Exercises / Shoulder & scapula
Wall push-up
- Strength
- Shoulder & scapula
- Wall
Bend and straighten the arms while supporting part of body weight through the wall.
Where you stand
No published distribution for this exercise yet. We add one only from a peer-reviewed study.
Muscles worked
Filled: primary. Outlined: secondary.
How much
Common starting dose: 8-12 controlled repetitions, 2 sets.
Start: Standing facing a wall
Steps
- Stand an arm’s length from a wall and place both palms at shoulder height.
- Bend the elbows to bring the chest toward the wall.
- Push back to the start without shrugging.
Cues
- Keep body in one line
- Elbows angle slightly down
Common mistakes
- Letting the hips sag
- Flared elbows
- Shrugging
Used for
- Supported pressing strength
- Push-up progression
Take care (2)
- Use a pain-free range and stop if symptoms increase.
- Follow procedure-specific movement limits after shoulder surgery.
Evidence (1)
- A healthy-adult EMG study evaluated wall push-up plus among scapular exercises; it did not isolate the basic wall push-up or patient outcomes.1
Easier
Harder
References (2)
- Mendez-Rebolledo G, Araya-Quintanilla F, Guzmán-Muñoz E, et al. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2024;103(6):502-509. Comparative Electromyographic Study of Scapular Stabilizing Muscles During Five Main Rehabilitation Exercises
- Dalley AF, Agur AMR. Wolters Kluwer. Moore's Clinically Oriented Anatomy. 9th ed.