Incline Push-up (on bench)

Description

How to do Incline Push-up (on bench)

1. 01
   Setup

   Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart on the edge of a sturdy bench, ensuring your fingers point forward.

2. 02
   Setup

   Extend your legs behind you, balancing on the balls of your feet, to form a straight line from your head to your heels. Engage your core to prevent your hips from sagging.

3. 03

   Inhale as you slowly lower your chest towards the bench, keeping your elbows tucked slightly towards your body, until your chest is just above the bench.

4. 04

   Exhale forcefully as you push through your palms to extend your arms and return to the starting straight-arm plank position.

Tips

• Maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement; avoid letting your head drop or hyperextending your neck to protect your cervical spine.
• Control both the descent and ascent phases of the push-up, focusing on muscle engagement rather than relying on momentum.
• Adjust your hand width: a wider grip emphasizes the chest, while a narrower grip targets the triceps more effectively.
• To increase difficulty, use a lower bench or move your feet further away from the bench, increasing the proportion of body weight lifted.

Common mistakes

• Sagging hips or arching the lower back compromises spinal alignment and reduces core engagement, so keep your core tight and maintain a straight line from head to heels.
• Flaring elbows out wide can strain the shoulder joints and reduce chest activation, so keep your elbows tracking slightly backward and close to your body.
• Not lowering far enough limits the range of motion and muscle activation, so aim to bring your chest close to the bench with each repetition to maximize benefits.