Chest · Leverage Machine
Lever Push-up
How to do the lever push-up, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Leverage Machine
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Set up in the chest press station of a lever machine and grip the handles in a push-up-style position. Press the handles away from your chest until your arms are extended, then lower under control back to the start.
- 1Chest, shoulders, and triceps driving the handles away from you
- 2Shoulder blades set and a tight core throughout the press
- 3A controlled lower with a full stretch at the bottom
Common mistakes
- Flaring your elbows out too wide; keep them around 45 degrees
- Shrugging your shoulders up toward your ears as you press
- Cutting the range short instead of pressing all the way
Muscles worked
The lever 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 lever 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.