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Incline Scapula Push Up
A hands-elevated scapular protraction drill that trains the serratus anterior through pure shoulder blade movement, useful for shoulder health and push-up prep.
ChestBodyweightScapular protraction
GoLightWeight mediaincline-scapula-push-up
Demonstration coming soon
Primary
Serratus anterior
Secondary
Pectoralis minorCoreAnterior deltoids
Equipment
Bodyweight
Pattern
Scapular protraction
Setup
- 01Place hands on a stable bench or box at shoulder width.
- 02Walk the feet back into a straight plank line with arms vertical to the box.
- 03Lock the elbows and keep them locked for the entire set.
- 04Brace the trunk so all motion comes from the shoulder blades.
Execution
- 01Let the shoulder blades pinch together, lowering the chest slightly without bending the elbows.
- 02Pause briefly in the retracted position.
- 03Push the hands into the box and spread the shoulder blades apart, rounding the upper back slightly.
- 04Hold the fully protracted top position for a second before the next rep.
Checkpoints
- -Elbows stay locked from the first rep to the last.
- -Movement is small and comes only from the shoulder blades.
- -Hips stay in line; the plank does not break.
- -A clear pause at full protraction on every rep.
Common mistakes
- -Bending the elbows and turning it into a small push-up.
- -Sagging the hips to fake range of motion.
- -Rushing reps without pausing at full protraction.
- -Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears instead of spreading the blades.
Programming notes
- -Use 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 slow reps in a warm-up or shoulder health block.
- -Progress to the floor scapula push-up once 15 controlled incline reps are easy.
- -Pairs well before benching or overhead pressing to prime the serratus.
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