How to do a knee push-up
The knee push-up is the best way to build up to full push-ups. Resting on your knees takes some of your weight off your arms, so you train the same muscles, chest, shoulders and triceps, with good form from day one.
Step by step
- Start on your hands and knees with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.
- Walk your hands forward until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
- Brace your core and squeeze your glutes so your hips stay in line.
- Lower your chest toward the floor, elbows at about 45 degrees to your body, until it is a fist from the floor.
- Push the floor away until your arms are straight, keeping that straight line.
Common mistakes the coach checks
- Hips sagging. Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes to hold a straight line from head to heels.
- Hips too high. Drop your hips into a straight line with your shoulders and heels.
- Head dropping. Keep your head in line with your spine instead of letting it hang.
- Too shallow. Lower until your elbows reach about 90 degrees so the rep counts.
- Not quite low enough. Bring your chest to about a fist from the floor on every rep.
- Not locking out. Press all the way up until your arms are straight between reps.
- Dropping too fast. Lower yourself under control instead of dropping.
Sets and reps
Do 3 sets of 8 to 15 knee push-ups. When you can do 3 sets of 15 with good form, start mixing in full push-ups from your toes.
Make it easier or harder
- Easier: Do push-ups with your hands on a wall, a table or a kitchen counter.
- Harder: Full push-ups from your toes, or a slow three-second lowering on your knees.
Stay safe
Put a folded towel or mat under your knees, and keep your neck in line by looking at the floor just ahead of your hands.
Check your form with the AI coach
Put your phone on the floor, 2 m to your side, in landscape if you can — head to heels in the frame. Side-on I can see your body line (hip sag) and how low your chest goes. Then press Start training and go: there's nothing to pick, the AI detects that you're doing knee push-ups, counts your reps and tells you out loud when your form slips.
Start trainingJust counting? See the free AI rep counter.