I love doing push ups on the incline, like using a step. I feel like I can go deeper into the chest and also sustain my movements more slowly. The incline makes the exercise a little bit more accessible for those who often go onto their knees for a push up. It also targets the chest differently, slightly. Adding the side plank at the top of the movement allowed for deeper engagement of the core.
Tips
- Keep the elbows pointed towards the back/side of the room at about a 45 degree angle rather than straight out at the shoulder. This protects the elbow and shoulder and also targets the chest better.
- Leverage your upper body weight toward the front of the motion rather than the back so that your weight is distributed over the work of the exercise.
- Knit the shoulder blades together.
- Keep a straight line from the crown of the head to the ankles.
- Don’t overextend on the plank when you open your arm to the ceiling (like I did in the first execution).