Push-Up
A plank with elbows. The push-up is the most portable strength exercise there is, working the chest, shoulders, triceps and trunk with nothing at all. Lower the whole body as one line until the chest is about a fist from the floor. Sagging hips are a trunk failure rather than an arm one, so squeeze harder and shorten the set.
Setup
- Hands slightly wider than shoulders, directly under-ish your chest.
- Body in one straight line from head to heels, glutes and core squeezed.
How To Do It
- Lower your whole body as one plank until chest is a fist-height from the floor.
- Elbows at roughly 45° from your torso, not flared to 90°.
- Press the floor away to full lockout.
Breathing
Inhale down, exhale up.
Common Mistakes
- Sagging hips. That's a core failure; squeeze and shorten the set.
- Half reps. Full range, or regress to incline push-ups with the hands elevated.
- Head pecking forward. Lead with the chest.
Programming It
Sets of 8-20 depending on where you are. Once 20 is easy, do not chase 40. Elevate the feet or slow the descent instead.
Why This Exercise Works
The push-up is a moving plank. Because the hands are fixed and the body travels, the shoulder blades are free to move the way they were designed to, something a bench press physically prevents, since your back is pinned to a pad. That is why it stays useful long after you can bench twice your bodyweight, and why it is often the last pressing movement a cranky shoulder tolerates.
Where You Should Feel It
Chest and triceps, with the front of the shoulders taking a share near the bottom. What you should also feel, and most people do not until it is pointed out, is the whole trunk working to stop the hips sagging. If your lower back is what aches afterwards, the abs quit before the chest did.
Where It Fits in a Program
The most portable strength exercise on earth: a moving plank that builds a pressing base. Treat it as the session's centrepiece rather than something you bolt on.
Progressing and Regressing It
To progress the push-up: add a three-second lower, elevate the feet, or move to one arm on a rail. To regress it: put the hands on a bench or a wall until the hips stay locked to the ribs.
Who It's For
Everyone, at every level. It scales from a wall to one arm without ever needing equipment, which makes it the one pressing movement worth keeping in a programme permanently. Skip it only if a wrist cannot tolerate the extended position, and even then, handles or fists usually solve it rather than dropping the exercise.
Equipment and Substitutions
No equipment needed. When bodyweight stops being a challenge, change the leverage rather than reaching for a dumbbell.
Related Exercises
- Tempo Push-Up · Chest, Triceps, Core
- Single-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press · Chest, Core, Shoulders
- Dumbbell Bench Press · Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
- Band Chest Press · Chest, Triceps, Shoulders
- Barbell Bench Press · Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
- Deficit Push-Up · Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
- Dips · Chest, Triceps, Shoulders
- Machine Chest Press · Chest, Triceps
Common Questions
What muscles does the push-up work?
The push-up primarily trains the chest, shoulders, triceps, core.
How many sets and reps should I do?
Sets of 8-20 depending on where you are. Once 20 is easy, do not chase 40. Elevate the feet or slow the descent instead.
What are the most common push-up mistakes?
Most often: sagging hips; half reps.
Can I do this without any equipment?
Yes. This version needs no equipment at all. It trains the chest, shoulders, triceps, core using bodyweight alone, which is why it travels well and works as a warm-up, a substitute, or a full session on its own.
Is this safe if I have an existing injury?
The push-up puts the shoulder and elbow under load through a range many people have lost, so a cranky shoulder usually objects here before anything else does. Pain that pinches at a specific point is worth assessing; ordinary training discomfort is not. Not medical advice.