Push Up Board Workout: How to Use a Push Up Board to Build Chest, Shoulders & Triceps at Home

Quick answer: A good push up board workout uses 3–4 hand positions per session: wide for chest, narrow for triceps, shoulder zones for front delts, plus a core finisher. Do 2–3 sets of 8–12 controlled reps for each, resting 60–90 seconds. Train 2–3 non-consecutive days a week. Add resistance-band rows to balance all that pushing, and plank on the board's flip-flat pad to finish.

A push up board looks simple: a fold-out base, two handles and a lot of colored slots. Most people's first question is "Which slot do I actually use?" This guide answers that, then gives you a complete push up board workout plan for beginners, intermediate and advanced lifters. You'll also get form cues, plank and band moves, and the mistakes that stall progress.

Wondering whether a board is worth it at all? Our deep dive, Are Push-Up Boards Effective?, covers the evidence. This post is the hands-on training plan.

How a Push Up Board's Color Zones Work

Each colored zone sets your hand width and angle, and those two things shift which muscles do more of the work. The zones are printed with the muscle group they emphasize, so you match the color to your goal for the day.

What the research actually says

Hand position changes emphasis; it doesn't isolate one muscle. Every push-up still works the chest, shoulders and triceps together.

• A 2005 study of 40 adults found narrow-base push-ups produced more chest and triceps activity than wide-base ones (Cogley et al., Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research).
• A 2022 analysis of 14 muscles found narrow hands boosted the triceps and upper chest, while wide hands favored the lower chest (Barnamehei et al., via Montana State University).
• Rotating the palms outward raised activity in the middle delts, lats and mid-back muscles in that same study.

Takeaway: narrow zones are not "easier." They are often the hardest and most productive. Use the zones to vary the stimulus, and keep the standard push-up as your baseline.

How to Set Up and Use a Push Up Board with Proper Form

1. Pick a firm floor. Hardwood, tile or a low-pile rug gives the most stable base. Thick carpet lets the board flex.
2. Unfold and lock the board flat. Press the non-slip pads down so the base doesn't creep mid-set.
3. Seat both handles fully in the same-colored slots. Push down until they sit flush, and test with a little bodyweight before your first rep.
4. Set a straight line from head to heels. Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs as if bracing for a punch. Keep your hips from sagging or piking.
5. Lower with control for about 2 seconds. Go until your chest is just below handle height. The raised handles let you go deeper than a floor push-up.
6. Press up in about 1 second, keeping your elbows at roughly 30–45° from your body (closer for triceps zones).
7. Breathe in on the way down, out on the way up.

Can't do a full push-up yet? Do the same zones from your knees, or build strength first with incline push-ups, hands on a sturdy bench or countertop. Progress to the floor as you hit 12 clean reps.

Push Up Board Workout Plans: Beginner to Advanced

The CDC recommends muscle-strengthening work on 2 or more days a week, covering all major muscle groups. The plans below follow that: 2–3 sessions a week, never on back-to-back days, so your chest and triceps get 48 hours to recover.

Work each set to 1–2 reps short of failure. When you can hit the top of the rep range on every set with clean form, move up a level.

Beginner (weeks 1–4): 2 days a week, ~15 minutes

Intermediate (weeks 5–8): 3 days a week, ~25 minutes

Advanced (week 9+): 3 days a week, ~30 minutes

Progression tip: once 12 reps feels easy, make it harder before you add reps. Slow the lowering phase, pause at the bottom, or raise your feet on a step.

Plank, Core and Band Moves to Round Out the Workout

Push-ups are all pushing. A balanced routine also needs pulling and core work, or your shoulders end up rounded forward over time. Use the board's other two modes:

On the flip-flat plank pad

• Forearm plank: elbows on the pads under your shoulders, body in a straight line. Build from 20 seconds to 60.
• Side plank: one forearm on a pad, hips stacked. Hold 20–40 seconds per side.
• Plank shoulder taps: from a high plank, tap the opposite shoulder without letting your hips rock.
• Plank up-downs: move from forearms to hands and back, one arm at a time.

With the resistance bands

• Band row: stand on the board, hinge slightly and pull your elbows back past your ribs. This trains the back muscles push-ups miss.
• Bent-over band reverse fly: targets the rear and side delts, which most "shoulder" push-up zones barely touch.
• Band biceps curl: a quick finisher for the arms.

Pair every push-up session with at least one band row exercise. It's the simplest way to keep your shoulders healthy and your posture balanced.

7 Push Up Board Mistakes That Stall Progress

1. Using every color in one session. Twenty-plus positions don't mean twenty exercises a day. Pick 3–4 zones and train them well.
2. Training on back-to-back days. Muscles grow during recovery. Leave at least one rest day between sessions.
3. Sagging hips or a piked butt. Brace your core and glutes, and keep one straight line from head to heels.
4. Flaring your elbows to 90°. This loads the front of the shoulder. Keep your elbows at 30–45° from your body.
5. Half reps. The handles let you go deeper than the floor, so use that full range of motion.
6. Skipping the pulling work. All push and no pull leads to rounded shoulders. Add band rows every session.
7. Using it on thick carpet. Soft surfaces make the board flex and the handles feel unstable. Use a firm floor.

The Board Built for This Workout

Every plan above uses all three modes, push-up, plank and bands, and the Havenity Plank Board & Push Up Board has all three in one piece of gear for $29.99.

Push Up Board Workout FAQ

How do you use a push up board?

Unfold it on a firm floor and seat both handles in slots of the same color. The color tells you which muscle group that position emphasizes. Then do push-ups with a straight body line, lowering for about 2 seconds and pressing up for 1.

What do the colors on a push up board mean?

Each color marks a hand position that emphasizes one area: chest (wide), triceps (narrow), shoulders (forward or piked) or back (rotated or lower). Every position still works the chest, shoulders and triceps together.

How many push ups should I do on a push up board?

Do 2–4 sets of 8–12 controlled reps per position, for 3–4 positions per session. Stop 1–2 reps before failure, and train 2–3 non-consecutive days a week.

Is a push up board workout good for beginners?

Yes. Start with knee or incline push-ups in the standard and narrow zones, 2 days a week. Move to full push-ups once you can do 12 clean reps.

Can you build muscle with a push up board?

Yes, if you progress the difficulty over time with slower reps, pauses, elevated feet and more sets. Bodyweight alone eventually tops out, which is where the resistance bands help.

Can I use a push up board every day?

It's better not to. Hard push-up sessions need about 48 hours of recovery. On off days, do planks or band rows instead.

The Bottom Line

A push up board workout works when you treat the colors as a plan, not a menu. Pick 3–4 zones, do 2–4 sets of 8–12 controlled reps, train 2–3 days a week, and balance the pushing with band rows and planks. Start at your level, progress the difficulty, and the board covers chest, shoulders, triceps, back and core in about 25 minutes at home.

Ready to train? Shop the Havenity Push Up Board and start the beginner plan this week.