Sans Matériel

Bodyweight training, no gym

Knee push-ups

Pompes sur les genoux, position haute : bras tendus, genoux au sol, corps en ligne droite des genoux à la tête.

Type: Push · Difficulty: Beginner

Muscles worked: chest (pectorals), triceps, front of the shoulders (front deltoids) and core (abs).

The real in-between step: knees on the floor take away part of the weight to push, but the upper body works just like in classic push-ups.

The position

Animation des pompes sur les genoux : le mouvement complet, de la position haute à la position basse.
The full movement, from the top position to the bottom position.
Pompes sur les genoux, position haute : bras tendus, genoux au sol, corps en ligne droite des genoux à la tête.
Top position: arms straight, hands on the floor under your shoulders, body in a straight line from knees to head.
Pompes sur les genoux, position basse : coudes pliés, poitrine près du sol, genoux au sol.
Bottom position: elbows bent at about 45 degrees from the body, chest close to the floor without touching it.

The steps

  1. Place a mat or a folded towel under your knees, for comfort.
  2. Get on all fours, then place your hands on the floor, under your shoulders, fingers pointing forward.
  3. Straighten your arms, squeeze your glutes and brace your abs: your body stays in a straight line from knees to head, with no hips up in the air and no sagging back.
  4. Lower yourself by bending your elbows, at about 45 degrees from your body, until your chest comes close to the floor, without touching it.
  5. Push through your hands to come back up to straight arms.

Why this exercise

  • It is the step that makes classic push-ups accessible. Knees on the floor remove about half the load, but the movement stays the same. What is learned here transfers directly to floor push-ups with straight legs.
  • The upper body learns the right mechanics without being crushed by the load: the straight line, elbows at about 45 degrees, the full descent. Habits built at this level stay when the difficulty rises.
  • The core works at the same time. Holding the straight line from knees to head takes constant bracing, easier to keep clean than in classic push-ups.
  • It is also a useful fallback. On tired days, or when coming back after a break, it keeps the movement and the work volume without forcing.

Common mistakes

  • Hips up in the air: your body stays in a straight line from knees to head.
  • A sagging back or a dropping belly: if the middle collapses, the version is still too hard, go back to incline push-ups.
  • The half descent: your chest comes down close to the floor on every rep.
  • Knees too close to your hands: move them back a little to keep the straight line, without pushing your hips forward.

Adjust the difficulty

  • Easier: incline push-ups, hands on a support.
  • Harder: classic push-ups on the floor, legs straight.
  • Moving-on benchmark: when 3 sets of 12 clean repetitions go well, try classic push-ups.
  • For the method to move from one level to the next: the article "Push-up progression: from easy to hard".

In case of pain

Stop the exercise as soon as you feel pain. Muscle fatigue is normal, pain is not. If the pain comes back or persists, see a health professional.

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