Decline Push-UpMuscles Worked
The decline push-up works your chest, with extra emphasis on the upper chest, while your front delts and triceps share the load. Raising your feet puts more of your bodyweight on your hands and tilts the press toward the upper pecs and shoulders.
How to do it
- Place your feet on a bench or box and your hands on the floor a little wider than your shoulders.
- Tighten your abs and glutes so your hips stay in line with your shoulders and heels.
- Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor, angling your elbows back rather than flaring them out.
- Go down until your head is just above the floor, keeping your neck neutral.
- Press back up to straight arms without letting your hips sag.
Form tips
- Start with a low step and raise it over time, since the higher your feet, the harder each rep.
- Keep your hands under your shoulders or slightly wider, not creeping up toward your face.
Why it made the list
No. 11 of 13
Best Chest Exercises
Bodyweight upper chest emphasis. Feet elevated shifts load to upper pecs and front delts. Progressive by adding elevation.
More chest exercises
See it on your own body map
Log your Decline Push-Up sets in KasMaker and watch your chest, shoulders, and triceps fill in on the map, weighted by how much you did. Logging and the body map are free on iPhone.
