The push ladder 9 steps
Push-up progression, from the wall to one arm
Start at the wall, even if a push-up on the floor is still far off. Each step has a range of reps. Reach the top on 2 days, and the next step opens.
Fig.Before your first push-up
No push-up yet? Start here.
These 4 steps lead up to a push-up on the floor. The wall, the desk and your knees take part of your weight.
Step 1 Starter
Wall push-up
10-40 reps
- Gear
- None
- Setup
- Hands on the wall at shoulder height, feet a step back.
- Stop
- Stop when your hips sag or your elbows flare.
- Watch for
- Hips sag toward the wall
To open step 2
- Wall push-up: 40 reps on 2 days.
Step 2 Starter
Desk push-up
10-40 reps
- Gear
- None
- Setup
- Hands on the desk edge; the desk must not move.
- Stop
- Stop when your hips sag or your elbows flare.
- Watch for
- Hips sag toward the floor
To open step 3
- Desk push-up: 40 reps on 2 days.
Also on this step
- Lateral raise
- Scapular push-up plus
Step 3 Common
Knee push-up
8-35 reps
- Gear
- None
- Setup
- Knees on a folded towel if the floor is hard, hands under your shoulders.
- Stop
- Stop when your hips sag or your elbows flare.
- Watch for
- Hips sag toward the floor
To open step 4
- Knee push-up: 35 reps on 2 days.
Can stand in for it
- Low incline push-up
- Desk push-up, 3-s lowering
Also on this step
- Ball chest pass
Step 4 Common
Slow push-up, knees down
6-15 reps
- Gear
- None
- Setup
- On the floor, hands under your shoulders.
- Stop
- Stop when you lose the 3-s lowering or your hips sag.
- Watch for
- Hips sag toward the floor
To open step 5
- Slow push-up, knees down: 15 reps on 2 days.
Can stand in for it
- Step push-up
- Desk archer push-up
Also on this step
- Landmine press
Fig.After the push-up
From the push-up to one arm
Each step after the push-up asks for more of one arm. The last steps are orange and gold.
Step 5 Uncommon
Push-up
6-30 reps
- Gear
- None
- Setup
- On the floor, hands under your shoulders.
- Stop
- Stop when your hips sag or your elbows flare.
- Watch for
- Hips sag toward the floor
To open step 6
- Push-up: 30 reps on 2 days.
Can stand in for it
- One-arm desk lowering
Also on this step
- Overhead press
- Push-up hold
- Ring chest press
Step 6 Uncommon
Feet-elevated push-up
6-25 reps
- Gear
- None
- Setup
- Toes on the edge of a bed or sofa, hands on the floor.
- Stop
- Stop when your hips sag or your elbows flare.
- Watch for
- Hips pike up high
To open step 9
- Feet-elevated push-up: 25 reps on 2 days.
- Close push-up: 25 reps, on 2 days.
- Then Staggered push-up: 25 reps each side, on 2 days.
Can stand in for it
- Push-up, 3-s lowering
- One-arm desk push-up
Step 9 Epic
Archer push-up
4-20 reps
- Gear
- None
- Setup
- On the floor, hands wide.
- Stop
- Stop when your hips twist or sag. A push-up to each side counts one.
- Watch for
- Body twists toward the bent arm
To open step 11
- Archer push-up: 20 reps on 2 days.
- Then Sliding one-arm push-up: 18 reps each side or One-arm push-up, hand on the bed: 12 reps each side, on 2 days.
Can stand in for it
- Slow one-arm desk push-up
Step 11 Legendary
One-arm push-up
3-12 reps each side
- Gear
- None
- Setup
- On the floor, feet wide.
- Stop
- Stop when your hips twist or sag. Count the weaker side.
- Watch for
- Hips sag toward the floor
One fresh set of 3 reps each side earns this step's colour.
To open step 13
- One-arm push-up: 12 reps each side on 2 days.
- Then One-arm push-up, feet hip-width: 10 reps each side, on 2 days.
Also on this step
- One-arm lowering
Step 13 Artifact
One-arm push-up, feet together
1-10 reps each side
- Gear
- None
- Setup
- On the floor, feet together; one hand under your chest, the other behind your back.
- Stop
- Stop when your hips twist or sag. Count the weaker side.
- Watch for
- Hips sag toward the floor
One fresh set of 1 reps each side earns this step's colour.
The top of the ladder.
Fig.Moving up
When to move up
Reach the top of the range on 2 days, and the next step opens. It stays open unless you start the ladder over.
- Your goal. Each set asks for just past your recent best, so your count climbs a little at a time. You type your count, and no one checks it.
- Moves in between. Some steps also ask for one or two more moves at their top, listed on each step above. A move marked Then opens once the move before it reaches its top. A move in between whose gear you don't have is left out.
- Stand-ins. When your gear or your settings leave out a main move, a move under Can stand in for it takes its place, in its own range. Its days at the top open the next step the same way.
- Orange and gold. From step 11, the climb opens the step. Then one fresh set at the low end of its range earns its colour. A set is fresh after a night's sleep.
Fig.Every push-up
Every push-up move, easiest to hardest
QuestPump has 34 moves named push-up, on 5 ladders. Here they are by step, from Wall push-up to One-arm push-up, feet together.
| Move | Ladder | Step |
|---|---|---|
| Wall push-up | Push | 1 Starter |
| Desk push-up | Push | 2 Starter |
| Scapular push-up plus | Push | 2 Starter |
| Desk push-up, 3-s lowering | Push | 3 Common |
| Knee push-up | Push | 3 Common |
| Low incline push-up | Push | 3 Common |
| Desk archer push-up | Push | 4 Common |
| Slow push-up, knees down | Push | 4 Common |
| Step push-up | Push | 4 Common |
| Push-up | Push | 5 Uncommon |
| Push-up hold | Push | 5 Uncommon |
| Close push-up | Push | 6 Uncommon |
| Feet-elevated push-up | Push | 6 Uncommon |
| One-arm desk push-up | Push | 6 Uncommon |
| Push-up, 3-s lowering | Push | 6 Uncommon |
| Staggered push-up | Push | 6 Uncommon |
| Pike push-up | Handstand | 6 Uncommon |
| Clap push-up on the knees | Power | 6 Uncommon |
| Explosive push-up | Power | 6 Uncommon |
| Feet-up pike push-up | Handstand | 7 Rare |
| Clap push-up | Power | 7 Rare |
| Wall handstand push-up, lowering only | Handstand | 8 Rare |
| Archer push-up | Push | 9 Epic |
| One-arm push-up, hand on the bed | Push | 9 Epic |
| Sliding one-arm push-up | Push | 9 Epic |
| Slow one-arm desk push-up | Push | 9 Epic |
| Wall handstand push-up | Handstand | 9 Epic |
| Planche-lean push-up | Planche | 9 Epic |
| Handstand push-up, lowering only | Handstand | 10 Epic |
| Desk push-up burpee | Cardio | 10 Epic |
| One-arm push-up | Push | 11 Legendary |
| One-arm push-up, feet hip-width | Push | 11 Legendary |
| Handstand push-up | Handstand | 11 Legendary |
| One-arm push-up, feet together | Push | 13 Artifact |
Fig.Next
Where push-ups lead
Your push-up records open steps on other ladders too.
- Handstand opens at a Push-up record of 15.
- Planche opens at a Push-up record of 10 and Wrist lean at the desk rated Perfect.
- The climb to Cardio step 10, Chest-to-floor burpees, waits for a Feet-elevated push-up record of 6.
- Explosive push-up, the main move of Power step 6, opens at a Feet-elevated push-up record of 12.
- Clap push-up, the main move of Power step 7, opens at a Feet-elevated push-up record of 12.
- The climb to Side core step 10, Tuck flag, waits for a Feet-elevated push-up record of 6, and one of these: a Pull-up record of 8, a One-arm towel row with a hold record of 8, a Paused table row, feet up record of 8 or a Paused ring row, feet up record of 8.
- The climb to Backbend step 6, Wheel, waits for a Push-up record of 6.
- The climb to Arm balance step 8, Crow, waits for a Push-up record of 10.
- The climb to Arm balance step 11, Flying splits, waits for a Feet-elevated push-up record of 6 and Front split step 7.
Climb the ladder while you play
QuestPump is a free add-on for World of Warcraft: Forever. Each quest you turn in asks for a pump: a few push-ups, squats, stretches or yoga moves beside your desk. You type your count, and your records climb these ladders.