Incline Push-Up Wide
An incline push-up with the hands set outside shoulder width on a bench, biasing the press toward the chest.
How to do it
- Place the hands on a bench outside shoulder width, fingers pointing forward.
- Walk the feet back until the body is a straight line from head to heels.
- Brace the trunk and squeeze the glutes so the hips do not sag.
- Lower the chest toward the bench by unlocking the elbows.
- Stop when the chest is close to the pad, arms in an arrow rather than a T.
- Press the bench away until the elbows straighten, then repeat.
Key technique cue
Arms in an arrow shape, not a T — hips level, core tight.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Letting the arms form a T at the bottom, which loads the shoulders over the chest.
- ✕ Allowing the hips to sag or pike, which breaks the plank the chest should press from.
- ✕ Setting the hands so wide that range of motion collapses.
- ✕ Choosing a bench so high that the press barely loads the arms.
Benefits
- ✓ The incline reduces load so beginners can keep a rigid plank with a wide hand set.
- ✓ A wider hand set biases the press toward the chest versus a close-grip incline.
- ✓ Needs only a bench, so it scales from home to gym-floor work.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Incline Push-Up Wide
- Bodyweight Knee Push Ups
- Incline Push Up
- Incline Push-Up Reverse Grip
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Step 2 -
Step 3 -
Step 4
About the exercise
Hands on a bench turn a push-up into an incline press. Setting those hands outside shoulder width increases the stretch on the chest at the bottom and shifts emphasis off the triceps relative to a close-grip incline. The higher the surface, the smaller the share of bodyweight. The body stays one line from head to heels while the elbows track in an arrow, not a T.
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