The gentlest way into horizontal pushing. You stand facing a wall, place your hands on it at shoulder height, and do a 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 (elbows tracking at about 45°, core braced, shoulder blades moving around the ribcage),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:

Video by Anytime Fitness - North Peoria & Germantown Hills

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. No sagging hips, no piking
• Elbows at roughly 45° from your torso, not flared straight out
• Touch your chest (not your face) to the wall at the bottom
• Fully straighten your arms at the top of each rep

Progression

Before this: nothing. This is the starting point for horizontal pushing.

Next step: once 3x10 feels controlled and easy, regress the angle. Try it with your hands on a countertop, then a chair, then the floor. That's the Push-Up in Level 2.