While it's common to modify a push-up by going onto your knees, you're doing yourself a disservice, says Austin Lopez, CSCS, and personal trainer at DIAKADI. The best modification you can be doing is one that mimics the same movement, which is exactly why you should start with incline push-ups.
An incline push-up uses the exact same muscles and movement as a traditional push-up, but you're not tasked with pushing all of your weight up from the ground. As you become stronger and progress in the move, lower your incline until eventually you will be able to perform push-ups parallel to the floor.
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