Incline Push-Up Medium

Also called incline push up, elevated push up and bar push up.

Works

Chest, plus abs, shoulders and triceps

Equipment

Bodyweight

Level

Beginner

Type

Compound

How to do it

Setup. Stand facing a Smith machine bar or sturdy elevated platform at an appropriate height.

1. Place your hands on the bar, with your hands about shoulder width apart.
2. Position your feet back from the bar with arms and body straight. This will be your starting position.
3. Keeping your body straight, lower your chest to the bar by bending the arms.
4. Return to the starting position by extending the elbows, pressing yourself back up.

Cues

• Hands shoulder width on the bar.
• Body in one straight line.
• Chest to the bar.
• Press back to lockout.

Common mistakes

• Hips sagging.
• Head poking forward.

Where to start

A starting point, not a law. Pick a weight you could lift two or three more times than the top of the range. Tempo is seconds down, pause, up. When every set hits the top of the range, add a little weight.

Go easy, or pick an alternative, if you have sore wrists. Pain that's sharp or gets worse set to set means stop.

Harder

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