10 Best Push-up Plus Alternatives for Shoulder-Friendly Chest Training
If Push-up Plus causes pain or you lack the scapular control, use exercises that preserve horizontal pressing and chest activation with less stress. Try incline push-ups, scapular push-ups, banded chest presses, dumbbell floor presses, and single-arm wall presses. Cue: keep the scapula neutral and drive the sternum toward your hands to load the pectorals.
Original Exercise: Push-up Plus
How to Perform Push-up Plus
- Start in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
- Once your chest is just above the ground, push through your hands to extend your arms and lift your upper body up.
- At the top of the movement, protract your shoulder blades by pushing your upper back towards the ceiling.
- Pause for a moment, then reverse the movement by retracting your shoulder blades and lowering your body back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Push-up Plus Alternatives
1. Drop Push
99.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Position low boxes or other platforms 2-3 feet apart.
- Move to a pushup position between them, supporting yourself by placing your hands on the boxes.
- With good posture, drop from the platforms by pressing up and moving your hands to shoulder width, cushioning your landing by absorbing the impact through the arm.
2. Drop Push Up
97.6% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your chest towards the ground, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Once your chest is just above the ground, quickly drop your knees to the ground.
- Push yourself back up to the starting position by extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
3. Chest Tap Push-up (male)
94.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your body in a straight line.
- Lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
- As you lower yourself, tap your chest with your right hand.
- Push yourself back up to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement, this time tapping your chest with your left hand.
4. Clap Push Up
94.3% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping your core engaged.
- Push through your palms explosively to propel your body off the ground.
- While in mid-air, clap your hands together before landing back in the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
5. Clock Push-up
93.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start in a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your body in a straight line.
- Lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
- As you lower, rotate your body to the left, extending your left arm straight out to the side.
- Push back up to the starting position, while rotating your body to the center.
- Repeat the push-up, this time rotating your body to the right and extending your right arm out to the side.
6. Chest Dip On Straight Bar
90.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Grab the parallel bars with your palms facing down and your arms fully extended.
- Bend your knees and cross your ankles.
- Lower your body by bending your arms until your shoulders are below your elbows.
- Push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
7. Archer Push Up
87.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start in a push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Extend one arm straight out to the side, parallel to the ground.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping your back straight and core engaged.
- Push back up to the starting position.
- Repeat on the other side, extending the opposite arm out to the side.
8. Deep Push Up
84.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your body in a straight line.
- Lower your chest towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your body.
- Push through your palms to extend your arms and return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
9. Decline Push-up
83.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Place your hands on the ground slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with your feet elevated on a stable surface.
- Keep your body in a straight line from head to toe, engaging your core muscles.
- Lower your chest towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your body.
- Push through your palms to extend your arms and return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
10. Body-up
83.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start by placing your hands on a raised surface, such as a bench or parallel bars, with your palms facing down and fingers pointing forward.
- Extend your legs out in front of you, keeping your heels on the ground and your body straight.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides, until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
- Pause for a moment, then push through your palms to straighten your arms and lift your body back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Why You Might Need a Push-up Plus Alternative
You might substitute Push-up Plus for several reasons: shoulder pain during protraction, weak serratus anterior or limited scapular control, or simply needing a regression or progression. Alternatives let you isolate the pectorals while reducing demand on the glenohumeral joint and scapulothoracic muscles. For example, incline push-ups lower compressive load on the shoulder by changing the vector of force, and scapular push-ups emphasize serratus activation without full elbow extension. Choose exercises that let you maintain controlled eccentric tempo and a full but pain-free range of motion to drive pectoral hypertrophy and safe scapular mechanics.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Select a substitute based on pain, strength level, and training goal. If you feel anterior shoulder pain, pick incline push-ups or floor presses to shift load away from the joint; cue: maintain a 45-degree elbow tuck and press through the sternum to maximize pectoral recruitment. If your goal is scapular control, use scapular push-ups and banded protractions to isolate serratus activation. For hypertrophy, choose a substitute that allows progressive overload (dumbbell floor press or weighted incline push-up). Track perceived effort and joint comfort, and progress by reducing incline, adding reps, or increasing resistance while keeping controlled tempo and clean scapular mechanics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Push-up Plus work?
Push-up Plus combines horizontal pressing that activates the pectorals with an extra scapular protraction that loads the serratus anterior and upper ribs. The triceps and anterior deltoids assist during the press while the serratus drives the final protraction to stabilize the scapula.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Push-up Plus?
For chest-focused, shoulder-friendly bodyweight work, the incline push-up is the best substitute: place hands on a bench or box and perform controlled reps. Cue: keep scapula neutral, tuck elbows roughly 45 degrees, and drive the sternum toward the hands to emphasize pectoral activation while lowering shoulder load.
Can I build muscle without doing Push-up Plus?
Yes — you can build chest muscle with many pressing variations and progressive overload such as incline push-ups, dumbbell floor presses, and banded presses. Focus on full, controlled eccentrics and progressive resistance while maintaining shoulder-safe mechanics to stimulate pectoral hypertrophy.
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