Tempo Push-Up

4 × 8 with a 3s descent and a 1s hold at the bottom, elbows at 45°.

Difficulty 2 of 55.0 METs · Moderate

Equipment

Mat

Muscle groups worked

Scapular push
Core

What it buys you

Prone and forearm-supported positions fail at the shoulders long before anywhere else. This buys those minutes back.

Capacity trained

Strength. Posterior chain and trunk endurance under load. Holds position without fatigue or compensation.

Train it · Two Bodies Test your limiter

Energy

Modelled kilocalories

Modelled energy cost for Tempo Push-Up at 10, 20, 30 and 45 minutes for both reference bodies
Reference body	10 min	20 min	30 min	45 min
Male reference · 82 kg	72 kcal	144 kcal	215 kcal	323 kcal
Female reference · 68 kg	60 kcal	119 kcal	179 kcal	268 kcal

Energy figures are modelled from standard activity MET values (Ainsworth Compendium, 2011) and the ACSM equation, not measured on you. They scale linearly with your own body mass, so a body 10% heavier burns about 10% more at the same intensity.

kcal = METs × 3.5 × bodyweight(kg) ÷ 200 × minutes (ACSM)

Load is effort, not pain. If a movement hurts rather than works, stop and see a clinician. Lifting another person is strength training with a person-shaped load — build the pattern unloaded first.

Cross-reference

Positions this workout helps · 36

It serves Prone Base, Elevated / Bridged and Side-Lying. Every position in those families is listed below, hardest first.

Honest framing

Training makes a posture available and sustainable. It is capability work, not a treatment for anything, and no single session changes a number. Consistency over eight weeks does.