Incline Reverse Grip Push-Up
Incline Reverse Grip Push-Up Exercise Description
The Incline Reverse Grip Push-Up is a bodyweight horizontal press performed on an elevated surface with a supinated hand position (fingers pointing toward you). It targets the pectoralis major, triceps brachii, and anterior deltoids while the serratus anterior and core musculature stabilize the shoulder girdle and trunk. Using an incline reduces the percentage of bodyweight you must press compared with floor push-ups, making control and alignment easier to maintain. The reverse grip places the shoulders in more external rotation, encouraging a closer elbow path and emphasizing smooth scapular motion. Choose a stable surface and a hand angle you can maintain without wrist strain to focus on crisp technique and full-body tension.
- Muscle Groups: Chest, Pecs
- Target Muscles: Pectoralis Major - Sternal Head
- Assisting Muscles: Deltoid - Anterior, Triceps Brachii - Medial Head
- Stabilizing Muscles: Gluteus Maximus, Rectus Abdominis, Serratus Anterior, Transversus Abdominis
- Body Area: Upper Body
- Body Parts: Chest
- Body Surface: Front
- Body Symmetry: Bilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Push
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Horizontal Shoulder Adduction
- Joint Involvement: Multi-joint
- Muscle Location: Mid Chest
- Movement Direction: Horizontal
- Muscle Position: Anterior
- Gender: Male
How To Do The Incline Reverse Grip Push-Up Exercise
‘- Set a sturdy bench, box, or bar in a rack at a comfortable height on a non-slip surface.
– Place hands on the edge about shoulder-width apart with fingers pointing toward you or slightly outward; grip the edge so wrists feel supported.
– Step back to a tall plank: heels, hips, and shoulders in one line; ribs down; glutes and abdominal wall lightly braced; neck neutral.
– Set the shoulders: draw shoulder blades slightly down and back without shrugging; keep chest open.
– Position upper arms about 30–45 degrees from your torso with forearms vertical over the hands.
– Inhale and lower your chest toward the edge by bending the elbows, keeping the body rigid and wrists stacked under elbows.
– Lower until your chest approaches the edge without losing neutral spine or shoulder control.
– Exhale and press the floor/edge away, extending the elbows; finish with a gentle scapular protraction at the top without rounding through the upper back.
– Keep movement smooth and controlled—no bouncing, sagging hips, or flared elbows.
– If wrists or shoulders feel uncomfortable, slightly adjust hand angle or increase the incline to maintain neutral alignment.
Incline Reverse Grip Push-Up Tips
‘- Use a sturdy bench, box, or bar set on a non-slip surface.
– Place hands about shoulder-width with fingers pointing toward you or slightly outward, gripping the edge so wrists feel supported.
– Step back into a tall plank with heels, hips, and shoulders in one straight line.
– Keep ribs down, glutes and abdominal wall lightly braced, and neck neutral.
– Draw shoulder blades slightly down and back without shrugging, keeping the chest open.
– Keep upper arms about 30–45 degrees from your torso with forearms vertical over the hands.
– Lower your chest toward the edge by bending the elbows, keeping the body rigid and wrists stacked under elbows.
– Lower only until your chest approaches the edge while maintaining neutral spine and shoulder control.
– Press the edge away as you exhale, finishing with a gentle scapular protraction at the top without rounding the upper back.
– Move smoothly and under control, avoiding bouncing, sagging hips, or flared elbows.
– If wrists or shoulders feel uncomfortable, slightly adjust your hand angle or increase the incline.
Incline Reverse Grip Push-Up Beginner Introduction
The Incline Reverse Grip Push-Up is a push-up variation performed against a raised support, using bodyweight as resistance. Instead of palms facing away, the hands are rotated so the fingertips face back toward the body, changing how the shoulders and arms work together. This setup shifts emphasis onto the chest, triceps, and the front of the shoulders, while the core and the muscles around the shoulder blades help steady the torso and upper body. Because the body is angled against an elevated surface, less total weight is moved than in a floor push-up, which often allows calmer, more deliberate motion.
This style of push-up highlights controlled shoulder positioning and a closer path for the elbows, encouraging smooth movement of the shoulder blades along the rib cage. A solid bench, box, or bar typically acts as the base, and the angle of the hands can be adjusted to respect wrist comfort. The overall theme of the exercise is crisp technique, steady alignment from head to heel, and a sense of full-body tension throughout each repetition.