Chest · Bodyweight
High Bar Incline Push-up
How to do the high bar incline push-up, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Place your hands on a high, sturdy bar or rail set around chest height, hands a little wider than shoulders, and walk your feet back into a straight line. Lower your chest toward the bar by bending your elbows, then press back up to full arm extension.
- 1Feel your chest and triceps drive you back up off the bar
- 2Keep your body in a straight line and core braced
- 3Lower your chest to the bar and press through to lockout
Common mistakes
- Avoid letting your hips sag or pike up
- Do not flare the elbows wide; keep a moderate angle
- Avoid bouncing; control the tempo down and up
Muscles worked
The high bar incline push-up mainly works the upper chest and mid chest, with the triceps, lower chest, upper abs, and front delts assisting.
- Upper ChestPrimary
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
Kovo programs the high bar incline push-up for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More chest exercises
- How to do the archer push-up
- How to do the assisted dip
- How to do the resistance band chest flyes
- How to do the resistance band push-up
- How to do the barbell bench press
- How to do the paused bench press
Last reviewed June 2026.