How to do a Balance Trainer Push Up
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Balance Trainer Push Up
Instructions for Proper Form
Balance Training Push Up is a more advanced variation on the standard Push Up. This variation adds a significant amount of instability to the movement, and is a great way to improve stability across pushing movements in general. The added instability also makes this exercise more taxing, and is a great way to add more difficulty and complexity to your Push Ups.
- Position your palms on the outside of the Balance Trainer, dome side up, to support your bodyweight.
- Elevate your knees to straighten your body from your heels to your shoulders and maintain this straight alignment throughout the exercise.
- Flex your elbows to descend your chest to the Balance Trainer keeping your elbows about 45 degrees from your torso.
- Once your chest has reached the top of the Balance Trainer, extend your elbows to return to the starting position.
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
Average Balance Trainer Push Up standards by male, female, gender, weight, age and height
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
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Alternative Exercises to Balance Trainer Push Up
1. Dumbbell Bench Press
99.7 mSCORESWAPPED 3,151 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.
2. Machine Fly
98.2 mSCORESWAPPED 2,744 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.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Fly Machine
3. Machine Bench Press
93.5 mSCORESWAPPED 2,206 TIMESMachine Bench Press is a compound exercise the primarily targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. The use of a machine forces you to use a fixed range of motion which can be a great way to learn the movement, or to focus your effort on exertion rather than stability.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Bench Press Machine
4. Dumbbell Fly
98.3 mSCORESWAPPED 2,205 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.
5. Barbell Bench Press
99.2 mSCORESWAPPED 1,665 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.
6. Push Up
94.5 mSCORESWAPPED 1,631 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
7. Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
99 mSCORESWAPPED 1,534 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.
8. Push Up on Knees
83.4 mSCORESWAPPED 1,491 TIMESPush Up on Knees is a beginner-friendly variation of the standard Push Up. This compound, bodyweight exercise primarily targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. By performing the exercise on your knees, you reduce the overall resistance, making it easier to execute. This is a great exercise for building the foundational strength needed to progress to full Push Ups.
- Beginner
- Chest
9. Incline Push Up
77.2 mSCORESWAPPED 1,376 TIMESTargets the lower chest and shoulders by elevating the feet, decreasing the difficulty level compared to traditional push-ups. This variation is beneficial for beginners or those focusing on lower chest development.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Flat Bench
10. Cable Crossover Fly
97.3 mSCORESWAPPED 1,321 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.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Cable Crossover