Push-Up
The classic bodyweight chest exercise. Holding your body in one straight line, you lower your chest toward the floor and push back up.
Brace, then lower your chest toward the floor
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How to do it
- Start on your hands and toes with your hands flat, a little wider than your shoulders and level with your lower chest, fingers pointing forward.
- Straighten your body into one line from head to heels. Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes.
- Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor, keeping them angled back about 45° from your sides.
- Stop when your chest is just above the floor, with your forearms roughly vertical.
- Push the floor away until your arms are straight, keeping your body in one line.
Common mistakes
- Letting the hips sag toward the floor, which strains the lower back.
- Piking the hips up so the chest barely moves.
- Flaring the elbows straight out to the sides at 90°, which is hard on the shoulders.
- Dropping the head or craning the neck instead of keeping it in line with the spine.
- Doing half reps. Lower all the way until your chest nearly touches the floor.
Sets and reps
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | 2–3 | 5–10 | 60–90 s |
| Muscle size | 3–4 | 8–15 | 60–90 s |
| Endurance | 2–3 | 15–30 | 30–60 s |
Push-ups get easier or harder with the angle: hands on a bench or wall makes them easier, feet raised makes them harder. Pick the version where you can do at least 5 reps with your body in one straight line, and move on to a harder one once you can do about 20.
These are starting points for healthy adults. End each set with a little left in the tank, and move up once you reach the top of a range. The research behind them: How Many Sets and Reps? and How Long to Rest Between Sets.
Variations
- Incline push-up: Hands on a bench, box or wall. The higher your hands, the less of your weight you lift; the usual starting point.
- Knee push-up: Pivot from your knees instead of your toes, keeping your hips in line with your shoulders.
- Decline push-up: Feet raised on a bench. Harder, with more work for the upper chest and shoulders.
- Close-grip push-up: Hands close together under your chest, which shifts more of the work to the triceps.
The animation shows general technique, not advice for your body. If you have an injury or are new to lifting, check your form with a qualified coach. See the Disclaimer.
Plan your training
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