The chair push up is the natural progression once you have mastered the wall push up at the Beginner level. The idea is simple, you work from surfaces that get progressively lower, preparing you for a higher level push-up. You might start from a countertop or the fourth or fifth step in your house, then move down to a chair, or somewhere between that height and the seat of a chair. Each lower surface increases the load on your upper body and core.
Most of the women I see have never done a proper push-up, so it is such an exciting thing to teach people to do. A push-up is really a plank in motion, so everything you have practiced with your plank and your hip hinge comes together here.
The chair push up or bench/step push up will challenge you while still allowing perfect execution.
Push-ups are also very functional. Think of heavy doors, pushing your lawnmower, pushing your grandchildren on a swing. Lots of pushing happens in life, and you want to ensure your body is doing it with good form.
Muscles Worked During Chair Push Ups
Chair push ups work the following muscles:
- Chest
- Triceps
- Abdominals
It also targets the following bones:
- Wrists
- Spine
How to Do Chair Push Ups
Follow these instructions on how to do chair push ups with either a bench or a chair.
- Set your hands. Place your hands on the chair (or your chosen surface) about one and a half shoulder widths apart. A narrow push-up, with hands at shoulder width or less, is a tricep push-up. For this exercise we are going wider.
- Get into position. Practice your hip hinge to place your hands on the chair, then step your feet back until your body forms a straight line from head to heels. Your head stays in line with your body, do not let it drift forward.
- Check your starting effort. Just holding this position should feel relatively easy, around a 3 or 4 out of 10. If simply hanging out in the plank already feels intense, this is not the level of push-up you should be at. Move to a surface at least one step higher, seven or eight inches or more.
- Lower with control. Take a breath in. As you go down, your arms move away from your sides, but do not let your upper arms drop below parallel to the surface you are working from. Keep a nice strong plank the whole way down.
- Press back up. Exhale and press into the surface to return to your starting position. Keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth and your head in line with your spine.
Watch Your Head Position
I see a lot of people recovering from painful postural syndromes, even what we now call text neck, who automatically fall back into those movement patterns during something as basic as a push-up. I had a young man in his 20s who told me he could not progress past his wall push up because his headaches kept coming back. As he did his push-up, his head was doing exactly what it did all day, jutting forward.
Keep everything in alignment. If you have access to someone who can film you doing your push-up, or any of your exercises, that is a great opportunity to see yourself in motion and make corrections to your form.
Highly Functional Exercise
The wider push up is highly functional for daily activities like pushing heavy doors, maneuvering a lawnmower, or playing with grandchildren.
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Chair Push Ups Tips
A lot of times when I’m coaching individuals on push ups (especially chair 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 stick 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.
Chair Push Ups: Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do chair push ups work?
Chair push ups work the chest, triceps, and abdominals. Because you support your body weight through your arms, they also load the bones of the wrists and spine, making them a useful weight-bearing exercise for the upper body.
Are chair push ups good for seniors?
Yes. Chair push ups let seniors and beginners build upper body, core, and postural strength at a height that allows perfect form. Because the surface height can be raised or lowered, the exercise scales to your current strength and progresses safely toward a full push-up.
How high should the surface be for a chair push up?
Simply holding the starting plank position on your chosen surface should feel relatively easy, around a 3 or 4 out of 10 in effort. If holding the position already feels intense, move to a surface at least seven or eight inches higher and progress down over time.
How far apart should my hands be during a chair push up?
Place your hands about one and a half shoulder widths apart. A push-up with hands at shoulder width or less is a narrow, tricep push-up. The wider hand position used in the chair push up targets the chest and mirrors everyday pushing movements.
What is the difference between a wall push up and a chair push up?
Both are incline push-ups, but the chair push up is performed from a lower surface, so it loads more of your body weight and is more challenging. The wall push up is the Beginner level exercise. Once you master it, the chair push up is the natural next step at the Active level.
What should I do if chair push ups hurt my wrists?
Wrist discomfort during push ups is common and usually related to hand position, wrist mobility, or loading too much too soon. Move to a higher surface to reduce the load and review this guide to identifying and fixing push up pain. If the pain persists, consult your physical therapist.
Margaret Martin
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