Also known as: wall pushup, wall push up, standing push-up, wall press-up, vertical push-up, wall incline push-up

What is Wall Push-Up?

A Wall Push-Up is an easy bodyweight exercise performed by pressing your hands against a wall and bending and straightening your elbows. It primarily works the chest and triceps, with the shoulders and core helping stabilize your body. It’s a beginner-friendly way to practice pushing technique before progressing to floor push-ups.

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How to Do Wall Push-Up

  1. Set your stance: Stand facing a wall about an arm’s length away, with your feet together and your body upright.
  2. Place your hands: Put both palms on the wall at shoulder height, slightly wider than your shoulders, with fingers pointing upward.
  3. Brace your body: Squeeze your glutes and brace your core so your body stays in a straight line from your heels to your head.
  4. Lower with control: Bend your elbows, pointing them back and slightly down, and bring your chest toward the wall while keeping your heels down.
  5. Press back: Push through your palms until your arms are straight without locking your elbows or letting your hips sag.
  6. Adjust difficulty: Step closer to the wall to make the movement easier or farther away to increase the challenge; keep each repetition controlled.

Muscle Groups

Triceps, Chest, Core, Shoulders

Description

Stand facing a wall about an arm's length away, feet together. Place both palms on the wall at shoulder height, slightly wider than your shoulders.

Squeeze your glutes and brace your core so your body forms one straight line from heels to head. Bend your elbows and bring your chest towards the wall, keeping the elbows pointing back and down rather than out to the sides.

Push the wall away until your arms are straight. Keep the heels on the floor the whole time. Step further from the wall to make it harder.
Movement Group: Push
Equipment: None (bodyweight only)

Progressions and Regressions

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of Wall Push-Ups?

Wall Push-Ups build pushing strength in the chest, triceps, and shoulders while the core helps keep your body steady. They are easy to scale and let beginners practice push-up alignment and control with less load than a floor push-up.

What are common Wall Push-Up mistakes?

Common mistakes include flaring the elbows, letting the hips sag, moving too quickly, or placing the hands too high or low. Keep your body aligned, brace your core, and lower your chest under control while keeping your heels on the floor.

How can I progress from Wall Push-Ups?

As the movement gets easier, step farther from the wall to increase the load. You can then progress to an incline push-up with your hands on a sturdy raised surface, and later try knee or standard floor push-ups.