How to do a Partner Wheelbarrow Push Up
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Partner Wheelbarrow Push Up
Instructions for Proper Form
Partner Wheelbarrow Push Up is a unique compound movement that requires coordination between two individuals. This exercise targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps, while also engaging core muscles for stability. The added challenge of maintaining balance with a partner can lead to better muscle activation and coordination, making it a fun and effective variation for both partners.
- Partner 1: Position yourself on the ground in a high-plank or push up position with your hands under your shoulders and your arms straight with a slight bend in your elbow.
- Partner 2: Stand just behind your partner’s feet.
- Partner 1: Raise one leg up at a time, allowing your partner to grab each leg at the ankle.
- Partner 2: Grab your partner’s ankles and hold them in front of you at waist height. Make any adjustments needed for height.
- Partner 1: With both of your legs held by your partner, keep your core engaged, back straight, and legs active.
- Partner 1: Bend your elbows to descend towards the floor. Control your descent by holding tension in your chest, keeping your core engaged, and maintaining a straight back.
- Partner 1: Engage your chest, shoulders and triceps to extend your arms and raise yourself off the floor.
- After finishing your allotted reps, switch positions with your partner and repeat.
Sets & Reps Calculator
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Alternative Exercises to Partner Wheelbarrow Push Up
1. Push Up on Knees
83.4 mSCORESWAPPED 14 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.
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3. Decline Push Up
82.3 mSCORESWAPPED 5 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.
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4. Dumbbell Floor Press
73.8 mSCORESWAPPED 5 TIMESThe Dumbbell Floor Press targets the chest, triceps, and shoulders, offering a safer alternative to the bench press by limiting the range of motion. This exercise is effective for strengthening the upper body, with a focus on the lockout portion of the press, enhancing tricep strength and reducing shoulder strain. Ideal for those with limited equipment or seeking to minimize shoulder stress while still engaging the chest and arms.
5. Machine Fly
98.2 mSCORESWAPPED 5 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.
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6. Barbell Bench Press
99.2 mSCORESWAPPED 4 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. Hand Release Push Up
93.3 mSCORESWAPPED 4 TIMESHand Release Push Up is a variation on the standard push up. While the movement itself is nearly identical to a standard push up, by lifting your hands off the ground, you ensure that you’re moving through your full range of motion on each repetition.
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8. Smith Machine Incline Bench Press
96.4 mSCORESWAPPED 2 TIMESSmith Machine Bench Press is a variation on the more standard Barbell Incline Bench Press. Like other variations, this compound exercise primarily targets the chest, shoulders and triceps. The added stability from the Smith Machine makes this a great exercise for learning, or for focusing on exertion rather than stabilizing the movement.
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9. Balance Trainer Push Up
36.1 mSCORESWAPPED 2 TIMESBalance 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.
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