Incline push-ups
Muscles worked : Chest, triceps · Shoulders, core
How to do it
- Place your hands on a stable raised surface (chair, bench, table edge), slightly wider than your shoulders.
- Step your feet back until your body forms a straight line from ankles to head.
- Brace your abs and glutes to keep the hips steady throughout the movement.
- Bend your elbows to about 45° from the body and lower your chest towards the support, without arching the back.
- Push back to the starting position without snapping the elbows straight.
Common mistakes
- Elbows flared out to 90°: shifts load onto the shoulders and strains them.
- Hips sagging or arching: breaks the line and loads the lower back.
- Cutting the range short: far less effective than a full, controlled descent.
Where you should feel it
The effort belongs in the chest and the back of the arms. If you mostly feel it at the front of the shoulder, in the wrist or in the neck, the elbows are drifting outwards or the shoulders are creeping up towards the ears.
Range of motion
Lower until your chest is a few centimetres from the support. Do not go further than the shoulder allows without rolling forwards. At the top, straighten the arms without locking the elbow abruptly.
Tempo and breathing
Two seconds down, one second up. Inhale on the way down, exhale as you push. The controlled descent is the useful half of the movement: dropping into it means doing only half the work.
What works, precisely
The pectoralis major is the prime mover: it draws the arm towards the midline. The triceps brachii extends the elbow, and the anterior deltoid assists at the start of the push. In the background, the serratus anterior keeps the shoulder blade flat against the ribcage while the transverse abdominis and glutes lock the pelvis so the body stays a rigid plank.
Movement mechanics
A horizontal push in the sagittal plane, combining shoulder flexion with elbow extension. The descent is an eccentric contraction — the muscle lengthens under tension — and the return is concentric. The higher the support, the smaller the share of bodyweight you move: that, precisely, is this exercise’s difficulty dial.
Benefits
- Builds upper-body pushing strength with no equipment, and far less strain on wrists and shoulders than a floor push-up.
- Strengthens the plank position, which carries over to anything you push or carry in front of you.
- Adjusts finely by changing the height of the support, which is what makes it a reliable entry point after time away from training.
Adapt and progress
- Easier : Raise the support: a kitchen counter or a wall is far more accessible than a chair.
- Harder : Lower the support towards the floor, or stretch the descent out to four seconds.
- Move on when : When three sets of twelve go by with a controlled descent and hips that never move, drop the support one level.
Precautions
If the front of the shoulder hurts, reduce the range and bring the elbows closer to the body before trying to go lower.