Hands raised, ego in check, triceps lit up.
The higher the surface, the easier it is. Keep elbows tucked, not flared.
Close hands and pinned elbows turn this push-up into an elbow-extension exercise first, forcing the triceps to drive the press while the chest and shoulders assist from a supporting role. The raised surface trims bodyweight off the movement, which matters because tucked-elbow pressing is far harder than it looks and most people need the discount to do it strictly. It earns its place as the bodyweight triceps builder that scales with nothing more than a lower surface.
Same idea, kinder entry point. Diamond push-ups jam the hands together on the floor at full bodyweight. Here the hands are close but the incline lightens the load, so you can keep the elbows genuinely tucked instead of flaring to survive.
Turn your hands slightly inward, grip the edge of the bench so the wrists stay straighter, or do them on push-up handles if the surface allows. Warming up the wrists first helps more than people expect.
Lower the surface a step at a time until you reach the floor, slow the descent, or pause just above the bench each rep. Adding elbow flare is not progression, it is just quietly handing the work back to your chest.
