---
authors:
- renec112
image: 01-wall-push-up.webp
image_credit: Anytime Fitness - North Peoria & Germantown Hills
image_credit_url: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCljOU-IFaDEsJj63r_xKl6A
image_source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU1yp5gHvXM
image_title: "At Home Exercise: Wall Push Ups"
skill: do clean wall push-ups
tags:
- fundamentals
- push
- chest
- shoulders
- arms
title: Wall Push-Up
seo_title: How to do wall push-ups
pattern: Horizontal push
pattern_description: Chest and triceps. Press away from the floor.
track: reps
published: 2026-04-17
updated: 2026-10-18
---

The gentlest way into horizontal pushing. You stand facing a wall, place your hands on it at shoulder height, and do a [push-up](/calisthenics/push-up) against the wall. Because your body is almost vertical, only a small fraction of your bodyweight loads the arms, which makes this the perfect starting point if regular push-ups feel impossible or painful.

Don't dismiss this as too easy until you've done it with good form. Wall push-ups train the exact same pattern as a real push-up, but at a load you can actually control. Build the habit here and every future push variation gets easier. 


## How to do it

Stand about an arm's length from a wall. Place your palms flat on the wall, slightly wider than your shoulders, at chest height. Step your feet back until your arms are straight and your body forms one straight line from head to heels. Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the wall, then press back to the start.

If wall push-ups are starting to feel too easy, but standard floor push-ups are still too hard, you can bridge the gap with incline push-ups. Simply lower your angle by using a sturdy table at home, a plyo box at the gym, or a low bar at an outdoor fitness park.

More information here:

https://youtu.be/OU1yp5gHvXM

*[Anytime Fitness - North Peoria & Germantown Hills](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCljOU-IFaDEsJj63r_xKl6A) · [At Home Exercise: Wall Push Ups](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU1yp5gHvXM)*

## Target

**3 sets of 10 reps** with a smooth tempo. 2 seconds down, 1 second up.

## Key tips

- Keep your body rigid like a [plank](/calisthenics/plank). No sagging hips, no piking
- Elbows at roughly 45° from your torso, not flared straight out
- Stop when your chest or head get close to the wall. 
- Fully straighten your arms at the top of each rep