Key points from the push up map
- The map has six levels: couch, beginner, intermediate, epic, legendary and absurd.
- The beginner path runs from wall push ups through incline and knee push ups to a standard push up.
- From the intermediate level the map splits into three lines. One leads to handstand push ups, one to the one arm push up and one to clapping push ups.
- Four “boss fights” act as tests before the next level, starting with 20 perfect form push ups in a single set.
- All exercises and targets are from the graphic. It gives no sets, reps or schedule for each exercise.
Every push up progression on the map
The map reads from top to bottom. Each row is one level, with exercises in path order and the test into the next level.
| Level | Exercises on the map | Test to move on |
|---|---|---|
| Couch | Couch (the starting point) | None shown |
| Beginner | Wall push up, incline push up, advanced incline push up, knee push up, push up | Boss fight: perform 20 perfect form push ups in a single set |
| Intermediate | Left line: diamond push up, a sphinx push up group (incline sphinx push up, sphinx push up), pike push up. Middle line: decline push up, side staggered push up. Right line: explosive push up | Boss fight on the left line: perform 12 perfect form pike push ups in a single set |
| Epic | Left line: elevated pike push up, then the handstand push up progression hub (advanced elevated pike push up, wall handstand push up, negative handstand push up, advanced wall handstand push up, headstand to handstand). Middle line: archer push up, one arm push up. Right line: clapping push up | Boss fight on the left line: perform 8 wall handstand push ups in a single set |
| Legendary | Left line: handstand push up, then a 90 degree push up group (negative straddle 90 degree push up, straddle 90 degree push up, 90 degree push up). Right line: a triple clap push up group (incline triple clap push up, triple clap push up) | Boss fight on the left line: perform 5 perfect form handstand push ups in a single set |
| Absurd | Clapping handstand push up group (explosive handstand push up, clapping handstand push up) | End of the map |
The middle and right lines cross each level boundary at a small skull icon with no written test. The middle line ends at the one arm push up in the epic level and the right line ends at the triple clap push up in the legendary level.
Form notes on the graphic
A diagram beside the beginner level gives four form cues for the standard push up: engage the core, use a full range of motion, do not flare the elbows, and place the hands shoulder width apart.
Starting with a wall push up
The wall push up is the first exercise on the map, and the NHS includes it in its home strength routine as the wall press-up [2]. Its instructions are to stand at arm’s length from the wall with your hands flat against it at chest level and fingers pointing up, then, with your back straight, slowly bend your arms with the elbows by your sides and return slowly to the start. The NHS suggests attempting 3 sets of 5 to 10 repetitions, building up slowly and increasing the repetitions over time [2].
How push ups fit the exercise guidelines
The NHS advises adults aged 19 to 64 to do strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups on at least 2 days a week, and it names push-ups and sit-ups as examples of exercises that use your own body weight [1]. For health benefits, it says to do them to the point where you need a short rest before repeating the activity [1]. The CDC gives the same 2 days a week for muscle-strengthening activity, alongside 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity [3].
Mayo Clinic lists push-ups among the body weight exercises that need little or no equipment. Its general strength training advice is to pick a level of resistance that tires the muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions, and to increase the resistance gradually once you can easily do more [4]. Mayo Clinic also advises resting one full day between exercising each muscle group, stopping an exercise that causes pain, and talking with a healthcare professional first if you have a chronic condition or safety concerns [4].
What research says about push up training
A small randomised trial published in 2018 compared progressive push-up training with bench press training in 23 moderately trained young men, who trained 3 days a week for 4 weeks [5]. Both groups increased their one repetition maximum bench press, and the authors concluded that calisthenics using progressively harder variations can improve upper body strength [5].
A 2019 study in JAMA Network Open followed 1,104 active adult men, all firefighters, for 10 years [6]. Men who could complete more than 40 push-ups at the start had a significantly lower rate of cardiovascular events than those who completed fewer than 10. The authors describe push-up capacity as a simple measure that may help estimate functional status, and say larger studies in more diverse groups are needed [6]. It shows an association in one group of men, not that push ups prevent heart disease.
Notes on this infographic
- The boss fight targets (20, 12, 8 and 5 reps) are the creator’s own milestones for the map. They are not clinical or official fitness standards.
- The map lists exercises only. It does not say how many sets or reps to do of each one, how often to train or how long to spend on a level.
- The side label for the legendary clapping group is spelt “Tripple Clap Push Up” on the graphic. The nodes inside the group use the correct spelling, triple.
- The footer advertises the creator’s fitness app, Sport is my Game, at sportismygame.app.
Questions about push up progression
What are the different stages of push up progression?
This map uses six stages: couch, beginner, intermediate, epic, legendary and absurd. The beginner stage takes you from the wall push up to a standard push up, and the later stages branch towards handstand, one arm and clapping variations.
How do you do wall push ups step by step?
The NHS describes it in three steps. Stand at arm’s length from a wall with your hands flat on it at chest level, slowly bend your arms with your back straight and elbows by your sides, then slowly push back to the start [2].
How far apart should your hands be for push ups?
The form diagram on this graphic says hands shoulder width apart, with the elbows kept in rather than flared.
How long will it take to see progress from push ups?
In one small trial, young men who trained with progressively harder push up variations 3 days a week improved their upper body strength over 4 weeks [5]. Results in other groups of people may differ.
Sources
- NHS, Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64
- NHS, Strength exercises (wall press-up)
- CDC, Adult Activity, An Overview
- Mayo Clinic, Strength training, Get stronger, leaner, healthier
- Kotarsky and others, Effect of Progressive Calisthenic Push-up Training on Muscle Strength and Thickness, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2018 (PubMed)
- Association Between Push-up Exercise Capacity and Future Cardiovascular Events Among Active Adult Men, JAMA Network Open, 2019
- u/timv_simg, [OC] I made a Push Up Progression Map, r/Infographics
Last reviewed 29 October 2026
