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Incline Push-Up (On Box)
A push-up with hands elevated on a box that reduces bodyweight load, making it a scalable horizontal press for building pressing volume or progressing toward the floor push-up.
ChestBodyweightHorizontal press
GoLightWeight mediaincline-push-up-on-box
Demonstration coming soon
Primary
Pectoralis major
Secondary
Anterior deltoidsTricepsCore
Equipment
Bodyweight
Pattern
Horizontal press
Setup
- 01Place a sturdy box or bench against a wall or on non-slip flooring so it cannot shift.
- 02Set hands on the box edge slightly wider than shoulder width.
- 03Walk the feet back until the body forms a straight line from head to heels.
- 04Brace the trunk and squeeze the glutes before the first rep.
Execution
- 01Lower the chest toward the box under control.
- 02Keep elbows angled roughly 45 degrees from the torso.
- 03Touch the chest lightly to the box edge or stop just above it.
- 04Press back up to full elbow extension without letting the hips sag.
Checkpoints
- -Body stays in one rigid line from head to heels.
- -Hands stay stacked under or slightly outside the shoulders.
- -The box does not shift or rock during the set.
- -Full range: chest reaches the box, elbows reach lockout.
Common mistakes
- -Sagging the hips and turning the rep into a partial press.
- -Craning the neck to touch the head down first.
- -Cutting depth as fatigue builds.
- -Using a box so high the exercise stops being challenging.
Programming notes
- -Use 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps as an entry point to push-up training.
- -Lower the box height over time to progress toward floor push-ups.
- -Works well as a high-rep finisher after heavier pressing for trained lifters.
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