Incline Pushups

Incline Pushup Basics

Primary muscles worked: Pecs

Synergist Muscles: Triceps, Deltoids

Mechanics: Compound

Equipment: Smith Machine Or Bench

How To Perform Incline Pushups

• Place your feet together and grab either a smith machine bar or place your hands on a bench approximately one to two feet elevated off of the ground with hands placed six inches past shoulder width on each side.
• Bring your chest towards the bar by bending your elbows so that your upper arms stay in line with the back.
• When your chest has touched the bar, you should press back up until the arms have reached full extension.
• Once you have reached full extension, you may attempt another incline pushup.

Incline Pushup Tips

• You can alter the height by raising or lower a smith machine bar or using different size benches or steps. The higher the incline, the easier the pushup, and the lower the bar, the harder the pushup.
• Make sure that your body stays in a straight line throughout the lift by keeping your legs, hips, and back in alignment.
• You should breath in during your descent toward the bar and breath out as you push yourself back to extension.

Incline Pushups and Sports Application

Incline pushups can be seen in some form during MMA or wrestling. As these combatants are in different positions throughout their bouts, the chest, shoulders, and triceps all need to work together to get out of various holds and moves. Overall, inline pushups can be great for athletes who are new to weight training as the difficulty is far less than the traditional pushup. It will also allow the athlete to learn proper technique and form before progressing to the traditional pushup.