Push-Up (All Levels)

How to Progress

The push-up progression is used for the Beginner, Elementary, and Pre-intermediate athletic levels. When the push-up comes up in your weekly template you’ll be doing 5 sets of 8-12 reps. When you can do 12 reps of each set at a progression then you can move to the next level of difficulty.

Push-up levels of difficulty:

  1. Standing with hands on a tall box.
  2. On knees with 2 abmats under your chest.
  3. On knees with 1 abmats under your chest.
  4. On knees with chest touching floor.
  5. On knees with a 10 lb weight on your back.
  6. No knees on the way down. Knees on the way up. Can add abmat if lowering is difficult.
  7. Standard push-up.
  8. Standard push-up + feet elevated on the box.
  9. True push-up.

* For close grip push-ups you will likely need to do an easier progression than your current standard push-up.

* You can mark this progression as complete once you are in the Intermediate level. Feel free to do extra push-ups throughout the day to help progress faster.

Videos

Ranked from easiest to hardest.

1. Standing with hands on barbell

  • If you are using a squat rack that is not anchored to the ground be sure to put it against something so it does not slide.

2. Standing with hands on a tall box

  • Make sure your body is straight with no break in the hips.
  • Make sure you lock out at the top and have your chest touch the box. If you cannot touch the box use a taller surface.
  • As you get stronger progress to a lower box.

3. On knees with 2 abmats under your chest.

  • Lock out at the top.
  • At the bottom hold for 1/2 – 1 full second and make sure you do not bounce off the abmat. It should be extremely controlled.

4. On knees with 1 abmats under your chest.

  • Lock out at the top.
  • At the bottom hold for 1/2 – 1 full second and make sure you do not bounce off the abmat. It should be extremely controlled.

5. On knees with chest touching floor.

  • Lock out at the top.
  • At the bottom hold for 1/2 – 1 full second and make sure you do not bounce off the abmat. It should be extremely controlled.

6. On knees with a weight on your back.

  • As this gets easier use a heavier weight.
  • It will be easier if someone places the weight on your back.
  • Lock out at the top.
  • At the bottom hold for 1/2 – 1 full second and make sure you do not bounce off the abmat. It should be extremely controlled.

7. On knees with a weightvest

  • Lock out at the top.
  • At the bottom hold for 1/2 – 1 full second and make sure you do not bounce off the abmat. It should be extremely controlled.

8. No knees on the way down. Knees on the way up. Can add abmat if lowering is difficult.

  • It is imperative to have a controlled 3-5 second controlled descent on the way down. Once your chest touches hold for 1 second before putting your knees down.

9. Standard push-up

10. Standard push-up + feet elevated on box.

11. True push-up.