Incline Push-up (BOSU Ball)
The BOSU ball incline push-up is an intermediate upper-body exercise that targets the lower chest and triceps while challenging core stability. By placing your hands on the unstable dome surface, you increase rotator cuff engagement and demand greater balance than a standard bench push-up.
Stability-based exercises like this induce fatigue in smaller stabilizer muscles faster than in prime movers. Our AI analyzes your RPE and rep velocity to detect when this specific fatigue sets in, preventing form breakdown that could lead to shoulder injury. Additionally, if your daily recovery metrics (HRV or sleep quality) are low, the app may suggest regression to a stable bench incline to reduce neurological demand while still hitting your volume targets.
Form Cues
- Grip the sides or top of the dome firmly with neutral wrists
- Squeeze your glutes and quads to create a rigid straight line
- Lower your chest slowly toward the center of the dome
- Exhale forcefully as you press away to full extension
- Keep your elbows tucked at roughly a 45-degree angle
- Don't let your hips sag toward the floor
- Don't flare your elbows out sideways to 90 degrees
- Don't bounce your chest off the BOSU ball
- Don't allow your shoulders to shrug up toward your ears
Common Mistakes
- Sagging hips or lower back arching
- Incomplete range of motion
- Excessive wrist rolling
- Fast, uncontrolled tempo
- Flaring elbows too wide
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily strengthens the pectoralis major, with a specific emphasis on the lower fibers due to the incline angle. The unstable surface forces the triceps, anterior deltoids, and rotator cuff stabilizers to work intensely to maintain balance, while the core must fire constantly to prevent spinal extension.
Primary
Secondary
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