Feet-Elevated Wide Push-Up exercise
A wide-grip push-up with feet elevated, intensifying chest and shoulder activation.
Updated By PumpPal
How to perform Feet-Elevated Wide Push-Up
- Place your feet on a stable elevated surface.
- Position your hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your chest to the floor, elbows flaring out.
- Push back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for desired reps.
What is Feet-Elevated Wide Push-Up?
The feet-elevated wide push-up combines a decline body angle with hands placed wider than shoulder width. Elevating the feet shifts more load toward the upper body, while the wider hand position changes the chest and shoulder demands compared with a standard decline push-up.
What muscles does Feet-Elevated Wide Push-Up work?
The chest, particularly the upper and outer portions, front shoulders, and triceps produce the press. The serratus anterior, upper back, rotator cuff, forearms, abdominal wall, glutes, quadriceps, and spinal stabilizers keep the shoulders and body line controlled.
Feet-Elevated Wide Push-Up form cues and common mistakes
- Place the feet on a stable nonslip step or bench and set the hands only moderately wider than the shoulders rather than reaching for the widest possible position.
- Brace the abdomen and glutes so the head, trunk, hips, and heels stay in one line as the body lowers.
- Let the elbows travel at a comfortable diagonal instead of flaring straight sideways, and keep the shoulders from rolling forward at the bottom.
- Lower only as far as the chest and shoulders remain controlled, then press the floor away without letting the hips sag or the feet slide.
- Lower the feet, narrow the hands, or use a standard push-up to regress, and stop for sharp wrist, elbow, shoulder, or chest pain.
How to add Feet-Elevated Wide Push-Up to a workout
Use feet-elevated wide push-ups as a chest-focused bodyweight press after mastering normal and decline push-ups. Start with 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 15 repetitions, leaving 2 to 3 reps in reserve. Add clean reps before raising the feet or adding load.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles do feet-elevated wide push-ups work?
They train the chest, front shoulders, and triceps while the serratus, upper back, rotator cuff, forearms, core, glutes, and legs stabilize the decline plank.
How wide should my hands be?
Start only a little wider than shoulder width and adjust within a pain-free range. Extremely wide hands usually shorten the motion and can make shoulder control harder.
How is this different from a regular decline push-up?
Both elevate the feet, but the wide version places the hands farther apart. A regular decline push-up uses a more moderate hand width and typically allows more triceps contribution and range.
Use controlled movement and an appropriate variation for your current ability. Stop if an exercise causes sharp pain, and seek qualified guidance when needed.