Ready for a challenge? I'm a personal trainer, and this 90-rep decline push-up workout will test upper-body strength in just 9 minutes
Ready for a challenge? I'm a personal trainer, and this 90-rep decline push-up workout will test upper-body strength in just 9 minutes
Features
By Sam Hopes last updated 10 hours ago
I challenge you to a push-up challenge...
(1)
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Man at home doing a deficit push-up with both feet on the couch
Man at home doing a deficit push-up with both feet on the couch (Image credit: Shutterstock)
What if I told you that you could torch your upper body in just nine minutes — if you’re prepared to try 90 reps of decline push-ups against the clock. This upper-body strength challenge will fatigue your shoulders, triceps, and pectoral muscles, all while working your core.
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The humble push-up is a bodyweight exercise that builds upper-body strength, targeting the front of the body — specifically, your chest and anterior deltoids — with assistance from your arms and core muscles. It also develops your pushing power. Decline push-ups dial up the intensity even further by elevating your feet above shoulder level.
If you’ve got standard push-ups in the bank, try this 90-rep decline push-up challenge and test yourself against a timer.
HOW TO DO DECLINE PUSH-UPS
Not to be confused with the deficit push-up, the decline push-up elevates your feet rather than your hands. You can use an exercise ball for your feet, or a box or bench. This front-loads the body and increases the emphasis on your working muscles.
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How:
Vector decline push-up
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
Place a box behind you, then position your feet on it hip-width apart, resting on the balls of your feet
Walk your hands out into a push-up position with your hands beneath your shoulders
Brace your core and give your glutes and quads a squeeze
Bend your elbows and lower your chest to the ground
Pause, then push upward and extend both arms.
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The higher you elevate your feet, the harder the exercise becomes. Just make sure you don’t end up performing a shoulder press with your body vertical.
Every minute on the minute, perform 10 decline push-ups, then rest until the next minute begins. Aim to complete the full 90 reps, totaling nine minutes.
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Minute 1: Perform 10 push-ups then rest
Minute 2: Repeat
Minute 3: If it's too difficult, adjust your reps and remain consistent for the remaining rounds
Minute 4: At this stage, if it's too easy, move to eccentric tempo (see more below).
TIPS FROM A PERSONAL TRAINER
This might seem like a simple challenge, and, true, the format is. However, 90 is a lot of reps, and you will be against the clock. The timing doesn’t change, so your reps are likely going to take longer to complete, reducing your rest time as fatigue sets in. It’s easy to fall behind as a result.
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Aim for at least 10 seconds of rest per round. If you cannot complete the full 10 reps every round, complete what you can with 10 to 15 seconds to spare for recovery before the next round.
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No, not planks — I swapped them for Pilates push-ups, and my core and arms feel strong and stable
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The aim is to finish the full 90 reps, but most importantly, you want to be consistent. If that means finishing short of 90 but completing the same number of reps each round, that is more of a success in my books than starting at 10 and reducing the reps each round.
Advertisement
If you find the challenge too easy, introduce tempo training or Time Under Tension (TUT). During the eccentric (lowering) phase of the push-up, slow it down, then push upward with power. It'll take longer and increase the loading on your body, all without lifting a single weight.
Avoid dropping your hips, as this signals that you are not engaging your core properly. Also, try to avoid half or quarter reps — your chest should be fully lowering toward the floor.
Bodyweight upper body exercises are functional — think about how often you get up off the floor, open a door, or push something away from you. I’m an advocate for pushing and pulling your own weight properly before focusing on load or variations. Even adding a few sets of push-ups into your routine before you perform a bench press or overhead press helps prepare the bones, joints and muscles.
Features
By Sam Hopes last updated 10 hours ago
I challenge you to a push-up challenge...
(1)
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Man at home doing a deficit push-up with both feet on the couch
Man at home doing a deficit push-up with both feet on the couch (Image credit: Shutterstock)
What if I told you that you could torch your upper body in just nine minutes — if you’re prepared to try 90 reps of decline push-ups against the clock. This upper-body strength challenge will fatigue your shoulders, triceps, and pectoral muscles, all while working your core.
Advertisement
The humble push-up is a bodyweight exercise that builds upper-body strength, targeting the front of the body — specifically, your chest and anterior deltoids — with assistance from your arms and core muscles. It also develops your pushing power. Decline push-ups dial up the intensity even further by elevating your feet above shoulder level.
If you’ve got standard push-ups in the bank, try this 90-rep decline push-up challenge and test yourself against a timer.
HOW TO DO DECLINE PUSH-UPS
Not to be confused with the deficit push-up, the decline push-up elevates your feet rather than your hands. You can use an exercise ball for your feet, or a box or bench. This front-loads the body and increases the emphasis on your working muscles.
Advertisement
How:
Vector decline push-up
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
Place a box behind you, then position your feet on it hip-width apart, resting on the balls of your feet
Walk your hands out into a push-up position with your hands beneath your shoulders
Brace your core and give your glutes and quads a squeeze
Bend your elbows and lower your chest to the ground
Pause, then push upward and extend both arms.
Advertisement
The higher you elevate your feet, the harder the exercise becomes. Just make sure you don’t end up performing a shoulder press with your body vertical.
Every minute on the minute, perform 10 decline push-ups, then rest until the next minute begins. Aim to complete the full 90 reps, totaling nine minutes.
Advertisement
Minute 1: Perform 10 push-ups then rest
Minute 2: Repeat
Minute 3: If it's too difficult, adjust your reps and remain consistent for the remaining rounds
Minute 4: At this stage, if it's too easy, move to eccentric tempo (see more below).
TIPS FROM A PERSONAL TRAINER
This might seem like a simple challenge, and, true, the format is. However, 90 is a lot of reps, and you will be against the clock. The timing doesn’t change, so your reps are likely going to take longer to complete, reducing your rest time as fatigue sets in. It’s easy to fall behind as a result.
Advertisement
Aim for at least 10 seconds of rest per round. If you cannot complete the full 10 reps every round, complete what you can with 10 to 15 seconds to spare for recovery before the next round.
YOU MAY LIKE
Woman in studio next to brick wall in a tabletop position
This one bodyweight exercise strengthens your upper body and core without weights — and no, it’s not regular push-ups or planks
Woman performing a push-up bodyweight workout outdoors on a deck by the ocean
No, not planks — I swapped them for Pilates push-ups, and my core and arms feel strong and stable
Man performing one-arm push-up outdoors with right hand down and left arm behind back
Personal trainer recommends the one arm plank as the perfect way to upgrade your core workouts — I gave it a try
The aim is to finish the full 90 reps, but most importantly, you want to be consistent. If that means finishing short of 90 but completing the same number of reps each round, that is more of a success in my books than starting at 10 and reducing the reps each round.
Advertisement
If you find the challenge too easy, introduce tempo training or Time Under Tension (TUT). During the eccentric (lowering) phase of the push-up, slow it down, then push upward with power. It'll take longer and increase the loading on your body, all without lifting a single weight.
Avoid dropping your hips, as this signals that you are not engaging your core properly. Also, try to avoid half or quarter reps — your chest should be fully lowering toward the floor.
Bodyweight upper body exercises are functional — think about how often you get up off the floor, open a door, or push something away from you. I’m an advocate for pushing and pulling your own weight properly before focusing on load or variations. Even adding a few sets of push-ups into your routine before you perform a bench press or overhead press helps prepare the bones, joints and muscles.
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Summary
90-rep decline push-up challenge for upper-body strength testing in just 9 minutes. This workout targets shoulders, triceps, and pectoral muscles, while also working the core. Decline push-ups are a more intense version of standard push-ups where feet are elevated, increasing emphasis on working