It starts out simple. You hear that jaunty, repetitive beat of Moby’s "Flower," and you think, "I can do push-ups for three and a half minutes. No big deal." Then the lyrics kick in. Bring Sally up. Bring Sally down. Suddenly, your chest is on fire, your triceps are screaming, and you realize you’ve made a massive mistake.
The bring sally up push up challenge isn't just a workout; it's a psychological battle against a song that refuses to end. It’s been a staple in CrossFit boxes, military barracks, and high school wrestling rooms for years. Honestly, most people fail it on their first try because they underestimate the "down" phase. That’s where the real pain lives. You aren't just doing reps. You’re holding a dynamic plank in the most mechanically disadvantaged position possible.
What Is the Bring Sally Up Push Up Challenge Anyway?
Let’s get the basics out of the way before we talk about why your arms turn to jelly. The challenge uses the song "Flower" by Moby, which is famously sampled from old field recordings. The chorus repeats the phrase "Bring Sally up, bring Sally down" over and over.
When the song says "down," you lower your chest to about an inch off the floor. You stay there. You wait. When it says "up," you push back to the top of the plank. It sounds straightforward, right?
Wrong.
The song lasts roughly 3 minutes and 30 seconds. In that window, you’ll perform about 30 reps. Now, 30 push-ups might sound like a warmup for some of you. But here is the kicker: you spend a significant portion of those three minutes holding the bottom of the push-up. This is what kinesiologists call an isometric contraction. It’s the same thing that makes wall sits or planks so miserable. Your muscles are under constant tension with zero rest.
The Science of Why This Destroys Your Muscles
If you talk to a strength coach or someone who understands muscle fiber recruitment, they’ll tell you that the bring sally up push up challenge is a masterclass in time under tension (TUT).
Normally, when you do a push-up, you have a concentric phase (pushing up) and an eccentric phase (lowering down). Most people breeze through these. But by forcing you to hold at the bottom, the challenge eliminates the "stretch reflex." That’s the natural springiness your muscles use to bounce back up. Without it, every single "up" command requires raw, static strength to overcome gravity from a dead stop.
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Your triceps, pectorals, and anterior deltoids are the primary movers here. However, your core is the unsung hero—or the first thing to fail. If your hips start sagging toward the floor, you’ve basically lost. A sagging back puts immense pressure on the lumbar spine. If you can’t keep a straight line from your head to your heels, you’re done. Stop. Seriously. It's better to fail the challenge than to tweak your back trying to impress a webcam or a gym partner.
Common Mistakes That Lead to Failure
Most people go out too fast. They treat the first thirty seconds like a race.
- Flaring the elbows: If your elbows are pointing straight out to the sides like a "T," you’re begging for a shoulder impingement. Keep them tucked at about a 45-degree angle.
- Cheating the depth: If you aren't getting low enough on the "down," you aren't doing the challenge. But if you rest your chest on the floor, you’re also cheating. You have to hover.
- Holding your breath: This is the big one. People get tense and stop breathing. Your muscles need oxygen to create ATP (energy). If you hold your breath, you’ll redline and burn out before the two-minute mark.
The Cultural Rise of the Sally Challenge
Where did this come from? While Moby released "Flower" back in 2000 on the Play B-sides, the fitness world didn't grab hold of it immediately. It gained massive traction in the early 2010s within the CrossFit community. It was the perfect "finisher."
It’s versatile, too. You’ll see people doing the bring sally up push up challenge, but also squat versions, leg raises, and even weighted barbell movements. Some masochists try it with pull-ups. I wouldn't recommend that unless you’re an elite gymnast or perhaps a literal cyborg.
The reason it went viral—and stays viral—is the simplicity. You don't need a gym. You don't need a trainer. You just need a phone and a flat surface. It’s a benchmark. Can you beat the song? Most can't. And that's why we keep coming back to it. It’s a measurable way to see if you’re getting stronger.
How to Actually Complete the Challenge
If you’re currently stuck at the 90-second mark, you need a strategy. You can't just "try harder."
First, work on your static plank. If you can't hold a high plank for two minutes and a low plank for at least 45 seconds, you have no business trying to finish the song. Strength is a prerequisite, but endurance is the gatekeeper.
Greasing the groove is a popular tactic. This involves doing sub-maximal sets of push-ups throughout the day. Instead of doing one massive workout, do 10 push-ups every hour. This trains your nervous system to become more efficient at the movement pattern.
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Another tip: focus on your hands. Screw your palms into the floor. This creates external rotation in the shoulders, which stabilizes the joint. It makes the "down" hold feel slightly more secure.
Variations for Different Skill Levels
Not everyone is ready for the full military-style push-up. That’s fine.
- Incline Push-ups: Put your hands on a bench or a sturdy table. This takes some of the weight off your upper body but lets you follow the rhythm of the song.
- Knee Push-ups: A classic modification. Just make sure your hips are still tucked and your core is tight. Don't leave your butt in the air.
- The "Slow" Method: If the song is too fast, try doing the reps at your own pace but aiming for the same total duration of 3:30.
The Psychological Aspect: Mind Over Moby
There is a moment in the song, right around the two-minute mark, where the music gets a little sparse. Your arms are shaking. Your sweat is dripping onto the floor. This is where most people quit.
The bring sally up push up challenge is a test of pain tolerance. Your brain will tell you that you’re at your limit long before your muscles actually give out. This is a survival mechanism. To finish, you have to learn to quiet that voice. Focus on the lyrics. Focus on one rep at a time. Don't think about the fact that there are still ninety seconds left. Just think about the next "up."
Is It Actually Good for You?
Let’s be real: this is a "stunt" workout. It’s fantastic for building mental toughness and muscular endurance, but it shouldn't be your entire chest day.
If you do this every single day, you’re likely going to develop overuse injuries. Your tendons need time to recover. Over-training the pushing muscles without balancing them with pulling movements (like rows or pull-ups) can lead to postural issues—that hunched-over "caveman" look.
Use the challenge as a benchmark. Do it once every two weeks or once a month to see where your fitness levels are. It’s a tool, not a religion.
Actionable Steps to Conquer the Song
If you want to stop failing and finally hit the end of the track, follow this progression. Don't rush it.
- Week 1: Listen to the song and perform the challenge on your knees. Focus purely on staying perfectly in sync with the "up" and "down" commands.
- Week 2: Attempt the challenge on your toes, but stop the moment your form breaks. Note the time. Let's say you hit 1:15.
- Week 3: Focus on "low plank" holds. Set a timer and hold the bottom of a push-up (hovering) for 20 seconds, rest for 10, and repeat five times.
- Week 4: Go for the gold. Keep your core braced like someone is about to kick you in the stomach.
Success isn't just about finishing the song; it's about finishing it with your integrity intact. Dropping your hips or shortening the range of motion just to reach the end is a hollow victory. Keep the form strict, embrace the burn, and eventually, Sally will stay up.
To prepare your body for the specific demands of the hold, start incorporating "iso-metric" pauses into your regular chest workouts. Hold the bottom of your standard push-ups for three seconds on every rep during your normal sets. This builds the specific strength needed for those long pauses in the Moby track. Once you can comfortably hold that bottom position for 30 seconds straight, you're ready to tackle the full three-minute gauntlet.