What is an Incline Push Up?

An incline push-up is a variation of the classic push-up where you raise your hands onto a lifted surface, like a bench or step. Your feet stay on the ground.

Incline push-ups are less intense than standard push-ups. This makes it easier for beginners or people with less upper-body strength who are working up to traditional push-ups.

For muscular activation, incline push-ups mainly target your chest, shoulders, and triceps. Your core works as a secondary muscle to keep you stable. Using an incline angle also makes this variation a lower chest push-up, giving you a slightly different focus than regular push-ups.

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How-to Do Incline Push Up

Place your hands shoulder-width apart on a raised platform.
Bend at the elbows, bringing your head to your hands.
Push up until your arms are fully extended.

Muscle Worked

Primary Muscle Groups

Chest

Your chest helps you move your arms across your body and up and down while stabilizing the shoulders

Shoulders

Your shoulders are ball-and-socket joints which connect your arms to your torso

Triceps

The triceps are the muscles on the backs of your upper arms

Secondary Muscle Groups

Forearms

The forearms help you grip objects and move your hands, wrists and fingers

Lats

Your latissimus dorsi, also called the "lats," help you to move your arms and keep your shoulders stable.

Abs

"Abs" refers to your abdominal muscles, which sit at the front of your trunk between your ribcage and pelvis

Traps

Lie on the floor and place a foam roller below your traps and above your shoulder blades.

Pro Tips

Firm Grip: Instead of just resting your palms on the platform you use, actively grip it. You help keep your wrists stable and help engage your chest and triceps more effectively during the push-up motion.
Squeeze Your Glutes: Engage your glutes throughout the movement to keep your body in a straight line. This prevents your hips from sagging and ensures proper alignment, making the exercise more effective and safer.
Adjust the Incline: The higher your incline, the easier this exercise will be. If you’re totally new to incline push-ups, start with a higher surface like a countertop. Once you start getting better and building up your strength, gradually lower the incline each time. Eventually, you’ll progress towards a standard push-up and you can get rid of the incline altogether.

Incline Push Up Benefits

Easier on Your Wrists: Compared to flat push-ups, incline push-ups put less stress on the wrists since you’re working with less body weight. This makes them a good option if you have wrist pain or poor mobility. Elevating your body reduces the extension angle for your wrists so you can move more comfortably.
Grows Your Lower Chest: Using an incline shifts the muscular emphasis to the lower part of your chest. Many people, especially those with bad chest genetics, can struggle to build this part of the chest. If you want an aesthetic workout for your chest, incline push-ups are a way to balance out the appearance of the lower portion.
Core Strength Building: You need to use more core stabilization to work with a lifted surface, especially if your platform isn’t perfectly stable. This extra challenge helps your overall balance and core strength.

Warm Up & Cool Down

Warm Up

you can do either of the following exercises to warm up your chest and arm and get ready for incline push up:

Scapular Push-Ups: From a high or kneeling plank, retract (pull in and together) and protract (separate) your shoulder blades without bending your elbows. This activates the stabilizing muscles around your shoulders so you have better support in your incline push-ups.
Arm Swings: Swing your arms forward and back to loosen up your shoulder joints. You’ll help your blood flow to your upper body extremities and get your shoulders ready for the pressing movement of an incline push-up.
Wall Push-Ups: This essentially mimics the sensation of working on a push-up with the highest incline. Do a few wall push-up reps to warm up your chest, shoulders, and triceps. This eases your muscles into your incline push-ups without overloading them too early.

Cool Down

Child’s Pose: Kneel on the floor, sit on your heels, and crawl your arms forward bringing your head and chest to the ground. This stretches your chest, shoulders, and lower back. It can help you relax after a workout.
Chest Wall Stretch: Stand next to a wall, prop your palms up against it, and gently twist your body away from your arms to stretch your chest and shoulders.
Wrist Rolls: Rotate your wrists in both directions to release joint tension. This should feel good after supporting your body weight through incline push-up sets. Alternatively, you could use this to warm up your wrists as well.

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