The Decline Push Up is a beginner-friendly bodyweight strength exercise that targets the chest, with the triceps working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesChest
Secondary musclesTriceps
EquipmentBodyweight
LevelBeginner
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Decline Push Up
Place your feet on a sturdy bench, step, or low platform and lower your hands to the floor.
Set your hands slightly wider than shoulder width with arms straight and your body in a long line.
Brace your core and squeeze your glutes so your hips don't sag or pike during the rep.
Lower your chest toward the floor under control, keeping the elbows tracked at about 45 degrees.
Pause briefly when your chest is just above the floor, holding tension through the upper body.
Press back up to full arm extension by driving through the chest and triceps, then repeat.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Biases the upper chest and front shoulders without barbell incline work.
Builds bodyweight pressing strength using only a step or bench.
Bridges the gap between standard push ups and harder pressing variations.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Letting the hips sag toward the floor, which kills the line and shifts strain into the lower back.
Flaring the elbows out to 90 degrees, which strains the front shoulders and reduces chest work.
Bouncing at the bottom instead of pausing briefly to control the lift through the full range.
Cutting the range short by stopping a long way above the floor and skipping the deep stretch.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Decline Push Up, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
