How to do a Push Up on Knees
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Push Up on Knees
Instructions for Proper Form
Push Up on Knees is a beginner-friendly variation of the standard Push Up. This compound, bodyweight exercise primarily targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. By performing the exercise on your knees, you reduce the overall resistance, making it easier to execute. This is a great exercise for building the foundational strength needed to progress to full Push Ups.
- Place your palms on the floor directly underneath your shoulders with your arms extended.
- Elevate your torso above the ground with your knees remaining on the ground creating a rigid straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
- Lower your chest to the ground by bending your elbows at a 45 degree angle.
- Extend your arms to return to the starting position.
Sets & Reps Calculator
Average Push Up on Knees standards by male, female, gender, weight, age and height
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Alternative Exercises to Push Up on Knees
1. Push Up
94.5 mSCORESWAPPED 9,982 TIMESPush Ups may be the most recognizable exercises out there. It’s one of the best bodyweight exercises you can do, and is a great way to develop functional strength in your upper body for pushing movements. It’s fantastic for beginners, or anyone with limited equipment, while still being a great addition for even the most seasoned lifters.
- Intermediate
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2. Dumbbell Bench Press
99.7 mSCORESWAPPED 3,954 TIMESDumbbell Bench Press is a variation on the standard Bench Press. Like Bench Press, this compound exercise primarily targets the chest, while also training the triceps and shoulders. The use of dumbbells allows for greater instability which can help you become more stable on pushing movements in general, while also isolating each side of the body to prevent you from compensating for any weaknesses between sides.
3. Dumbbell Fly
98.3 mSCORESWAPPED 3,246 TIMESDumbbell Fly’s are one of the most common isolation chest exercises, and for good. It primarily targets the muscles in the chest, but also recruits the shoulders for stability. The use of dumbbells ensures that you’re targeting each side of the body independently, and prevents compensating for any weaknesses between sides. In addition the isolated nature of this exercise is a great way to fatigue your chest, and focus on building both muscle mass and increasing strength in your chest.
4. Dumbbell Floor Press
73.8 mSCORESWAPPED 2,540 TIMESThe Dumbbell Floor Press targets the chest, triceps, and shoulders, offering a safer alternative to the bench press by limiting the range of motion. This exercise is effective for strengthening the upper body, with a focus on the lockout portion of the press, enhancing tricep strength and reducing shoulder strain. Ideal for those with limited equipment or seeking to minimize shoulder stress while still engaging the chest and arms.
5. Hand Release Push Up
93.3 mSCORESWAPPED 2,119 TIMESHand Release Push Up is a variation on the standard push up. While the movement itself is nearly identical to a standard push up, by lifting your hands off the ground, you ensure that you’re moving through your full range of motion on each repetition.
- Beginner
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6. Dumbbell Squeeze Press
91.1 mSCORESWAPPED 2,062 TIMESSimilar to other Bench Press variations, this compound exercise primarily targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. Unlike many other variations, some of the tension from this exercise is caused by pressing two dumbbells together rather than simply relying on the weight of those dumbbells. This helps maintain more tension in your chest throughout the movement without relying on other pieces of equipment. The positioning of the dumbbells can also take some tension out of your shoulders, and helps to further isolate your chest.
7. Incline Push Up
77.2 mSCORESWAPPED 2,013 TIMESTargets the lower chest and shoulders by elevating the feet, decreasing the difficulty level compared to traditional push-ups. This variation is beneficial for beginners or those focusing on lower chest development.
- Beginner
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8. Machine Bench Press
93.5 mSCORESWAPPED 2,004 TIMESMachine Bench Press is a compound exercise the primarily targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. The use of a machine forces you to use a fixed range of motion which can be a great way to learn the movement, or to focus your effort on exertion rather than stability.
- Beginner
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- Bench Press Machine
9. Machine Fly
98.2 mSCORESWAPPED 2,003 TIMESMachine Fly is a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Fly. This isolation chest exercise primarily targets the chest, but also recruits the shoulders. The use of a machine makes the exercise more stable allowing you to focus on exertion or learn the movement with minimal risk of injury. This is a great exercise for beginners looking to learn the movement, or advanced lifters looking to push this movement to it’s limit.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Fly Machine
10. Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
99 mSCORESWAPPED 1,823 TIMESDumbbell Incline Bench Press is a variation on the more standard Barbell Incline Bench Press. This compound exercise primarily targets the chest, but the incline also places more emphasis on the shoulders. The use of dumbbells makes this exercise more unstable than its barbell counterpart, while also forcing you to address any strength discrepancies between sides.