Exercise library

Push / Foundation

Incline Push-Up

Train horizontal pressing strength with body position and difficulty adjusted by surface height.

01 / Set up

Build the position.

  1. Place both hands on a stable bench or counter slightly wider than shoulder width.
  2. Walk the feet back until the body forms a straight, braced line from head to heel.

02 / Execute

Do the work.

  1. Lower the chest toward the support while the elbows travel at a comfortable angle.
  2. Pause before the shoulders roll forward or the trunk loses its line.
  3. Press the support away and finish with the shoulder blades free to move.

Useful cues

Move as one piece

Bring the chest to the support

Push the surface away

03 / Troubleshoot

Common ways it drifts.

  • Using a surface that can slide or tip
  • Allowing the hips to sag ahead of the chest

Exercise evidence field

What this page can claim.

Research can support a training category or expose a hazard without proving every stance, range, cue, or progression on this page.

2 evidence notes / 3 source links
01

Resistance training is the supported category.

The 2026 ACSM position stand supports progressive resistance training for muscle function, hypertrophy, and physical performance in generally healthy adults, with multiple workable equipment and prescription choices.

  1. American College of Sports Medicine via PubMed CentralProfessional consensus
02

Range and cues remain adjustable.

A systematic review found that resistance-training range can affect strength and lower-limb hypertrophy, while a separate review found that attentional-focus effects vary across lifting tasks and populations.

  1. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports via PubMedSystematic review
  2. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living via PubMedSystematic review

Exercise source register

Inspect the instruction trail.

Sources support the notes above. They do not convert this editorial-review page into individualized coaching or medical clearance.

  1. 01
    Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults

    American College of Sports Medicine via PubMed Central

    Professional consensus / Accessed 2026-07-26
  2. 02
    Effects of Range of Motion on Resistance Training Adaptations: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

    Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports via PubMed

    Systematic review / Accessed 2026-07-26
  3. 03
    A Systematic Review of Attentional Focus Strategies in Weightlifting

    Frontiers in Sports and Active Living via PubMed

    Systematic review / Accessed 2026-07-26