Box Incline Push-Up
In SetGrip: Incline Push-Up (Box)
- Primary musclePectorals
- EquipmentBodyweight
- DifficultyBeginner
- TypeCompound · Push
Pressing off a box raises your hands well above your feet, shifting a chunk of bodyweight off your arms and making each rep meaningfully lighter than a floor push-up. The box's height and solid edge make this the friendlier starting point of the two incline versions; the step variant sits lower and loads more.
How to do the Box Incline Push-Up
- Place your hands on the edge of a box or elevated surface, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Extend your legs behind you, resting on the balls of your feet, creating a straight line from your head to your heels.
- Lower your chest towards the box by bending your elbows, keeping your body in a straight line.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Screw your hands into the floor as if turning the fingers outward to set the shoulders before each set.
Muscles worked
Primary
Pectorals · Chest
The chest drives the arms together as you push, and it is loaded most in the bottom half of the rep when the elbows are bent.
Common mistakes
- Hips sagging or piked — the body should stay a straight line from head to heels; squeeze the glutes and brace the abs before each rep.
- Elbows flared to 90 degrees — flaring the arms out wide loads the shoulder joint; keep the elbows tucked to about 45 degrees from the torso.
- Cutting the bottom short — chest should come to within a fist of the floor; if that means fewer reps, do fewer reps.
- Head dropping first — the chin reaching for the floor makes it look like a rep when it is not; keep the head neutral and lead with the chest.
Sets, reps and where it fits
| Goal | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4–5 × 3–6 | 2–3 min |
| Muscle growth | 3–4 × 6–12 | 90–120 s |
| Endurance | 2–3 × 12–20 | 60 s |
Push-ups work as a warm-up before bench press, as a finisher after chest work or as the main push exercise when training with no equipment. Superset them with inverted rows or a band pull-apart for balance.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without bodyweight
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Box Incline Push-Up work?
The Box Incline Push-Up primarily works the pectorals. It also involves the triceps and delts, which assist the movement and stabilise the joints.
Is the Box Incline Push-Up good for beginners?
Yes. The Box Incline Push-Up is rated beginner: it uses no equipment beyond your bodyweight and the movement is simple to learn. Start light, focus on the full range of motion and add load once every rep looks the same.
What can I do instead of the Box Incline Push-Up?
If you cannot do the Box Incline Push-Up, try the Step Incline Push-Up, the Incline Scapula Push-Up or the Incline Close Grip Push-Up. Each of them trains the pectorals through a similar movement, so you can swap them in without changing the rest of the workout.
How many sets and reps should I do?
It depends on your goal. For the Box Incline Push-Up, a sensible starting point is strength: 4–5 × 3–6 with 2–3 min rest; muscle growth: 3–4 × 6–12 with 90–120 s rest; endurance: 2–3 × 12–20 with 60 s rest. Put it early in the session while you are fresh, before isolation work for the same muscles.
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