Push-Up

How to do the Push-Up

The push-up is a bodyweight press from the floor that trains the chest, triceps and front delts while your trunk holds a rigid plank. It needs no equipment and scales from a first-day beginner to an advanced lifter by changing the angle or adding load.

Set up

1. 1Place your hands on the floor slightly wider than your shoulders, roughly under your chest.
2. 2Step your feet back to hip width so your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
3. 3Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs to lock that line in place.

The movement

1. 1Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor, keeping your elbows around 45 degrees from your body.
2. 2Move as one piece, so your hips and shoulders descend together.
3. 3Stop when your chest is a fist's height or less above the floor.
4. 4Press the floor away until your arms are straight, letting your shoulder blades spread slightly at the top.

Cues

• Body moves as one piece
• Screw your hands into the floor
• Chest leads, not your chin
• Push the floor away

Common mistakes

Hips sagging toward the floor.

Squeeze your glutes harder and tighten your abs; if it keeps happening, raise your hands on a bench.

Cutting the range short.

Lower until your chest nearly touches, and use an incline to find a depth you can own.

Reaching the head forward to fake depth.

Keep your neck in line with your spine and let your chest reach the floor first.

Also works: Serratus anterior, Abs, Obliques, Glutes

Sets and reps

• For strength: 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 6 reps, resting 2 to 3 minutes between sets.
• For muscle: 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps (up to 15 on smaller lifts), resting 1 to 2 minutes, ending each set 1 to 3 reps short of failure (RPE 7 to 9).
• Add a rep or a small amount of weight once every set reaches the top of the range at the same effort.

General ranges, not medical advice. Stop if anything hurts.

In our free programs

• Baseline Assessment: Week 1 · Session 1 · Movement screen + upper baselineBASELINE — max clean reps, stop at the first rep that breaks form. Capped at 20. Record the number. Hands elevated is fine; note the height.1×20 @ BW
• Beginner Full-Body · Full Body C3×12 @ BW
• Dumbbell Only · Upper Push2×15 @ BW
• Fat-Loss Conditioning · Circuit A3×15 @ BW
• Home Bodyweight · Upper4×15 @ BW
• Push / Pull / Legs · Push (volume)3×15 @ BW
• Return to Training · Movement + Walk3×10 @ BW

Variations

The same movement with other equipment or a different angle.

• Decline Push-UpBodyweight
• Deficit Push-UpBodyweight
• Incline Push-UpBodyweight
• Weighted Push-UpBodyweight
• Wide-Grip Push-UpBodyweight
• Suspension Trainer Push-UpSuspension trainer

Alternatives

Other exercises for the chest, for when the bodyweight is taken or you want a change.

• Band Chest PressResistance band
• Band Incline Chest PressResistance band
• Barbell Bench PressBarbell
• Barbell Decline Bench PressBarbell
• Barbell Floor PressBarbell
• Barbell Guillotine PressBarbell
• Barbell Incline Bench PressBarbell
• Barbell Larsen PressBarbell

Questions

What muscles does the Push-Up work?

The Push-Up mainly works the chest, triceps and front delts.

What equipment do you need for the Push-Up?

None: it is a bodyweight exercise.

How many sets and reps of the Push-Up?

For strength: 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 6 reps, resting 2 to 3 minutes between sets. For muscle: 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps (up to 15 on smaller lifts), resting 1 to 2 minutes, ending each set 1 to 3 reps short of failure (RPE 7 to 9). Add a rep or a small amount of weight once every set reaches the top of the range at the same effort.

What can I do instead of the Push-Up?

Band Chest Press, Band Incline Chest Press, Barbell Bench Press and Barbell Decline Bench Press work the same main muscle.