Tríceps Push Up
The Tricep Push Up is a push-up variation performed with your hands set close together under your chest instead of shoulder-width apart. The narrower hand position shifts more of the pressing demand onto the triceps while still working the chest, making it a useful bodyweight option for building arm pressing strength.
Why it works
Moving your hands closer together changes the angle at which your elbows bend and extend, which increases the range the triceps have to work through on each rep compared to a standard, wider push-up. Your elbows also track closer to your body instead of flaring out, which keeps more of the pressing load on the triceps and the inner chest rather than spreading it across the shoulders as much as a wide-grip push-up does.
Set up
- Start in a plank position with your hands close together, roughly under the center of your chest.
- Keep your fingers pointing forward and your hands slightly closer than shoulder-width.
- Set your body in a straight line from head to heels before you start.
- Brace your core so your hips don't sag or pike.
How to do it
- Lower your chest toward your hands by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
- Descend until your chest nearly touches your hands or the floor.
- Press back up by extending your elbows, keeping your body in a straight line.
- Finish with your arms fully extended at the top of the rep.
- Work through your full set without letting your hips drop out of line.
Form cues
- Keep your elbows tracking back along your ribs instead of flaring out to the sides.
- Keep a straight line from your head to your heels throughout the rep.
- Lower under control instead of dropping quickly toward the floor.
- Push all the way to full elbow extension at the top of each rep.
Breathing: Inhale as you lower your chest down, exhale as you press back up to full extension.
Common mistakes
Letting the elbows flare out wide to the sides.
Fix: Keep your elbows tracking close to your ribs as you lower, which keeps the emphasis on the triceps.
Letting the hips sag or pike up during the rep.
Fix: Brace your core and keep a straight line from head to heels through the entire movement.
Only lowering partway instead of getting a full range of motion.
Fix: Lower until your chest nearly touches your hands, then press back up to full extension.
How to program it
- A bodyweight pressing move like this works well 2 to 3 times a week as part of upper-body training.
- Three sets of 8 to 15 reps is a solid starting range, adjusting reps based on how challenging the close grip feels.
- Place it alongside or after your main pressing work, since it's a good triceps-focused finisher for a chest or push day.
- If you can do more than 15 to 20 clean reps per set, add a progression like an elevated-feet or unstable-surface variation rather than just adding more reps.
Safety notes
- Keep the elbows tracking close to the body rather than flaring, which reduces strain on the shoulders and wrists.
- Build up to the full range gradually if your wrists feel strained in the close hand position.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Push
- Mechanics
- Compound
- Category
- Strength
Frequently asked questions
How many sets and reps of Tricep Push Up should I do?
Three sets of 8 to 15 reps is a good starting point, adjusting based on how challenging the close-grip position feels.
What's the difference between a regular push-up and a Tricep Push Up?
A regular push-up uses a shoulder-width hand position that spreads the work across the chest and shoulders, while the close hand position in a Tricep Push Up shifts more of the pressing demand onto the triceps.
Can I do Tricep Push Up if regular push-ups feel too hard?
Try an incline version with your hands on a bench or box to reduce the load while you build the strength for the full floor version.
Why do my wrists hurt during this exercise?
The close hand position changes the angle on your wrists, so this can feel different from a standard push-up at first. Build up gradually, and consider push-up handles or a slight incline if it continues to bother you.