Chest · Bodyweight
Kneeling Push-up
How to do the kneeling 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
Start on all fours with your knees on the floor and hands slightly wider than shoulder-width. Keep a straight line from your knees to your head, lower your chest toward the floor, then press back up.
- 1Feel your chest, shoulders, and triceps drive you back up
- 2Keep your hips in line with your shoulders and knees
- 3Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the bottom
Common mistakes
- Don't let your hips sag or pike up toward the ceiling
- Avoid flaring your elbows out wide; keep them around 45 degrees
- Don't crane your head forward to touch the floor first
Muscles worked
The kneeling push-up mainly works the mid chest, with the triceps, upper chest, lower chest, upper abs, and front delts assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
Kovo programs the kneeling 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.