Incline Push-Up Depth Jump

Execution

1. Keep your body in one straight line from head to heels with your feet on the floor, core and glutes braced tight.
2. Lower down to the floor between the two steps by bending the elbows, chest coming close to the ground.
3. Push the floor away fast and hard enough to launch both hands off the ground.
4. While airborne, move your hands over to land on the two raised steps.
5. Land on the steps by bending the elbows immediately to absorb the impact, never with locked elbows.
6. Lower back down from the raised position to return between the two steps and repeat.
7. Do 3-5 reps a set with 2 minutes of rest, because the wrists and shoulders brake your upper-body weight on every landing; once the hands stop leaving the floor, the set is over.

Quick cues

• Push the floor away fast.
• Soft elbows the instant you land.
• Body stays one straight block, head to heels.
• Jump just high enough to switch hands.
• Think of pushing off hot coals.

Common faults

• Fault: The hips sagging on the way down between the two steps

  Fix: Brace the core and glutes before every descent; if it still sags, drop back to a non-plyo incline push-up first.

• Fault: Landing on the steps with locked, stiff elbows

  Fix: Lower the step height and rebuild the drill until the elbows always bend soft on landing.

• Fault: The hands missing the steps or landing off-center

  Fix: Practice the hand-switch slowly without the jump first, placing the hands on the steps by hand.

• Fault: Not jumping high enough, so the hands clip the edge of the step

  Fix: Lower the step to its smallest height and only raise it after you clear it cleanly several times in a row.