Exercise guide
Overhead Push Alternate Knee Raise
- Beginner
- Compound
- Rep-based
- Lower legs
- Shoulders
- Upper legs
- Waist
This dynamic compound movement builds shoulder stability and core strength while improving balance and hip mobility. It engages the deltoids through an overhead reaching motion and the abdominals through active hip flexion.
Reviewed by the Crucible Fit team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Setup
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your core engaged.
- Position your hands at shoulder height with elbows bent and palms facing forward, as if preparing to press weights.
- Maintain a neutral spine with your gaze fixed straight ahead.
How to do it
- Exhale as you simultaneously press both arms straight overhead and drive your right knee toward your chest.
- Lift the knee until the thigh is at least parallel to the floor while keeping your torso perfectly upright.
- Inhale as you lower your arms and leg back to the starting position with controlled tempo.
- Repeat the movement immediately, alternating to the left knee for the next repetition.
Form checklist
- Keep your torso vertical; avoid leaning backward as the knee rises.
- Fully extend your elbows at the top without shrugging your shoulders toward your ears.
- Engage your standing leg glute to maintain balance and stability.
- Land softly on the ball of your foot to minimize impact.
Pro tips
- Create 'self-resistance' by imagining you are pushing a heavy weight upward to increase deltoid and tricep activation.
- Focus on a sharp, forceful exhale at the top of the movement to maximize lower abdominal contraction.
Make it harder
- Increase the tempo to a high-knee march or skip to add a cardiovascular challenge.
- Hold a light household object or small dumbbells in each hand to increase the load on the shoulders.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the overhead push alternate knee raise work?
- The overhead push alternate knee raise primarily targets the deltoids and quadriceps, and also works the obliques and serratus anterior as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the overhead push alternate knee raise?
- The overhead push alternate knee raise requires no equipment — just your body weight.
- Is the overhead push alternate knee raise good for beginners?
- Yes. The overhead push alternate knee raise is a beginner-friendly movement and a strong foundation to build on.
Related exercises
- Barbell Clean And JerkAdvanced · deltoids, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
- Barbell Clean And PressAdvanced · deltoids, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and triceps
- Barbell Hang Snatch Below The KneesAdvanced · deltoids, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
- Barbell SnatchAdvanced · adductors, calves, deltoids, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, lats, and quadriceps