Incline push ups are perfect for clients who want to build total body strength. They build arm, posture, core, hip, and ankle strength.
The great thing about incline push ups (also known as incline press push ups) is that you can start at a level comfortable for you and as you build your strength, progress to more demanding variations of incline push ups.
Before you think “this is not for me; I can’t do a push up,” hear me out. In my 40 years as a physical therapist and strength and conditioning specialist, I’ve helped hundreds of women complete their very first of many incline push ups. I’ve also challenged men who thought they’d mastered the floor push ups to progress to much more demanding variations.
Whatever your starting point, there’s a variation of inline push ups for you, and a clear path forward to a stronger body and stronger bones.
Incline push ups are a natural progression from the wall push ups. They allow you to gradually work toward floor-level push ups while maintaining perfect form.
Muscles Worked During Incline Push Ups
The incline push up works the following muscles:
- Chest
- Triceps
- Abdominals
It also targets the following bones:
- Wrists
- Spine
Incline Push Ups: The Progressive Approach
The key to mastering incline push ups safely is working through a stepwise progression. Each level drops approximately seven inches lower, increasing the gravitational challenge on your muscles. At every stage, you’ll integrate all the principles from previous levels while adding a new focus.
Here’s how to progress from complete beginner to advanced incline push ups. Let’s start with the foundation on incline push ups: the counter push up.
Level 1: Counter Push Ups At Chest Height
To do counter push ups, find a sturdy surface at chest height, such as a kitchen counter or high table. If the surface has sharp corners, place a folded yoga mat under your hands to protect your wrists.
- Step back so your heels are slightly off the floor.
- Place your feet hip-width apart and your hands one-and-a-half shoulder-widths apart on the surface.
Principle 1: Total Body Alignment
This first level is all about establishing perfect alignment from head to toe:
- Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth (this activates the correct muscles to hold your head in position)
- Keep your head in line with your body
- Keep your body in line with your knees and heels
- Maintain heels slightly elevated
Your first goal: Hold this position for 15 seconds. Once that feels comfortable, begin lowering your body toward the surface and pressing back up. Work toward completing 10 repetitions with good form.
Progression within this level: Once you can comfortably complete 10 counter push ups on both feet, shift your weight to one foot while maintaining all the same alignment principles. Gradually build from 10 on both feet to 5 on your right foot and 5 on your left foot.
Level 2: Counter Push Ups At Belly Button Height
At this next progression of counter push ups, you will move to a surface approximately belly button height, about seven inches lower than your starting point.
Principle 2: Shoulder Safety (Elbow Position)
With the increased gravitational challenge at this height, protecting your shoulders becomes crucial. As you lower yourself:
- Keep your elbows below shoulder height. This means your elbows should track closer to your body rather than flaring out to the sides. Allowing your elbows to rise to shoulder level or higher will cause discomfort and may lead to shoulder problems over time.
- Progression: Once you’ve built up your strength and can maintain good form, practice lifting one leg while performing these counter push ups. You’ll need to squeeze your glutes firmly as you do this. Build toward completing 5 repetitions on each side before moving to the next level.
Level 3: Bench Push Ups at Hip Height
To do bench push ups, find a sturdy surface at approximately hip or groin height. Make absolutely certain whatever you’re using is solid and won’t shift under your weight.
Principle 3: Shoulder Safety (Depth Control)
At this lower height, we add the second component of shoulder protection: controlling your depth.
- Don’t go too deep. As you lower yourself, your shoulders should never drop below the height of your elbows. Aim to keep your shoulders level with your elbows at the bottom of the movement. If you’ve had previous shoulder trauma, keep your shoulders slightly higher than elbow height.
- Remember: Always return to the 15-second hold test when you move to a new height. If you can hold the plank position for 15 seconds, your body is ready for bench push ups at that level.
- Pro tip: Even while you’re working on bench push ups at one level, you can start preparing for the next level down by practicing just the holding (plank) position at the lower height.
Level 4: Stair Push Ups (Third Step)
As you progress to lower surfaces, a staircase becomes your ideal training tool.
Principle 4: Pelvic Control
When performing single-leg variations of stair push ups at this challenging height, maintaining a level pelvis becomes critical.
- Keep your pelvis level when you lift one leg. Don’t let the hip on your lifted leg drop down, this throws your entire alignment off and reduces the effectiveness of the exercise while increasing injury risk.
- The key: Engage your glutes firmly to maintain that level pelvis position throughout the movement.
Level 5: Stair Push Ups (Second Step and Beyond)
In this section, we make the stair push ups more challenging by lowing ourselves to the second step. As you perform this, please follow principle 5 below.
Principle 5: Shoulder Blade Control
This final principle should actually be applied to all levels of push-ups, but it becomes especially important as the challenge increases.
Find your neutral shoulder blade position. Before you begin, notice where your shoulder blades are, they shouldn’t be collapsed together, and they shouldn’t be pushing the surface away. They should be right in the middle.
During the stair push ups:
- As you lower yourself, allow your shoulder blades to glide toward one another, but don’t collaps
- As you press up, allow your shoulder blades to spread gently apart
- Return to neutral between repetitions
Whether you’re performing stair push ups on two legs or progressing to single-leg variations, controlling those deep shoulder blade muscles keeps your shoulders integrated with your whole body, essential for building true, functional strength.
Stair Push Ups: The Full Progression Path
Once you’ve mastered the second step, the journey continues:
- Progress to the first (bottom) step
- Transition to the floor
- Elevate your feet to the first step
- Elevate your feet to the second step
- Progress to unstable surfaces for the ultimate challenge
Quick Reference: The Incline Push Ups Five Principles
- Total body alignment — Head, body, knees, and heels in one line
- Elbow position — Keep elbows below shoulder height
- Depth control — Don’t let shoulders drop below elbow height
- Pelvic control — Keep pelvis level during single-leg variations
- Shoulder blade control — Maintain neutral position throughout
Remember: Each time you move to a lower surface, start with a 15-second hold to confirm your body is ready. Then build to 10 push ups on two feet before progressing to 5-and-5 on single legs.
Incline Push Ups: Important Tip
A lot of times when I’m coaching individuals on push ups (especially incline push ups), I notice that they see the surface and seem to want to get there as fast as possible! I often see people going down and leading with their head. This is teaching your body bad form.
- Use a cue, such as a placing a stick along your back to keep your form.
- Place the yardstick or long ruler so that you have that feedback on your movement and alignment. Keep your head as close to the stick or in line with the stick as you can with your push up.
This will stop you from undoing any of the great postural work that you’ve been doing through your program.
Margaret Martin
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