The push-up is one of the best body-weight exercises out there - but it's also one of the most difficult. The incline push-up is a variation that's easier for beginners and even avid exercisers who can't nail the move just yet.
What makes doing a push-up on an incline a great alternative is that it works the same muscles as the traditional exercise, so getting strong in this position will directly translate into doing the full, parallel-to-the-ground move.
The incline push-up is probably the most highly recommended push-up modification. While some trainers say push-ups on your knees are OK, others note that the incline push-up better mimics the motion of a full push-up and is therefore a superior modification.
The reason they work so well all comes down to physics.
"Performing push-ups on an incline allows you to control the angle, and therefore significantly reduce the amount of weight that is applied," Lindh says. "The higher the incline, the less weight your upper body has to support and push against gravity. This allows you to nail down form and tune into the proper muscle groups while executing a push-up as you continue to progress technique and adjust the height of incline."
When you can bang out a bunch of reps with good form, it's time to slightly decrease that incline to make the move more challenging. Eventually, you'll be able to eliminate the incline altogether.
Incline push-ups engage your lower chest muscles slightly more than the standard move, Lindh says. They also take a little pressure off the front of your shoulders and your triceps, making them great for anyone who finds a full push-up just too hard.
"They are also great for anyone who might have an elbow or shoulder impingement, requiring them to minimize or reduce the amount of stress placed on these joints," Lindh says.
If you have wrist pain with push-ups, you may also find the incline push-up feels a little better than a standard push-up.
"The incline push-up is a compound movement, meaning it works multiple muscle groups at once," Lindh says. "It primarily targets your chest muscles (pectoralis major and minor) while also recruiting your shoulders (deltoids) and arms (triceps) to help," she adds.
But wait, there's more! The incline push-up also engages your entire core, including your abs, glutes and back if you're doing it right - maintaining a natural spine and not arching your back.
"Before you begin, you want to make sure your body is shifted far enough forward and over the edge of the incline you're using," Lindh says. "If your weight is shifted back too far, or you are set up too low, your chest will not align with the edge at the bottom of the rep."
Do one rep and check where your chest ends up in relation to the surface.
"If you find that the edge is, in fact, closer to your collar bones or neck when you reach the bottom, you have to move forward more," Lindh says.
If your chest is too far behind the surface, it can put unwanted stress on your shoulders and elbows - and also won't engage your chest as fully, Lindh says.
"When it comes to form, one of the most important things to keep in mind is beginning the movement with intentional abdominal engagement and maintaining that core stability throughout the duration of your reps," Lindh says. "Performing any type of push-up with a weak or relaxed core will lead to arching or dipping of your back. This puts unnecessary strain on your spine and can cause a shortened range of motion."
To practice engaging your core, get into a plank. In this position, you can get the hang of core engagement before applying it to a moving plank - aka a push-up. Before every rep of your incline push-up, brace your core first and foremost.
If the angle of your incline is too low, the move will be too difficult and you might hurt yourself by doing it with poor form.
"You will not get the strength-gain benefits of the move if you are continuously performing with incorrect form," Lindh says.
If the incline is too high, you won't challenge yourself - which is what you need to do to progress and get stronger over time.
"Just like with weighted movements, you want to find that proper 'weight,' or in this case incline, that is just challenging enough to have you really trying hard with all of your reps, while always maintaining form," Lindh says.
Wall push-ups are a great alternative to incline push-ups because they make the exercise easier and put less pressure on your wrists while helping you hone in on your form
If you're ready to level up your incline push-ups, consider doing a stability ball push-up. This variation works your shoulders and chest while challenging your core to keep your body from falling to the sides.