Upper body · Chest
Push-ups
How to do push-ups properly: hand and elbow position, body alignment, common mistakes and how to progress from zero to sets of 20.
| Focus | Chest · triceps, front delts, abs (stabilizer) |
| Movement | Horizontal push |
| Equipment | Bodyweight |
| Suggested sets | 3 × máx |
| Estimated time | ≈ 6 min |
| Joints loaded |
The push-up is the best-known bodyweight pushing exercise. It needs no equipment, can be done anywhere and trains chest, shoulders and triceps at once, plus your abs, which keep your body straight like in a plank.
Muscles worked
The pectoralis major is the main mover. The triceps straighten the elbows and the front delts assist throughout. Your abs and glutes keep your hips from sagging.
How to do them
- Place your hands on the floor slightly wider than your shoulders, fingers pointing forward.
- Stretch your legs back and rest on your toes. Your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
- Lower yourself by bending your elbows back and slightly out, about 45° from your torso.
- Go down until your chest is a few centimeters from the floor.
- Push the floor away to rise, keeping your body rigid like a plank.
Common mistakes
- Sagging or piked hips. Squeeze your glutes and abs.
- Elbows flared straight out, which overloads the shoulders.
- Short range: only lowering a few centimeters.
- Head jutting forward to reach the floor with your chin.
How to progress
- Wall push-ups or with your hands on a high table.
- Incline push-ups with hands on a bench: the lower, the harder.
- Knee push-ups.
- Full push-ups: start with sets of 5 and add one rep per session.
- Harder: feet elevated, a pause at the bottom or a weight vest.
Precautions
They load the wrist, elbow, shoulder and ankle (because you rest on your toes). If your wrists bother you, use push-up handles or hex dumbbells to keep them straight. If you cannot rest on your feet, the machine chest press trains the same muscles seated.
Alternatives with less joint load
They train the same muscle group. Highlighted joints are also loaded by the exercise on this page.
- Pec deck fly · Fly
- Cable crossover · Fly
- Machine chest press · Horizontal push
- Barbell bench press · Horizontal push
- Incline dumbbell press · Horizontal push
Log your sets for this exercise and see your progress month by month.
Start for freeIf you have an injury, pain or a medical condition, check with a professional before doing this exercise.