RepsPush-up workout at home: clean reps and four-stage progression
Quick answer
Do three short timed sets with 60–90 seconds of rest between them, lowering until your elbows bend past 90 degrees and pressing back past 150 degrees. Start with 30-second sets of 8–10 clean reps and build across four stages up to 45-second sets and a 60-second test round.
The workout
Clear a body-length patch of floor. Warm up your wrists and shoulders for two minutes with arm circles and a 20-second high plank hold, then run three sets at the stage that matches your current max.
Stage 1 · First Reps
3 × 8–10 reps · 30 s windowHands slightly wider than your shoulders, body in one straight line from head to heels. Lower under control until your elbows pass 90 degrees, then press all the way back to straight arms.
Stage 2 · Steady Arms
3 × 10–14 reps · 35 s windowHold the plank between reps instead of dropping to your knees. Keep a steady beat: two seconds down, one second up, and one breath at the top.
Stage 3 · Endurance Road
3 × 14–18 reps · 40 s windowBreak the round into two mini-clusters (for example, 9 reps, two breaths in high plank, then 7 reps) so your elbows still hit full depth on the final reps.
Stage 4 · Iron Chest
3 × 18–25 reps · 45–60 s windowFull 45-second rounds and a 60-second boss round at the end of the stage. Every rep still requires the same 90-degree bottom and 150-degree lockout.
Where to put your phone so every rep counts
Reps Race supports two floor camera setups for push-ups:
- Side-on (recommended): prop your phone on the floor about 1.5–2 meters to your side so your head, shoulders, elbows, wrists and hips stay in frame. Hop measures your clearer arm's elbow angle: below 90° counts as down, and above 150° counts as locked out.
- Front plank (tight spaces): prop your phone on the floor in front of you. Hop checks that you are in a plank (not standing) and tracks your shoulder-to-wrist height drop so nodding your head never counts as a fake rep.
- Coaching callouts: if you bend halfway down (98–124°) and push back up early, the depth bar flashes and Hop calls out "Lower!" without counting the half rep.
Make it harder next week
Add 1–2 clean reps per set each week before moving to the next stage. In the app, clearing level 8 of each world opens the next world's pace rules, and you can send a 2-day ghost challenge to a friend after any round.
Train safely
Not medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting a new exercise program. Warm up, clear the space around you, and stop if you feel sharp pain, dizziness or shortness of breath. If you have a health condition or an injury, or are pregnant, ask your doctor which moves suit you.
Questions
Should I put my phone in front of me or to the side for push-ups?
Both work. Side-on is the most accurate because Hop reads your elbow angle directly (under 90 degrees at the bottom, past 150 degrees at the top). If your room is narrow, place the phone on the floor in front of you so your head, shoulders and hands stay in view.
Why didn't my push-up count when I was close to the camera?
If you are so close that your shoulder leaves the top of the frame at the top of the plank, the camera reads the elbow about 20 degrees shallower than it really is. Slide back a step so your head, shoulders, elbows and wrists stay inside the picture.
Does nodding my head count as a push-up?
No. When you face the camera, Hop measures the vertical drop between your shoulders and your wrists in shoulder-widths, never your head position.