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.
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
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
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
helpFrequently asked questions
How do I start if it's too hard?expand_more
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?expand_more
A wide hand position emphasizes the chest, while a narrow position targets the triceps more.
How do I make push-ups harder?expand_more
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.
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