Skip to main content

TikTok’s Left-Right Push-Up Challenge Has User Cores Burning

Fitness can be a motivational challenge. Morning are mornings and evenings are, well, evenings. Just getting out of bed or just easing down from work, many people find it challenging to drive to a gym or suit up to play sports. Need a push? How about a challenge? Specifically, how about a TikTok challenge that already has 900 million views?

What is this ultra-popular pop-up? Why the Left-Right Push-Up Challenge, named after the song that inspired it. How do you do it? Does it work? Read on to find out. 

Recommended Videos

Traditional push-ups are beneficial for building upper body strength. They work the triceps, pectoral muscles, and shoulders. When completed with proper form, push-ups also strengthen the lower back and core muscles by engaging (pulling in) the abs. The problem with typical push-ups, however, is twofold. One, practitioners tend to plateau, thus reducing the efficacy of the exercise. And two, the traditional up-down of a push-up lacks diversity and thus fails to engage critical micro-muscles.

An alternative to normal push-ups, the push-up challenge allows you to work additional muscles in order to achieve a full-body workout. Paired with the song, Grab Da Wall & Rock Da Boat — created by 504 Boyz and Weebie — the challenge also engages participants by asking them to break a sweat to the music’s beat, thus providing a perfect distraction from exercise to focus on actually completing the challenge. 

To begin, simply set yourself up into a push-up position. Then, once the lyrics say “left, right,” release one arm and touch your other shoulder, and repeat that on each side two times. Next, as the rhythm speeds up, do a set of mountain climbers (running from left-to-right foot in a push-up position — a killer workout for your entire core, abs and obliques included. Finally, once the chorus drops, do push-up jacks — push-ups with arms and upper body combined with a jumping-jack motion with the feet. Got you sweating just thinking about it, right?

Related Guides

The Left-Right Push-Up Challenge offers an excellent full-body workout that works a diversity of muscles that can level-up (or down) and differentiate as people want. Check out the now thousands of TikTokkers flipping the push-up challenge on its head. 

Whether it’s doing them while inverted against a wall, hopping between boxes, or simply with beer cans, there’s something in the Left-Right Push-Up Challenge for everyone. Putting your push-up challenge results out for the social media/TikTok world to see is, of course, up to you. Check out the video below if you’re looking for some inspiration and/or direction. 

Watch Now

Read More: Walmart Is Practically Giving Away These Adjustable Dumbbells

Matthew Denis
Matt Denis is an on-the-go remote multimedia reporter, exploring arts, culture, and the existential in the Pacific Northwest…
Whey is the protein king, but beef powder deserves a seat at the table
Beef protein powder is definitely worth a try
Man in gym taking supplement drinking protein shake powder electrolyte mineral

When it comes to protein powders, whey is king. It’s reigned supreme for decades, with a market share of well over 50 percent.
Don’t sleep on beef powder protein, though. It’s a relative newcomer to the market that’s been gaining ground for just over a decade, and it offers some surprising advantages for both endurance and hybrid athletes. There’s a lot to consider in this comparison, so let’s put the basic issues on the table and enlist a couple of experts to provide some help.

Beef vs. whey: The breakdown

Read more
Can this spice in your kitchen boost muscle recovery post-workout? New study
This vibrant golden spice has been used medicinally in traditional Indian Ayurveda medicine
turmeric spice on spoon

For millennia, herbs have been foraged from the earth and used medicinally. Researchers have been studying the benefits of a broad range of herbs and spices, some of which you might have in your kitchen, sitting politely on the spice rack. Curcumin is the active compound found in turmeric — the golden spice from the ginger family native to Southeast Asia, with a long history in Indian Ayurveda medicine.

The anti-inflammatory power of curcumin

Read more
What’s the average chest size of U.S. Army soldiers? This data checks those pecs
Here's the average male chest circumference of trained military men
It’s worth adding these lower-chest bulking moves to your arsenal. There's a good reason why fitness buffs say you shouldn’t skip out on lower chest day.

While building bulging biceps, toned triceps, and a sculpted six-pack are popular gym goals, a more chiseled chest also makes the list for many. Powering through your bench presses and staying on top of your protein intake definitely makes a difference over time for those looking to grow those pecs.

Recently, I came across data on the average chest size of trained men from a sizable military survey, so if you’re curious, let’s check those pecs.

Read more