The 17 Best Exercises to Do Instead of Push-Ups

Push-ups are a staple in many strength-training workouts, but not everybody is willing or able to perform them. Thankfully, there are many other upper-body and core exercises that train your muscles in similar ways.

Below, we share some of our favorite push-up alternatives you can substitute into your workouts.

Many people don't like to do push-ups because they aren't good at them yet. And that's totally fair — push-ups can be really hard. But before you give up on them entirely, consider modifications to make them more accessible. Using one of the following push-up variations will help you become stronger and more confident with push-ups over time.

Elevating your hands is the best way to get better at push-ups. You practice moving your body as one unit, which helps build the core strength necessary to eventually rock push-ups from the floor.

However, because you are pushing less of your body weight against gravity, elevated push-ups feel significantly easier than floor push-ups. This is great for building confidence.

You can use any stable surface for elevated push-ups. If you're at the gym, you can use a Smith machine, a barbell in a power rack or place your hands on a box or bench. If you're at home, try using a sturdy couch, table, chair or windowsill. If you're outside, look for a park bench or something similar.

Pick a height that allows you to use a full range of motion, meaning you can touch your sternum to the bar, bench, couch or box on every rep. As you build strength, you can gradually use lower and lower surfaces. In time, many people will be able to work their way down to the floor using this method.

If you don't have access to a stable surface needed for elevated push-ups, you can also practice with knee push-ups. Some coaches don't encourage these because you use your core less and don't practice moving your entire body. However, these can work as a push-up substitute as long as you use a full range of motion (touching your chest to the ground.)

A push-up is a horizontal pressing movement. Any movement where you are pressing weights out in front of your chest (as opposed to overhead) counts as a horizontal pressing movement.

If you aren't a fan of push-ups or can't perform them, substitute other horizontal pressing movements to get a similar training effect.

If you can comfortably lie on your back and get up from the floor or a bench, dumbbell chest press exercises are a great push-up alternative. Use different body positions and bench angles to mix things up or accommodate the equipment you have available.

The machine chest press is a great option for people who have difficulty getting up off the floor or bench or balancing. Because the machine provides all the stability for you, you can focus exclusively on building your horizontal pressing strength.

1. Adjust the seat on the machine so you can sit comfortably with your feet flat on the floor. The seat should be high enough that you can press without shrugging your shoulders.
2. Select your weights on the machine and sit down. Place your hands on the handles and bring your hands forward so they're just in front of your armpits.
3. Press out until your elbows are fully extended.
4. Finish the rep by bringing your hands back to your chest in a controlled manner.

Most people can easily replace push-ups with horizontal pressing movements. But if you can't perform horizontal pressing movements — people who have had mastectomies are sometimes instructed to avoid heavy horizontal pressing, for instance — you can swap out push-ups with vertical pressing movements.

Proceed with caution with vertical pressing if you have a history of shoulder pain or injuries. If you're not sure whether or not you should be pressing overhead, consult your doctor or physical therapist.

A landmine is a barbell secured at one end. Many gyms have landmine attachments at the bottom of power racks where you can slide one end of the bar into a rotating metal sleeve. If you don't have one of these, you can create a makeshift landmine by placing one end of a barbell in the crease where the wall meets the floor.

Landmine pressing is a great middle ground between horizontal and vertical pressing. You get many of the benefits of vertical pressing without having to get into a true overhead position. This means you can probably safely perform landmine presses even if you have prior shoulder injuries or limited overhead mobility.

A single-arm overhead press is a true vertical press, which means you'll be using a lot more shoulders and less chest than you would for push-ups or other horizontal pressing movements. For these reasons, avoid using this as a push-up substitute unless you are unable to perform any of the options above.

Push-ups are not just an upper-body exercise. Your entire body — especially your core — is involved with each push-up. So, core exercises can be great substitutes for push-ups if you choose anti-extension core exercises, which are movements where you resist extending (arching) your lower back.

A strong core resists unwanted extension while performing movements in the gym and daily life. If your core strength isn't up to par, you might notice your hips sagging and lower back arching as you perform push-ups. You can address this by performing core exercises that force you to resist arching and focus on keeping your torso still.

Dead bugs are the best exercise to start with if you want to build anti-extension core strength. They are easier to perform than planks because you get external feedback from lying on the ground. As a result, you'll have more direct clues about whether you're performing the exercise correctly or not.

Plank variations of all kinds are also great substitutes for push-ups. Begin with forearm and high planks held for time. Once you can hold a solid plank for 6o seconds, increase the difficulty with moving variations, such as pledge planks and mountain climbers (more on those below).

Bear crawls are a great push-up substitute because they're essentially a moving plank. Crawling builds upper-body, core and lower-body strength and is a great way to practice coordinating your entire body.

The front rack carry is a fantastic push-up substitution because it helps build impressive levels of strength in the front of your core. It can also improve shoulder health and stability. Because you need basic kettlebell skills to safely clean the weights into position, this option may not be ideal for beginners.