Push ups are an excellent exercise for the upper body, targeting mainly the triceps, anterior deltoids and the chest, but involving an array of other muscles as stabilizers. If the bench press is the king of upper body compound exercises when it comes to weight training, then the push up is the direct reply when it comes to bodyweight exercises. What’s more is, push ups of any variety can be done with added weight – but that’s up to the individual.
Either way, let’s take a look at how to do incline push ups…
Place your hands on an elevated object (an object higher than your toes, which should be on the floor) and take up what is an otherwise normal push up position, only inclined. Be sure to keep your back flat, with neither your butt sticking up, nor your back arching backwards – flat.
When you lower yourself, the key is to have yourself positioned in such a way that the object your hands are placed on would come into contact with the middle of your chest should you go all the way down.
You should be fluid, neither locking out your elbows entirely, nor resting at the bottom, only lightly touching your chest down at the most, and then going again.
Variations
The first thing you need to consider is that you can do push ups at differing incline positions. Of course, the flatter you are (less inclined) the harder the push ups will be, and the more inclined you are, the easier they’ll be.
Then you have different hand placement widths. The wider you place your hands, the more of the chest you involve and the less triceps, and the narrower you place your hand, the direct opposite effect occurs.