# Push-Up Progression From the Wall Up

Three push-up levels in one short session. Start where you can keep a long body line and only move up when it feels easy.

- URL: https://formaroutines.com/routines/push-up-progression-from-the-wall/
- Duration: About 5 min
- Admin slug: push-up-progression-from-the-wall

## Before you start

Move gently and stop if you feel sharp pain, dizziness, numbness, or symptoms that feel unsafe. This routine is general fitness guidance, not medical care.

## Exercises

### 1. Incline Push Up

2 sets · 10 reps · 25s rest

Hands on a counter, desk, or wall. The higher the surface, the easier the rep.

#### Steps
- Place your hands on a bench or sturdy box, slightly wider than shoulder-width, with arms straight.
- Walk your feet back until your body forms a long line from your head to your heels.
- Brace your core and squeeze your glutes so your hips don't sag or lift through the rep.
- Lower your chest toward the bench by bending your elbows at about a 45-degree angle from your torso.
- Stop just before your chest touches the bench, then press through your palms back to the start.
- Lock out the arms at the top with your shoulder blades spread, then start the next rep.

#### Cues
- Body stays long.
- Lower with control.
- Shoulders away from ears.

#### Common mistakes
- Flaring the elbows out wide, which strains the front shoulders and reduces chest engagement.
- Letting the hips sag toward the bench, which removes core tension and overloads the lower back.
- Cutting the range short by lowering only halfway, which skips the deepest chest work.
- Looking up and craning the neck instead of keeping the head in line with the spine.

### 2. Bodyweight Knee Push Ups

2 sets · 8 reps · 25s rest

The floor version with knees down. Keep the hips from sagging so the work stays in the chest and arms.

#### Steps
- Start on all fours with hands placed slightly wider than shoulder width on the floor.
- Walk your hands forward and lower your hips so your body forms a straight line from head to knees.
- Brace your core, squeeze your glutes, and pull your shoulder blades back and down.
- Lower your chest toward the floor under control with elbows tracked at about 45 degrees from your torso.
- Pause briefly with your chest just above the floor, keeping full-body tension throughout.
- Press back up through the palms until your arms lock out, then reset for the next rep.

#### Cues
- Knees under hips.
- One long line.
- Chest leads down.

#### Common mistakes
- Letting the hips pike up so the body bends at the waist, which removes most of the chest work.
- Flaring the elbows out to 90 degrees, which strains the front shoulders and reduces chest engagement.
- Cutting the depth short and bouncing off a partial range, which kills the strength carryover.
- Sitting the hips back toward the heels — turns a push-up into a half-rep stretch.

### 3. Push Up

2 sets · 5 reps · 30s rest

The full push-up. Stop the set the moment the hips drop rather than pushing out sloppy reps.

#### Steps
- Set up in a high-plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width and arms locked.
- Brace your core, squeeze the glutes, and keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Lower your chest slowly toward the floor over 2 to 3 seconds, keeping the elbows at about 45 degrees.
- Stop when your chest hovers just above the floor, holding the bottom briefly with full body tension.
- Press back up by driving the floor away through the palms until the arms reach full extension.
- Reset your breath and repeat for the full set, keeping the body line tight on every rep.

#### Cues
- Elbows track back.
- Hips stay level.
- Full range, slow.

#### Common mistakes
- Letting the hips sag toward the floor, which removes the core demand and strains the lower back.
- Letting the elbows flare to 90 degrees, which strains the front shoulders and reduces chest engagement.
- Cutting the depth short and only pressing the top half of the rep instead of touching the chest down.
- Letting the head poke forward instead of keeping the neck in line with the spine.