Incline Push-Up Reverse Grip
An incline push-up with the fingers pointed back toward the feet, loading the chest through a reverse hand contact.
How to do it
- Place both hands on a bench with the fingers pointing back toward your feet and the palms down.
- Walk the feet back until the body is a straight line from head to heels, elbows locked.
- Brace the trunk and keep the elbows close to the ribs rather than flared into a T.
- Lower the chest toward the bench by bending the elbows until the chest touches the pad.
- Press the bench away until the elbows straighten, without shrugging the shoulders.
- Reset the plank if the hips sag or pike, then repeat.
Key technique cue
Elbows tucked like an arrow, not flared into a T — don't sag or pike the hips.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Flaring the elbows into a T instead of keeping an arrow shape at the bottom.
- ✕ Letting the hips sag or pike, which breaks the moving-plank line.
- ✕ Cutting the press short so the shoulder blades never wrap around the ribcage at the top.
- ✕ Looking forward and letting the head jut, so the chest never reaches the bench.
Benefits
- ✓ Loads the chest with less than full bodyweight, which makes the press accessible.
- ✓ The reverse hand position tucks the elbows and changes the chest emphasis.
- ✓ Needs only a bench or similar surface, so it fits home and gym bodyweight blocks.
Progression: from easier to harder
-
Step 1 You are here - Incline Push-Up Reverse Grip
- Bodyweight Knee Push Ups
- Incline Push Up
- Incline Push-Up Wide
-
Step 2 -
Step 3 -
Step 4
About the exercise
Hands on a bench turn a push-up into an incline press. Rotating those hands so the fingers point back toward the feet, palms still down, changes how the elbows track: they stay closer to the ribs, and the lower and mid chest take more of the press. The higher the surface, the smaller the share of bodyweight. The body stays one line from head to heels, the same moving-plank rule as a floor push-up.
Updated
Similar exercises
A week of training and meals built for you
Workoutify plans workouts around your days, time and equipment — and a menu for your goal and macros.