Chest · Bodyweight
Push-up on a Chair
How to do the push-up on a chair, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Place your hands on the seat of a sturdy chair, slightly wider than shoulder-width, and walk your feet back into a plank. Keep your body in a straight line and bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the seat, then press back up. The raised hands make this easier than a floor push-up.
- 1Chest and triceps driving you back up off the seat
- 2A straight line from head to heels the whole time
- 3Core and glutes tight so your hips do not sag
Common mistakes
- Letting your hips sag or pike up out of the line
- Flaring your elbows straight out to the sides
- Cutting the range short instead of lowering your chest to the seat
Muscles worked
The push-up on a chair mainly works the mid chest and triceps, with the front delts, upper chest, lower chest, upper abs, and lower abs assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsPrimary
- Front DeltsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- LatsMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- QuadsMinor
- GlutesMinor
Kovo programs the push-up on a chair 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.