Beast to Pushups
Beast to push-ups chains two positions: a quadruped hover with knees floating just off the floor, flowing back into a full plank for a push-up, then returning. It welds core stiffness to pushing strength — a favourite in equipment-free sessions when a plain push-up is not enough challenge. Coached by Maddy (NASM-CPT) — these are the exact form cues he gives on every client's first week.
Muscles worked
Sets & reps by goal
| Goal | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4 × 3–6 (pause each position) | 90 s–2 min |
| Muscle | 3 × 9–12 | 60–90 s |
| Endurance | 2–3 × 18–27 | 60 s |
Rep ranges per Helms 2014 · Schoenfeld 2016.
Level — Intermediate
Intermediate — clean push-ups and a steady beast hover are prerequisites, not suggestions.
Proper form — 5 cues
- Start on all fours, then hover both knees 2–3 cm off the floor with a flat, level back.
- Step one foot back at a time into a full plank, hands staying planted under the shoulders.
- Lower into the push-up with elbows tracking about 45 degrees from your torso.
- Press back up to a full lockout before walking the feet back in.
- Re-find the knee hover — same 2–3 cm — before the next rep starts.
Breathing: Inhale stepping back to plank, exhale pressing out of the push-up; keep breathing in the hover.
The 3 mistakes Maddy corrects most
How to program beast to pushups
| Goal | Phase | Sets | Reps | Tempo | Rest | RPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| strength | weeks 1–4 · build | 4 | 6 | 2-1-2-1 | 90 s–2 min | 7 |
| strength | weeks 5–8 · intensify | 4 | 4 | 2-1-2-1 | 90 s–2 min | 8 |
| strength | weeks 9–12 · peak | 4 | 3 | 2-1-2-1 | 90 s–2 min | 9 |
| hypertrophy | weeks 1–4 · build | 3 | 12 | 2-0-2-0 | 60–90 s | 7 |
| hypertrophy | weeks 5–8 · intensify | 3 | 10 | 2-0-2-0 | 60–90 s | 8 |
| hypertrophy | weeks 9–12 · peak | 3 | 9 | 2-0-2-0 | 60–90 s | 8–9 |
| endurance | weeks 1–4 · build | 2 | 18 | 1-0-1-0 | 60 s | 6 |
| endurance | weeks 5–8 · intensify | 3 | 22 | 1-0-1-0 | 60 s | 7 |
| endurance | weeks 9–12 · peak | 3 | 27 | 1-0-1-0 | 60 s | 7–8 |
| beginner | weeks 1–4 · learn | 2 | 8 | 2-1-2-1 | 60–90 s | 5 |
| beginner | weeks 5–8 · groove | 3 | 10 | 2-1-2-1 | 60–90 s | 6 |
| beginner | weeks 9–12 · load | 3 | 10 | 2-1-2-1 | 60–90 s | 6–7 |
Tempo = eccentric-pause-concentric-pause, seconds (X = explosive intent).
Common questions
What is the beast position, exactly?
All fours — hands under shoulders, knees under hips — with the knees hovering a few centimetres off the floor. That tiny lift forces the deep core, quads, and shoulders to share your bodyweight isometrically. It is a foundational hold in bodyweight training precisely because it looks easy and is not.
Can beginners do beast to push-ups?
In pieces, yes. First own a 20-second beast hover and 10 clean push-ups separately; then combine them, dropping the knees down for the transition if needed. The combined move asks the core to stay braced through changing shapes, which is a step beyond either piece alone — build the pieces first.
How is this better than just doing push-ups?
It is not better — it is broader. Push-ups train the press; this adds the hover's deep-core demand and the transition's moving-plank challenge, so each rep costs more and trains trunk control alongside the chest. Use it when push-up volume feels stale or when you want more work from fewer total reps.
My knees drop to the floor between positions — what am I doing wrong?
You are likely rushing the transition and letting the core switch off between shapes. Set the beast position first — knees an inch off the floor, back flat, ribs tucked — and hold it for a full breath before travelling. Move the hands and feet in small, deliberate steps rather than one big lunge, keeping the knees hovering the whole way. If they still touch down, shorten the sequence: hold beast, walk out to plank, pause, and skip the push-up until the transition is clean.
Is beast to push-ups a cardio or a strength exercise?
It sits between the two. The push-up and the constant knee hover are strength work for the chest, shoulders, and deep core, while the continuous flowing between positions pushes your heart rate up once reps climb past ten. Programmed at three to six slow reps with pauses, it trains strength and control; at eighteen or more continuous reps, it behaves like conditioning. That flexibility is why it works in circuits and warm-ups alike — decide the goal before the set.
Related exercises
Easier: Pushups (Modified) · Harder: Pushups
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