Push-Up
Muscles worked
Instructions
- 1Lie on the floor face down and place your hands about 36 inches apart while holding your torso up at arms length.
- 2Next, lower yourself downward until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale.
- 3Now breathe out and press your upper body back up to the starting position while squeezing your chest.
- 4After a brief pause at the top contracted position, you can begin to lower yourself downward again for as many repetitions as needed.
table_chartRecommended sets and reps
These ranges vary depending on your training goal — adjust the load accordingly.
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4–5 | 3–6 | 3–5 min |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–12 | 90 s |
| Endurance | 2–3 | 15–20 | 30–45 s |
In this pageexpand_more
About Push-Up
The push-up is a bodyweight compound exercise that recruits the chest, shoulders and triceps while bracing the trunk like a plank. Hands slightly wider than the shoulders, body aligned and braced, you lower the chest toward the floor by bending the elbows to about 45°, then push back up. Accessible anywhere and endlessly scalable, it is a fundamental of strength training and a good indicator of relative strength. Keep the body perfectly straight, without sagging or piking at the hips. To make it easier, drop the knees or elevate the hands; to make it harder, elevate the feet, slow down, or add load.
check_circleBenefits
- check_circleCan be done anywhere with no equipment
- check_circleStrengthens the chest, shoulders, triceps and core
- check_circleScales to every level through many variations
- check_circleRequires absolutely no equipment and can be done anywhere, making it the most accessible pushing exercise there is.
- check_circleSimultaneously works the chest, shoulders, triceps, and trunk in a bracing role, offering complete upper-body work in a single movement.
lightbulbExecution tips
- lightbulbKeep the body in a straight line from ankles to shoulders
- lightbulbPlace the hands slightly wider than the shoulders
- lightbulbLower until the chest nearly touches the floor
- lightbulbBrace the abs to avoid sagging at the lower back
- lightbulbSqueeze the glutes and brace the abs before starting the movement, to keep the body perfectly straight from head to heels throughout the set.
warningCommon mistakes
- warningLetting the hips sag toward the floor
- warningOnly going halfway down without full range
- warningFlaring the elbows excessively outward
- warningLifting the head and breaking neck alignment
- warningLetting the head drop forward, staring at the floor right below the face, which breaks the natural alignment of the cervical spine and can create unnecessary neck tension.
tuneVariations and alternatives
- tuneKnee Push-Up — a more accessible version for beginners, reducing the lever arm rather than the body angle.
- tuneIncline Push-Up (hands elevated) — reduces the relative load by changing the body angle, useful when progressing toward the standard push-up.
- tuneFeet-Elevated (Decline) Push-Up — the reverse angle, which increases difficulty and emphasizes upper-chest work.
- tuneSingle-Arm Push-Up — an advanced variation that isolates one side at a time for a significantly higher difficulty.
person_checkWho it's for and level
The push-up literally suits every level: beginners can start on their knees or in an incline version, while advanced lifters can progress toward weighted or unilateral variations. It's a foundational exercise that any strength program, at home or in the gym, should include in some form.
shieldSafety and precautions
Keep the body perfectly aligned from head to heels throughout the movement, without letting the hips sag or pike up excessively. If you feel wrist pain, try push-up handles or hex dumbbells that let you keep the wrist in a more neutral position.
calendar_monthWhere to place it in your program
Include the push-up as a main or secondary exercise in a push session, for 3-4 sets taken close to failure (2-3 reps in reserve). It can also serve as a dynamic upper-body warm-up before an externally loaded session, or as a high-volume finisher at the end of a session.
helpFrequently asked questions
How do I start if it's too hard?
Begin on your knees or with hands elevated on a bench, then progress to standard floor push-ups.
Wide or narrow hands, what's the difference?
A wide hand position emphasizes the chest, while a narrow position targets the triceps more.
How do I make push-ups harder?
Elevate the feet (decline push-ups), slow the descent, bring the hands closer, or add load (a plate on the back, a weighted vest). Variations like diamond push-ups also clearly raise the difficulty.
How many push-ups should a beginner be able to do, and how many an advanced trainee?
There's no universal standard, but common benchmarks place a beginner level around 10-15 strict reps in a row, an intermediate level around 25-40, and an advanced level above 50. These numbers vary enormously based on body weight, arm length, and general training experience, so use them as a rough guide rather than an absolute target.
Why do some people find push-ups harder than an equivalent-load bench press?
On a push-up, you're lifting a significant proportion of your own bodyweight (roughly 60-75% depending on hand and foot position), and that ratio doesn't change easily unlike a bar where load can be precisely adjusted. On top of that, the push-up demands active trunk bracing that the bench press, where the back is supported by the bench, doesn't require in the same way.
Is there a difference in muscle recruitment between fast and slow push-ups?
Slow, controlled push-ups maximize time under tension and favor better muscle recruitment for hypertrophy, while fast push-ups build more muscular endurance and, at the extreme, power if they include a takeoff phase. Neither tempo is strictly superior: the choice depends on the current training goal.
Are push-ups alone enough to build a muscular, balanced torso?
Push-ups cover the chest, shoulders, and triceps well, but they don't train the back muscles (lats, traps, rhomboids) or the biceps, which need complementary pulling exercises like pull-ups or rows. A balanced upper-body program always combines pushing and pulling exercises. If your main goal is building a fully balanced physique rather than just pushing strength, plan your weekly split with that gap in mind from day one. A little foresight here saves a lot of frustration months down the line. Building both qualities together produces a far more resilient and capable upper body over time.
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