Push-Up Progression Chart: From Incline to Archer

A good push-up progression starts with the hardest variation you can do for 8–12 clean reps, often an incline or knee push-up, and moves up one step once you can do 3 sets of 12–15. The usual ladder is wall, incline, knee, full, diamond, decline and archer push-ups, with each step taking two to six weeks.

The point of a ladder is that you always train at the right difficulty: hard enough to get stronger, easy enough to keep good form. Below you will find a progression chart with rep targets, a simple test to find your starting step, a weekly plan and the form points that stop shoulders and wrists complaining.

What is the right push-up progression order?

The right push-up progression order goes from the most supported to the least: wall push-ups, incline push-ups, knee push-ups, full push-ups, then harder variations such as diamond, decline and archer push-ups. Each step either raises the share of your body weight on your hands or shifts more of it onto one arm.

You don't have to do every step. Many people go straight from incline push-ups to full push-ups, because a low incline teaches the full-body plank position better than knee push-ups. Use the chart below and move to the next row when you reach the target.

Push-up progression chart with rep targets
Step	Variation	How to do it	Move up when you can do
1	Wall push-up	Hands on a wall at shoulder height, feet a step back	3 × 20
2	High incline push-up	Hands on a kitchen counter or desk	3 × 15
3	Low incline push-up	Hands on a sturdy chair, bench or step	3 × 15
4	Knee push-up	Full push-up position with knees down, hips in line	3 × 15
5	Full push-up	Hands under shoulders, body in one straight line	3 × 15
6	Diamond or close-grip push-up	Hands together under the chest, more triceps	3 × 12
7	Decline push-up	Feet on a bench or step, more load on shoulders	3 × 12
8	Archer push-up	Wide hands, lower towards one hand while the other arm stays straight	3 × 6–8 per side

How do you find your starting point?

Test your maximum full push-ups with good form, stopping when your hips sag or you can't reach the bottom. That number tells you where to start, and retesting every four weeks shows whether the ladder is working.

If you can't do any full push-ups, test the hardest incline you can do for 8–12 reps instead. You can also take the calisthenics level test, which uses your push-up, pull-up, hang and squat numbers to suggest a starting exercise for each movement.

Starting step by max full push-ups
Max full push-ups	Start with	Typical sets × reps
0–2	Incline push-ups at a height you can do 8–12 reps	3 × 8–12
3–7	Knee or low-incline push-ups, plus 1 set of full reps	3 × 10–12
8–14	Full push-ups	3 × 5–9 (about 60% of your max)
15–24	Diamond or close-grip push-ups	3 × 8–10
25+	Decline, then archer push-ups	3 × 6–10

How many push-ups should you do per set?

Aim for about 60–70% of your current maximum per set, which leaves one or two reps in the tank. If your max is 10, sets of 6–7 are ideal. This keeps every rep clean and lets you train again two days later without being sore or exhausted.

Add a rep per set each week, or a fourth set, until you hit the move-up target in the chart. The meta-analysis by Schoenfeld and colleagues found that more weekly sets tend to produce more muscle growth, so gradually building from 6 to 10–12 hard pushing sets a week is a sensible target for most people.

What does a weekly push-up progression plan look like?

A simple weekly plan uses two or three full-body sessions with push-ups as the main pushing exercise, plus an easier variation on a second day. Pair push-ups with a pulling exercise such as rows in the same session to keep the shoulders balanced.

Here is an example for someone who can do 5 full push-ups.

Monday: full push-ups 3 × 3, then low-incline push-ups 2 × 10, rows 3 × 10, squats 3 × 15.
Wednesday: knee push-ups 3 × 12, dead hangs 3 × 20 s, split squats 3 × 8 per leg, dead bugs 3 × 10.
Friday: full push-ups 4 × 3, slow 3-second lowering, then rows 3 × 10 and a 30-second plank.
Each week: add one rep to the full push-up sets; after four weeks, retest your max.

What is correct push-up form?

Correct push-up form keeps your body in one straight line from head to heels, hands just outside shoulder width and elbows angled about 30–45 degrees from your sides. Lower until your chest is a fist's height from the floor, then press back up without letting your hips sag or pike.

Brace as if you are holding a plank, squeeze your glutes and spread your fingers to share the load across your hand. Your neck stays in line with your spine; look at the floor slightly ahead of your hands.

Elbows flaring straight out to the sides puts more stress on the shoulders.
Hips sagging means your core is tired; drop to an easier step.
Half reps don't count; use a higher incline instead of cutting depth.
Wrist discomfort often eases with push-up handles, dumbbells or fists on a soft mat.

How do you progress from push-ups to archer push-ups?

To reach archer push-ups, build to 3 sets of 15 full push-ups, then 3 sets of 12 diamond or decline push-ups, and add wide push-ups to get used to the hand position. Archer push-ups shift most of your weight onto one arm, so they are a big jump that needs a solid base.

Start with an assisted archer, keeping the straight arm on a raised surface such as a yoga block, or lower only halfway towards the working hand. Practise 3 × 3–5 per side and increase depth over a few weeks. Once you can do 3 × 6–8 per side, you have real one-arm pushing strength and can explore pseudo-planche push-ups or dips.

Why have your push-ups stopped improving?

Push-ups usually stall because the variation is too easy, the sessions are too far apart or you are going to failure every time. Doing 3 × 30 easy reps builds endurance more than strength; moving to a harder step usually restarts progress.

Check recovery too: sleep, enough protein (find your daily number with the protein calculator) and at least one rest day between hard sessions all matter. The ACSM position stand on resistance training recommends progressing load or difficulty gradually as you adapt, which is exactly what moving up the ladder does.

How do push-ups fit into a full calisthenics plan?

Push-ups are your main horizontal push. A complete plan pairs them with a pull (rows or pull-up progressions), a leg exercise and a core move, done as two full-body workouts three or four times a week. That structure covers the muscle-strengthening activity the WHO recommends on at least two days a week.

The calisthenics workout plan picks your push, pull, leg and core step from your own test and moves you up the ladder every four weeks. You can build your personalised calisthenics plan to get a printable 12-week journal with every set and rep filled in. If your pulling is behind your pushing, the first pull-up guide on the same plan explains how to close the gap.

Frequently asked questions

Are knee push-ups or incline push-ups better for beginners?

Both work. Incline push-ups keep you in a full plank position, which carries over well to floor push-ups, and you can adjust difficulty by changing the height. Knee push-ups are convenient anywhere and good for building chest and triceps strength. Many beginners do incline push-ups as their main exercise and knee push-ups for extra sets at the end of a session.

How long does it take to go from zero to 10 push-ups?

It depends on your starting strength, body weight and how often you train. Many beginners training two or three times a week move from incline push-ups to several full push-ups within a couple of months and reach 10 within a few months. Progress is fastest when you move up the ladder as soon as you hit your rep targets and retest every four weeks.

Should I do push-ups every day?

You don't need to. Two or three harder sessions a week with rest days in between is enough to get stronger. If you enjoy daily practice, keep extra sets easy, such as one or two sets at half your maximum, and stop well short of fatigue. Daily all-out sets usually lead to stalled progress and sore shoulders or wrists.

What muscles do push-ups work?

Push-ups train the chest, the front of the shoulders and the triceps, while your core, glutes and the muscles around your shoulder blades work hard to keep your body straight. Close-grip and diamond push-ups shift more work to the triceps, decline push-ups to the shoulders, and archer push-ups load one side of the chest and arm at a time.

My wrists hurt during push-ups. What can I do?

Try push-up handles, hexagonal dumbbells or your fists on a soft mat to keep the wrists straight. Raising your hands on an incline reduces the load. Warm up with wrist circles and gentle stretches before training. If pain is sharp or continues after sessions, stop the exercise and get it checked by a physiotherapist before going further.

Are push-ups enough to build chest muscle?

Push-ups can build meaningful chest and arm muscle, especially for beginners, as long as you keep making them harder by moving up the ladder or adding a weighted vest. Once you can do many reps of harder variations, progress slows, and adding dips, ring push-ups or weighted pushing exercises helps keep the challenge high enough to grow.

General fitness information, not medical advice. Check with a doctor if you have a medical condition, are pregnant or have an injury.

Push-up progression: from incline push-ups to archer push-ups

What is the right push-up progression order?

How do you find your starting point?

How many push-ups should you do per set?

What does a weekly push-up progression plan look like?

What is correct push-up form?

How do you progress from push-ups to archer push-ups?

Why have your push-ups stopped improving?

How do push-ups fit into a full calisthenics plan?

Frequently asked questions

References

Three editions

Essential

Pro

Ultra

Guides for this plan

How to do a pull-up: your first rep from zero