Incline Pushups

Name: How to do Incline Pushups: exercise demo
Uploaded: 2024-11-26T04:51:42Z
Duration: 3 s
Description: The incline push-up is a push-up with your hands raised on a bench or sturdy surface, so you lift less of your bodyweight than on the floor. It works the chest, with the triceps and front shoulders assisting, and it is an easier way to build toward full push-ups.

Also called incline press-up, hands-elevated push-up

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Quick answer

The incline push-up is a push-up with your hands raised on a bench or sturdy surface, so you lift less of your bodyweight than on the floor. It works the chest, with the triceps and front shoulders assisting, and it is an easier way to build toward full push-ups.

Written by the GymStreak coaching team · Updated 29 Sep 2026

Muscles worked

Front

Back

Primary

Chest

Secondary

Triceps

How to do Incline Pushups

1
Start in the push up position with your hands elevated on a flat bench. Your arms should be shoulder width apart. This is your starting position.
2
Bend your elbows to slowly lower your chest as low as possible. Make sure you keep your elbows in. Inhale as you perform this movement.
3
Push and return to the starting position, focusing on contracting your chest muscles as you do so and exhaling.

Form cues

Set your hands just wider than your shoulders on the bench edge.
Squeeze your glutes and brace so your body stays in one straight line.
Lower until your chest touches or nearly touches the bench.
Angle your elbows about 45 degrees from your body, not flared wide.
Push the bench away until your arms are straight.

Breathing: Breathe in as you lower your chest toward the bench, and breathe out as you push yourself back up.

Common Incline Pushups mistakes

Hips sagging or piking up
Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes so your head, hips and heels stay in line.
Poking the head toward the bench
Keep your neck long and let your chest, not your chin, reach the bench first.
Stopping halfway down
Lower all the way; if you can't, use a higher surface instead of cutting the range.
Hands too far forward of the shoulders
Place your hands under your shoulders so your arms are vertical at the top.

Sets and reps by goal

Goal	Sets	Reps	Rest
Beginners	1–3	8–12	60–90 s
Muscle growthUse a lower surface as reps get easy	3–4	6–12	1–2 min
Muscular endurance	2–3	12–20	30–60 s

Starting ranges in line with the ACSM guidance on resistance training. Pick a load you can lift with good form for every rep, and add weight or reps gradually.

Incline Pushups variations and alternatives

Variations

Wall push-up
Hands on a wall for the easiest version, if a bench is still too hard.
Knee Push-Ups
Another way to scale down, working on the floor from your knees.
Push-Up
The next step once you can do 12–15 incline reps with good form.
Decline Push-Ups
Feet raised instead of hands, a harder version that shifts work toward the upper chest and shoulders.

Alternatives

Machine Chest Press
A seated press where you can set the load precisely.
Dumbbell Bench Press
A free-weight chest press that is easy to load progressively.
Cable Crossover
A high-to-low cable fly that also targets the lower chest.

Incline Pushups FAQ

Are incline push-ups easier than regular push-ups?

Yes. Raising your hands shifts more of your weight onto your feet, so your arms and chest push less of your bodyweight. The higher the surface, the easier it gets: a wall is easiest, then a kitchen counter, then a bench. That makes incline push-ups a simple way to practice full-range push-ups before you can do them from the floor.

What muscles do incline push-ups work?

Incline push-ups work the chest, with the triceps straightening your elbows and the front shoulders helping to press. The downward-sloping body angle tends to emphasize the lower part of the chest. Your abs and glutes also work to hold your body in a straight line, just as in a regular push-up.

Incline vs decline push-ups: which works the upper chest?

Decline push-ups, with your feet raised, put more emphasis on the upper chest and shoulders and are harder. Incline push-ups, with your hands raised, tend to emphasize the lower chest and are easier. Both train the whole chest to some degree, so choose based on your strength level and which area you want to focus on.

How do I progress from incline push-ups to regular push-ups?

Start at a height where you can do about 8–12 good reps. When you can manage 12–15 with a straight body and full range, move to a lower surface, for example from a counter to a bench and then to a step. Once a low step feels comfortable, try full push-ups from the floor.