you from compensating for any weaknesses between sides.
9. Dumbbell Squeeze Press
91.1 mSCORESWAPPED 57 TIMESSimilar to other Bench Press variations, this compound exercise primarily targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. Unlike many other variations, some of the tension from this exercise is caused by pressing two dumbbells together rather than simply relying on the weight of those dumbbells. This helps maintain more tension in your chest throughout the movement without relying on other pieces of equipment. The positioning of the dumbbells can also take some tension out of your shoulders, and helps to further isolate your chest.
10. Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press
82 mSCORESWAPPED 54 TIMESAlternating Dumbbell Bench Press is a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Bench Press. Like other Bench Press variations, this compound exercise primarily targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. By alternating arms, you add instability and a greater need for core stabilization, helping to address any strength discrepancies between sides. This variation can also increase time under tension, making it an excellent exercise for muscle endurance.