How many reps of the reverse tabletop press should a beginner do?

Start with 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps, pausing for a full second at the top of each tabletop before lowering. Once the hips reach full height every rep without the elbows bending, add a third set or a longer top-hold instead of just more reps.

How do I make the reverse tabletop press easier or harder?

If pressing to full tabletop height is too hard, lift the hips only partway and build range over several sessions. To make it harder, lift one foot off the floor at the top of each rep or extend the hold to three or four seconds.

What is the reverse tabletop press good for and when should I skip it?

It builds glute and triceps strength through shoulder extension, a useful counter to a day spent pressing forward and sitting, and it primes the shoulders for crab reaches and kickthroughs. Skip it or keep the range small if your wrists ache in extension, since the whole position loads them bent backward under body weight.

Beginner

Reverse Tabletop Press

The reverse tabletop press is the accessible foundation of all crab work and a great counter to a day full of pressing and sitting. From a seated position with hands and feet planted, you drive the hips up until the torso and thighs form a flat tabletop, extending the shoulders and firing the glutes and triceps. It opens the chest and front of the shoulders while building the strength you need for crab reaches and kickthroughs.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Glutes, Triceps
Type: Functional
Browse by muscle: Gluteus Maximus, Triceps Brachii Long Head, Triceps Brachii Lateral Head, Triceps Brachii Medial Head
Browse by movement: Hinge

How to do it

1
Sit with knees bent, feet flat and hip-width, and hands planted behind you with fingers pointing back.
2
Set the shoulders down and back, taking the slack out of the arms.
3
Drive through the heels and press the hips up until the torso and thighs are level, forming a tabletop.
4
Squeeze the glutes at the top and keep the neck long, looking up and back gently.
5
Lower the hips toward the floor under control without fully resting.
6
Repeat for the prescribed reps.

Tips

Point the fingers away from the body to keep the wrists and shoulders comfortable.
Push the hips as high as the glutes will drive them rather than hanging on the shoulders.
Keep the shins vertical and the knees over the ankles so the position stays stable.

Variations

Common mistakes

The hips stall a few inches below tabletop height, leaving the torso tilted instead of level with the thighs.
Once the shoulders fatigue, the elbows bend and the chest dips toward the hands, letting the arms take over what the glutes should be driving.
The heels creep forward away from the hips through the set, flattening the shin angle and shortening the drive.
Cranking the head far back to look behind instead of just lengthening the neck strains the throat and shoulders.
The hips touch all the way down and rest on the floor between reps instead of hovering under control.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the reverse tabletop press should a beginner do?: Start with 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps, pausing for a full second at the top of each tabletop before lowering. Once the hips reach full height every rep without the elbows bending, add a third set or a longer top-hold instead of just more reps.
How do I make the reverse tabletop press easier or harder?: If pressing to full tabletop height is too hard, lift the hips only partway and build range over several sessions. To make it harder, lift one foot off the floor at the top of each rep or extend the hold to three or four seconds.
What is the reverse tabletop press good for and when should I skip it?: It builds glute and triceps strength through shoulder extension, a useful counter to a day spent pressing forward and sitting, and it primes the shoulders for crab reaches and kickthroughs. Skip it or keep the range small if your wrists ache in extension, since the whole position loads them bent backward under body weight.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Glutes exercises