If you can't do a full pushup yet, you're not alone - and you're not far away. With the right progression, most people can go from zero pushups to their first real floor pushup in 2-6 weeks.
The secret isn't trying harder. It's working smarter with progressive variations that gradually build the strength you need.
The Pushup Progression Ladder
Here's the path from easiest to hardest:
- Wall Pushups - Standing, pushing against a wall
- Incline Pushups (High) - Hands on counter/table
- Incline Pushups (Low) - Hands on chair/couch
- Knee Pushups - On the floor, knees down
- Negative Pushups - Lowering only, from full position
- Full Pushups - The standard pushup
Each step prepares you for the next. Skip steps, and you'll struggle. Follow the progression, and success is almost guaranteed.
Level 1: Wall Pushups
Difficulty: Easiest Muscles worked: Same as floor pushups, but at reduced body weight percentage
How to Do Wall Pushups
- Stand facing a wall, about arm's length away
- Place palms flat on wall at shoulder height and shoulder-width apart
- Keep your body straight (don't bend at hips)
- Lean forward, bending your elbows until your nose nearly touches the wall
- Push back to starting position
- Keep core engaged throughout
Common Mistakes
- Bending at the hips - Keep body in a straight line
- Going too fast - Control the movement
- Standing too close - Give yourself room to lean
Progression Criteria
Move to Level 2 when you can do: 3 sets of 20 reps with good form
This typically takes: 3-7 days
Level 2: Incline Pushups (High Surface)
Difficulty: Easy Surface examples: Kitchen counter, sturdy table, high windowsill, bathroom counter
How to Do High Incline Pushups
- Place hands on elevated surface, shoulder-width apart
- Walk feet back until body forms a straight line at an angle
- Lower chest toward the surface, keeping elbows at 45 degrees
- Push back to start
- Maintain straight body throughout
Why This Step Matters
You're now at an angle, supporting more of your body weight than wall pushups but less than floor pushups. It's the perfect intermediate step.
Progression Criteria
Move to Level 3 when you can do: 3 sets of 15 reps with good form
This typically takes: 5-10 days
Level 3: Incline Pushups (Low Surface)
Difficulty: Moderate Surface examples: Couch, sturdy chair, low table, stairs (3-4 steps up), bench
How to Do Low Incline Pushups
Same form as high incline, just with a lower surface. The lower the surface, the harder the pushup.
Stair Progression Tip
Stairs are perfect for gradual progression:
- Start at step 4 or 5
- Move down one step when current level feels easy
- Eventually you'll be at step 1, nearly horizontal
Progression Criteria
Move to Level 4 when you can do: 3 sets of 15 reps on a knee-height surface
This typically takes: 7-14 days
Level 4: Knee Pushups
Difficulty: Moderate-Hard Position: Floor-based, knees down
How to Do Knee Pushups Properly
- Start on all fours
- Walk hands forward and lower hips until body forms a straight line from head to knees
- Cross ankles and lift feet off floor (keeps them out of the way)
- Lower chest toward floor, elbows at 45 degrees
- Push back up
- Keep core tight - don't let hips sag or pike up
The Critical Mistake
Most people bend at the hips during knee pushups, making it easier but less effective. Your body should be straight from head to knees - only your lower legs are "off."
Progression Criteria
Move to Level 5 when you can do: 3 sets of 15 reps with perfect form
This typically takes: 7-14 days
Level 5: Negative Pushups
Difficulty: Hard Focus: The lowering (eccentric) phase only
This is the bridge to full pushups. Your muscles can handle more weight during the lowering phase than the pushing phase. Negatives build the strength needed for full pushups.
How to Do Negative Pushups
- Start in a full pushup position (arms extended, toes on floor)
- Lower yourself as slowly as possible (aim for 5 seconds)
- Once your chest touches the floor, let your knees drop
- Push yourself back up from the knee pushup position
- Reset to full pushup position and repeat
Why Negatives Work
The eccentric (lowering) phase is where most strength is built. By focusing only on this phase at full body weight, you build the strength needed for the concentric (pushing) phase.
Progression Criteria
Move to Level 6 when you can do: 3 sets of 8 reps with 5-second lowering
This typically takes: 5-10 days
Level 6: Full Pushups
Difficulty: Goal achieved! Position: Standard pushup
How to Do a Perfect Pushup
- Hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, fingers pointing forward
- Feet together or slightly apart
- Body forms perfectly straight line from head to heels
- Core engaged (brace like expecting a punch)
- Lower until chest is fist-width from floor
- Elbows at 45 degrees (not flared to 90°)
- Push back up, fully extending arms
Your First Rep
Don't be discouraged if you can only do 1-2 at first. That's one or two more than you could do before. Each workout, try to add one more rep.
Building Volume
After your first pushup:
- Week 1: 1-3 reps per set, multiple sets per day
- Week 2: 3-5 reps per set
- Week 3: 5-8 reps per set
- Week 4+: 10+ reps per set
The 30-Day Progression Plan
Here's a day-by-day plan assuming you're starting from zero:
Week 1: Wall Pushups
- Days 1-2: 3 sets of 10 wall pushups
- Days 3-4: 3 sets of 15 wall pushups
- Days 5-6: 3 sets of 20 wall pushups
- Day 7: Rest
Week 2: High Incline
- Days 8-9: 3 sets of 10 high incline pushups
- Days 10-11: 3 sets of 12 high incline pushups
- Days 12-13: 3 sets of 15 high incline pushups
- Day 14: Rest
Week 3: Low Incline + Knee Pushups
- Days 15-16: 3 sets of 12 low incline pushups
- Days 17-18: 3 sets of 15 low incline pushups
- Days 19-20: 3 sets of 10 knee pushups
- Day 21: Rest
Week 4: Knee + Negatives + Full
- Days 22-23: 3 sets of 15 knee pushups
- Days 24-25: 3 sets of 8 negative pushups (5-second lower)
- Days 26-27: 3 sets of 10 negatives + attempt 1-3 full pushups
- Day 28: Rest
- Days 29-30: Test day - how many full pushups can you do?
Troubleshooting Common Issues
"I'm stuck at knee pushups"
Knee pushups to full pushups is the biggest jump. Add more negative pushups to bridge the gap. Try this protocol:
- 5 knee pushups
- 3 negative pushups (slow)
- 1 attempt at full pushup
- Repeat 3 times
"My wrists hurt"
Wrist pain is common for beginners. Solutions:
- Use pushup handles or dumbbells to keep wrists neutral
- Do pushups on your fists (on a soft surface)
- Do wrist mobility exercises before pushups
- Take an extra rest day if pain persists
"I can lower but can't push back up"
This is normal - your eccentric strength exceeds your concentric strength. Keep doing negatives; the pushing strength will come. You can also try:
- Partial range pushups (only lower halfway)
- Band-assisted pushups (loop a resistance band around a pull-up bar and under your chest)
"I feel it more in my shoulders than chest"
Your hands may be too high (toward your head). Move them lower, more in line with your chest. Also ensure elbows are at 45 degrees, not flared to 90.
"Some days feel harder than others"
Totally normal. Sleep, stress, nutrition, and recovery all affect performance. If a workout level feels impossible, drop back one level for that day.
Maintaining Progression
Don't Rush
Spending extra days at a level is better than moving up too fast and failing. Progress when it feels almost easy, not when it feels barely possible.
Keep Form Perfect
One good pushup is worth more than five bad ones. If form breaks down, stop the set.
Stay Consistent
Daily practice beats sporadic intense sessions. Even on rest days, you can do a few easy reps of an earlier progression to maintain the movement pattern.
Track Everything
Write down what you did each day. Seeing progress on paper is motivating and helps you know when to advance.
Beyond Your First Pushup
Once you can do 10+ full pushups, new progressions open up:
Variations for more difficulty:
- Diamond pushups (hands together)
- Wide pushups (hands far apart)
- Decline pushups (feet elevated)
- Archer pushups (one arm does more work)
- One-arm pushup progressions
For building endurance:
- Higher rep sets (15-20+)
- Timed sets (as many as possible in 60 seconds)
- Pushup challenges (100 per day)
For daily habit:
- Set a daily minimum (20-50 pushups)
- Tie to activities (pushups before social media, meals, etc.)
Apps like Repscroll automate the "tie to activities" approach - requiring pushups before you can open social media apps. Users report doing 50-100+ pushups daily without even planning workouts.
Start Today
The progression from wall pushups to full pushups isn't complicated. It just requires showing up consistently and trusting the process.
Every person who does pushups easily today was once someone who couldn't do a single one. The only difference is they started.
Your first wall pushup leads to your first floor pushup. Start now.
Building a pushup habit is easier when it's automatic. Repscroll makes you do pushups before opening apps like TikTok and Instagram. You'll progress through variations naturally as you get stronger - all while reducing mindless scrolling. Win-win.