Slide Push-Up

The slide push-up is a push-up variation performed with sliding discs (or furniture gliders) under the hands, adding a lateral sliding component to the standard press. As you push up from the bottom of each rep, you slide your hands outward, extending the range of motion beyond a normal push-up and increasing the demand on the chest, shoulders, and triceps. The added instability from the sliding discs also forces greater core and stabilizer engagement than a standard push-up.

Muscles Targeted

• Primary: Pectoralis major, triceps brachii, anterior deltoids
• Secondary: Serratus anterior, rectus abdominis, obliques
• Tertiary: Hip flexors, quadriceps

Starting Position

Place a sliding disc under each hand, positioned directly beneath your shoulders, on a smooth floor surface. Assume a high plank position with your body in a straight line from head to heels, toes on the floor, and your core braced.

Execution Steps

1. Lower your chest toward the floor, bending your elbows to roughly 45 degrees from your torso while keeping your body rigid
2. Begin pressing through your palms as you approach the bottom of the descent
3. Slide your hands outward as you press up, continuing until your arms are extended and your hands are wide of your shoulders
4. Brace hard at full extension to prevent your hips from sagging as your base of support widens
5. Slide your hands back in toward your shoulders while simultaneously lowering into the next repetition
6. Repeat for the desired number of reps, keeping the slide smooth and continuous rather than jerky

Form Cues

• Keep a straight line from head to heels: Do not let your hips sag or pike up at any point in the slide
• Move the discs deliberately: Control the outward and inward slide rather than letting the discs run away from you
• Brace your core throughout: The widening hand position increases the stability demand, so core tension has to increase with it
• Keep your elbows at a moderate angle: Avoid flaring them out to 90 degrees at the bottom, which stresses the shoulders
• Match your breathing to the rep: Inhale on the way down, exhale as you press and slide out

Common Mistakes

• Sliding the hands too fast: causes loss of control and can strain the shoulders at the wide position; slide at the same controlled pace as the press
• Letting the hips sag: reduces core engagement and puts strain on the lower back; keep the plank line rigid throughout
• Using a surface with inconsistent friction: causes uneven sliding and instability; use a hard, smooth floor with matched discs under both hands
• Stopping short of full arm extension at the wide position: reduces the range-of-motion benefit of the exercise; slide all the way out before reversing
• Holding the breath through the rep: increases unnecessary tension and reduces control; breathe in rhythm with the movement

Variations

• improved slide push-up: feet raised on a bench, increasing the load on the chest and shoulders
• Single-leg slide push-up: one leg lifted off the floor, adding a core and stability challenge
• Incline slide push-up: hands on a raised surface instead of the floor, reducing difficulty for beginners
• Reverse slide push-up: hands start wide and slide inward during the descent instead of sliding out on the press
• Slide push-up to plank walkout: adds a walkout from standing into the slide push-up position for a full-body warm-up variation

Tips for Progression

• Start with a shorter slide range and gradually increase how far the hands travel outward as control improves
• Add an incline slide push-up first if a standard push-up is not yet solid, then progress to the floor version
• Add a brief pause at full extension before sliding back in to increase time under tension
• Progress to the improved or single-leg variation once the standard slide push-up feels controlled for a full set

Training Notes

Include slide push-ups in an upper-body or full-body strength session 2-3 times per week, working in the 8-12 rep range for 2-4 sets with 60-90 seconds of rest between sets. Place them after your primary pressing movement, such as a bench or standard push-up, since the instability from the sliding discs makes them better suited as a secondary chest and core movement than a first exercise in the session.