Incline Push-Up

Push-up with hands elevated on a box or bench, which cuts the load so the pattern can be trained clean. Three sets of ten at one height before you lower the hands to the next.

DIFFICULTY
Beginner
EQUIPMENT
Bodyweight · Box
PRIMARY MUSCLES
Chest · Triceps
ALSO WORKS
Deltoids · Serratus Anterior · Abs
HOW TO DO IT
  1. 01Set your hands on a stable box or bench slightly wider than shoulder width.
  2. 02Walk the feet back until the body forms one line from heel to head.
  3. 03Brace the ribs down and squeeze the glutes so the hips do not sag.
  4. 04Bend the elbows to roughly forty-five degrees from the torso and lower the chest to the edge.
  5. 05Press the box away until the elbows lock, keeping the line intact.
COACHING CUES
  1. 01Push the box away from you, do not pull yourself up.
  2. 02Ribs down, glutes on, one straight line.
  3. 03Elbows back at an arrow, not out at a T.
COMMON MISTAKES
  1. 01Hips sagging toward the floor, which loads the lumbar spine instead of the trunk and teaches a leak you carry into the flat version.
  2. 02Flaring the elbows to ninety degrees, which grinds the front of the shoulder and takes the pecs out of the strongest range.
  3. 03Head craning down to touch first, which shortens the rep and hides the fact the chest never travelled.

Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.

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