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Medicine Ball Close-Grip Push Up

A push-up with both hands on a medicine ball that shifts load onto the triceps while adding an instability challenge for the shoulders and trunk.

ArmsMedicine BallHorizontal press
GoLightWeight mediamedicine-ball-close-grip-push-up

Demonstration coming soon

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Primary

Triceps

Secondary

Pectoralis majorAnterior deltoidsCore

Equipment

Medicine Ball

Pattern

Horizontal press

Setup

  1. 01Place a firm medicine ball on the floor and set both hands on top of it.
  2. 02Spread the fingers around the ball for grip and stack shoulders over hands.
  3. 03Step the feet back into a straight plank line from head to heels.
  4. 04Squeeze the glutes and brace the trunk before the first rep.

Execution

  1. 01Lower the chest toward the ball with elbows tucked close to the ribs.
  2. 02Descend until the chest lightly touches or nearly touches the ball.
  3. 03Press back up to full elbow extension without letting the hips sag.
  4. 04Keep the ball still by gripping it actively through every rep.

Checkpoints

  • -Body holds one straight line from head to heels.
  • -Elbows track back along the ribs, not out to the sides.
  • -The ball stays quiet with no wobble mid-rep.
  • -Full lockout is reached at the top of each rep.

Common mistakes

  • -Letting the hips pike up or sag as fatigue sets in.
  • -Flaring the elbows and turning it into a chest-dominant push-up.
  • -Cutting depth because the ball feels unstable.
  • -Using a soft or underinflated ball that rolls under the hands.

Programming notes

  • -Use 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 15 reps depending on push-up strength.
  • -Drop to the knees if full-body reps break plank position.
  • -It works well as a triceps finisher after heavier pressing.

Related exercises

Close-Grip Push-Up

Bodyweight / Arms

Push-Up Close-Grip Off Dumbbell

Dumbbell / Arms

Narrow Push-Up on Exercise Ball

Stability Ball / Arms

Band Close-Grip Push-Up

Band / Arms

Out now

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Free to download, no account required to start. Android is on the way.

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