Whether you’re just coming back from an off period or completely new to working out, a set of all-out push-ups is pretty challenging. For some, performing even a single push-up can be pretty tough.
But then, a question must be asked - if you can barely do one push-up, how are you supposed to train for more push-ups? Don’t you need to perform multiple push-up repetitions to grow strong enough for even more reps?
This is where the knee-up comes in; an exercise almost exclusively used by individuals who have trouble performing a regular push-up, but nonetheless still wish to create much the same training stimulus.
The push-up and the knee-up are differentiated by the stance used while someone is doing them - that is to say, knee-ups are just push-ups done with the exerciser on their knees, rather than in a plank position.
While such a small change doesn’t seem like it would have much of an effect, it actually allows people to perform way more repetitions than they would normally be able to do with a standard push-up instead.
The explanation behind this effect is pretty simple too; less of the body being suspended means less of the exerciser’s own body weight being leveraged against them, effectively creating a lighter and easier exercise.
As a bonus, this reduced leverage will also reduces the involvement of the core muscles, making it doubly useful for people new to working out.
Chances are, if you know how to do a push-up, you pretty much already know how to do a knee-up as well. Just in case though, let's go over the key form cues.
Okay - you get it, knee-ups are basically the easier version of a push-up. But what are knee-ups, really?
From a more technical view, the knee-up can be classified as a compound body weight exercise with a focus on the muscles of the triceps, the chest, and the shoulders.
It is mostly seen as a secondary compound exercise to back up regular push-ups, or as an entire replacement movement for previously injured people and workout newbies.
A lot of people worry that doing knee-ups instead of push-ups will slow down their muscle building journey - and, the truth is, they’re absolutely right.
The knee-up is less intense than the push-up for a reason, since it is specifically meant for people that can’t do a push-up properly. Whether it’s because they’re injured, untrained, or affected by any other factor that reduces their upper body strength - the knee-up acts as a stepping stone to being strong enough to do push-ups.
If you aren’t one of those people, then you should absolutely switch to push-ups instead, since doing so will help you build muscle and burn fat more easily.
There are actually quite a number of different types of exercisers that can benefit from switching to knee-ups, since it can allow them to achieve a greater volume of repetitions during their workout.
People with poor abs stability, a history of injury or more experienced lifters who find the standard push-up to be uncomfortable should all take advantage of knee-ups by incorporating them into their training programs.
So - are knee-ups arguably worse at muscle building than push-ups? Yep!
However, that doesn’t mean that they don’t serve a purpose - and a rather effective one, at that. Knee ups are a rare example of a less intense exercise variation that doesn't cost in terms of range of motion or complexity. If you are one of the aforementioned exercisers who have trouble with standard push-ups, it is an excellent idea to give knee-ups a try, and see whether it doesn’t help you squeeze in a little more chest muscle activation.
I am a freelance writer based in the Philippines, with a passion for living outside of the box and the written word.
