Push-up

Difficulty: ⭐ Beginnerpush

Home Setup

Find a clear floor space where you can extend your full body length. Use a yoga mat, carpet, or towel for hand comfort if needed.

Clear floor spaceYoga mat or towel (optional)

💡 Pro tip: Place your hands directly under a doorway frame to use as a visual reference for keeping your body straight

Gym Setup

Open floor space or exercise mat

Safety: Ensure the floor is not slippery and there's adequate space around you to avoid hitting equipment

💪 Muscles Worked

Pectoralis MajorAnterior DeltoidsTriceps BrachiiSerratus AnteriorCore Stabilizers

⭐ Why This Exercise?

Push-ups are a fundamental upper body exercise that builds pressing strength, shoulder stability, and core control without any equipment. They develop functional strength for everyday pushing movements and serve as a foundation for advanced calisthenics skills while improving muscular endurance and body awareness.

Make It Easier

Regressions for building up strength

1. Wall Push-up

wall

Reduces load by working at an incline angle, making it easier to build initial pushing strength

2. Incline Push-up

bench + box + sturdy chair

Decreases the percentage of bodyweight lifted by elevating the hands, allowing gradual strength building

3. Knee Push-up

mat or towel for knee comfort

Shortens the lever arm by using knees as the pivot point, reducing the load while maintaining proper form

Make It Harder

Progressions for advanced athletes

1. Diamond Push-up

none

Increases triceps activation by bringing hands closer together, creating a more challenging pressing angle

2. Decline Push-up

bench + box + stairs

Elevates the feet to shift more weight onto the upper body and emphasizes upper chest and shoulders

3. Archer Push-up

none

Shifts weight predominantly to one arm while the other assists, building unilateral strength toward one-arm push-ups

↕️ Similar Movements

Dip

Vertical pushing movement that targets similar muscles with different angle and greater triceps emphasis

Pike Push-up

Elevated hip position that shifts focus to shoulders, bridging toward handstand push-ups

Plank

Isometric hold in the same body position, building the core stability needed for push-ups

Bench Press

Weighted horizontal push that targets the same muscle groups with external resistance

Pseudo Planche Push-up

Advanced variation with hands positioned lower on torso, increasing shoulder and core demand

Form Checklist

✓Hands shoulder-width apart with fingers pointing forward, positioned directly under shoulders

✓Maintain a straight line from head to heels by engaging core and glutes throughout the movement

✓Lower chest to the floor by bending elbows to approximately 90 degrees, keeping elbows at 45-degree angle from body

✓Press through palms to extend arms fully while maintaining body tension and neutral spine

✓Breathe in on the descent and exhale forcefully on the push-up phase

Common Mistakes

•Sagging hips or piking hips up, breaking the straight body line and reducing core engagement
•Flaring elbows out to 90 degrees from the body, placing excessive stress on shoulder joints
•Not achieving full range of motion by stopping too high or not fully extending arms at the top
•Leading with the head by looking forward instead of maintaining neutral neck alignment
•Holding breath or breathing irregularly instead of coordinating breath with movement

📈 When to Progress

Progress when you can perform 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions with perfect form, maintaining a straight body line throughout, and feeling controlled rather than fatigued by the movement. You should be able to pause at the bottom position for 1-2 seconds without form breakdown.