But if you're not doing them correctly, you could end up wasting your time or worse, injuring yourself Push-ups are not as simple as they sound. If you do them incorrectly, you could waste your time or even get injured. The bodyweight exercise can help you build serious strength because it involves using several of the body's major muscle groups.
This classic move can be found in many different types of workouts, such as HIIT, CrossFit, circuit training, or as part of a strength training workout, according to Amanda Capritto, an ACE-certified personal trainer and a CrossFit level 1 trainer based in Miami.
Here is a summary of the benefits of push-ups and how to do them.
What Muscles Do Push-Ups Work?
Several people normally surmise push-ups as an upper-limb activity, yet they exercise the entirety of the body. The muscles in your arms, chest, back, and thighs will all become stronger with this exercise, according to Lisa Toscano, EdD, professor of kinesiology at Manhattan College in New York. The arms, chest, and back help with the up-down motion, while the last two muscle groups help keep your body in a straight line.
The National Academy of Sports Medicine states that other muscles you use during a push-up are the pectoralis major (chest), anterior deltoids (shoulders), triceps, biceps, rhomboids (upper-back muscles connecting spine and shoulder blades), and trapezius (muscle bundle extending from back of head and neck).
Other muscles that are used in this exercise are the serratus anterior (a fan-shaped muscle along the top of your ribs) and the coracobrachialis (a long, slender muscle in the upper arm), as well as the muscles in your core.
Are Push-Ups Safe for Everyone?
If you do too many push-ups too quickly, you can injure yourself, Capritto says. If you are just starting out, modify the push-up by doing box push-ups, knee push-ups, or standing push-ups against a wall, recommends.
You will likely need to modify your push-ups for some time before you can progress to a standard push-up, she says. Doing modified versions of exercises is a great way to build up strength.
Pregnant women should do box or knee push-ups, or standing push-ups against a wall, to put less stress on the abdomen, Capritto says.
If you experience any pain or discomfort in your chest or shoulders, you should speak to a certified trainer, physical therapist, or other healthcare professional for a full assessment. They will be able to give you specific guidelines and modification options to help prevent further injury or aggravation of an existing injury.
It is advised that you speak to your doctor, physical therapist, or orthopedic specialist before attempting push-ups if you have any other condition that might be aggravated by the activity, according to Capritto.
How Many Push-Ups Should You Be Doing?
Suggested routine for those just starting to workout: Perform 5-10 push-ups 3 times a week. If you cannot perform a push-up with proper form, start by doing a modified push-up.
If you're struggling with regular push-ups, Capritto recommends either box push-ups or knee push-ups as a modification. Irina says that making some modifications to the movement can help make it safer for beginners. This is because these modifications will help to build strength in the muscles around the person's core and shoulders. In addition to being less likely to get hurt, these changes also let people who are new to working out do more and get stronger and in better shape faster.
Once you have perfected the form of modified push-ups and can do 3 sets of 5-10 reps, regular push-ups should be no problem. She suggests starting by doing as many as you can with good form, even if it's just a single rep. Then, once you can't do anymore push-ups, switch to modified push-ups and finish the set.
Most people improve slowly when it comes to the number of unmodified push-ups they can do. If you can only do one traditional push-up, you may have to switch to modified push-ups, Capritto says.
To help your muscles grow, Capritto recommends doing push-ups on days when you're not working out. This will give your muscles time to recover.
According to Capritto, any type of push-up can be used as part of a full-body resistance training workout or as part of a workout that focuses on the upper body. She suggests adding a few reps throughout the day, whenever you have a chance, such as after lunch or when you finish work. “Quick sessions add up.”
Holly Roser, a NASM- and ACE-certified personal trainer based in San Mateo, California, suggests that push-ups should be done at the beginning of a workout: “Because push-ups involve bigger muscle groups and require more overall effort, you’ll want to do them first when you have the most amount of energy.”
How to Do a Traditional Push-Up (Correctly)
The most benefits will be reaped when the proper technique is used for push-ups. If you follow Capritto's advice and do the exercises correctly, you will target the right muscles and decrease your chances of getting injured.
- Start in an all-fours position, with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders and knees on the ground. Keep your head in a neutral position.
- Straighten your legs out and back, one at a time, keeping your feet a comfortable distance apart, so that you’re in a high-plank position with your body forming a straight line parallel to the ground from top of head to heels. (The wider your feet, the more stability you will have.)
- Slowly bend your elbows backward, making a 45-degree angle with your torso, lowering your chest until it almost touches the floor, while keeping the muscles of your core tight and your back as flat as possible. (Imagine someone placed a foam roller along your spine on your back and you want to keep it from falling off.)
- Pause for a moment, then push your body back up into a high plank position, maintaining a flat back and engaging your core, front deltoids, triceps, chest, and forearms.
Different Ways to Perform a Push-Up
The push-up is an exercise that has been around for a long time and is still popular today.
It is a basic and simple setup that can be done anywhere.
This exercise is perfect for people who are just starting to lift weights, as well as people who are advanced lifters and looking to improve the stability of their shoulders.
But what makes the pushup great is that it is nearly everyone's first exercise.
Almost everyone's first exercise was probably something they did in P.E. class or at home to get in shape.
There are many different ways to do a pushup.
Below this text, there are variations of pushups that can be added to your workout program.
Feet Elevated on a Bench Pushup
You will need to grab a bench for this pushup setup. We'll be changing the focus of the movement to emphasize the chest muscles and shoulders more.
Sit on a bench with your feet elevated and your hands in a normal shoulder-width position. From here, proceed with the normal pushup movement.
This pushup variation targets your upper chest and shoulder area, similarly to an incline bench press.
Hands-on a Bench Pushup
Alright now, hold onto that bench. This next variation will also use it. Instead of dangling your feet in the air, we'll plant them firmly on the ground.
For the next variation, place your hands shoulder-width apart on a bench. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your chest is close to the bench. Push yourself back up to the starting position.
The movement patterns for a decline bench press and a bench pushup are the same. The muscle should be contracting in your lower chest area as well as your triceps.
Close Grip Pushup
Did someone say triceps? The close grip pushup is commonly performed by gym-goers in order to target their triceps.
There are several different hand placements you can choose from here. One way to do a pushup is to place your hands slightly inside shoulder width apart.
Truth be told, both work similarly too. The only difference between the diamond pushup and a traditional close-grip pushup is the former requires considerably more shoulder mobility.
To do a closed-hand pushup, set up in the same way as you would for a traditional pushup, but with your hands close together. Use the same range of motion, but be careful not to let your hands touch the ground.
Wide Grip Pushup
Many people use wide grip pushups to target the pectoralis major, which is the large, fan-shaped muscle that makes up a majority of the chest. The reference to pushups is significant as it helps to better target the chest muscles.
Place your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart to perform these. Once you're in position, the motion is the same as with other types of pushups.
Some may notice some elbow pain with this variation. The wider your hand placement is, the more difficult it is to keep your elbows in the “V” pattern described in the section on traditional pushups.
My best advice is to experiment a little. If it causes pain, don’t do it. If you don't find that it improves your individual goals, don't continue doing it.
Stability Ball (Hands-On) Pushups
It’s time to challenge your core and shoulder stability. Get into a pushup position with your hands on a stability ball.
Standard range of motion should be performed, lowering the chest towards the stability ball. Retreat to the starting position of the pushup.
This variation will test your strength in your core, arms, and shoulders.
Stability Ball (Feet On) Pushups
Instead of the last variation, for this pushup you’ll put your legs on a stability ball.
The tension in your chest will be greater in this variation than the last one.
TRX (Hands-On) Pushups
This pushup variation stretches your chest more than the regular pushup.
TRX systems are excellent options for making bodyweight exercises more challenging in most commercial gyms.
TRX (Feet On) Pushups
The TRX pushup with your feet on the TRX system is an excellent way to work your core and target your upper chest and shoulders.
To do this exercise, put your feet in the TRX handles, put your hands shoulder-width apart, and do a regular pushup.
One Legged Pushup
Doing a one-legged pushup means placing the toe of one foot onto the heel of the other foot, which remains grounded during the exercise.
You will challenge your core by keeping one leg elevated. This pushup variation will be similar to your traditional pushup, except for your feet placement.
One Arm Pushups
This is the variation of Rocky you should go with if you want to look like him. Although it is a great variation, it is also one of the more difficult ones to do.
Go into a pushup position, but place your hand in the middle of your body.
Don't get discouraged if you can't do these perfectly right away. They take a lot of practice.
