Push-Up
The push-up is a well-known compound exercise for the upper body and core muscles. Because of the plank position, the muscles in the lower back, glutes, and legs (especially the hamstrings) must work to keep the back and legs aligned. These muscles therefore mainly have a stabilizing function, as they do primarily in everyday life.
The muscles in the chest (especially the pectoralis major), shoulders (especially the anterior deltoids), and arms (especially the triceps) have a more active role. The chest and shoulder muscles work hard to pull the upper arms forward, while the triceps engage to extend the arms.
A wide hand position places more emphasis on the chest, while a narrower position requires more work from the triceps and shoulders.
Push-Up Execution
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1
Assume a plank position with your arms extended. In practice, this may mean raising your glutes somewhat higher than you might expect. Check this position with the help of a mirror if necessary.
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2
Place your hands shoulder-width apart or wider (depending on your goal) on the floor.
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3
Keep your head in a neutral position by looking down and slightly ahead of you. This is your starting position.
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4
Lower yourself in a controlled manner by bending your arms, allowing your elbows to move backward. Remain just above the floor.
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5
Push yourself up explosively until your arms are almost extended.
Push-ups
Active muscles:
- Pectoralis major (chest muscle)
- Anterior deltoid (front fibers of the shoulder muscle)
- Triceps brachii
- Serratus anterior
- Coracobrachialis (coracobrachialis muscle)
Stabilizing muscles:
- Rotator cuff (stabilizing shoulder muscles, supraspinatus, subscapularis, teres major, teres minor)
- Serratus
- Trapezius
- Biceps brachii
- Latissimus dorsi
- Erector spinae
- Hamstrings
- Abdominal muscles
- Gluteal muscles
Push-Up Technique
Use push-up bars if this position is painful for your wrists. Performing the exercise on your fists may prevent this wrist discomfort, but it can make balance slightly more difficult.
If the standard push-up is too difficult, you can perform it from your knees. In this variation, your knees rather than your feet remain in contact with the floor.
It is possible to make the push-up more difficult with additional weight if your body weight provides too little resistance. However, this is not very practical. A weight plate on the shoulder blades tends to shift.
There is also a variation in which you place your hands and feet on an elevated surface so that you can hang additional weight from a belt around your waist. Your abdominal muscles then have to work harder. This position carries certain risks. If your hands or feet slip, the additional weight can pull you forcefully downward, with your face directed toward the bench (or barbell, as in the example of the barbell weighted push-up).
Other variations of the push-up focus mainly on greater explosive strength rather than greater maximal strength. Examples include variations in which you push off forcefully so that you can clap your hands in the air.
Alternatives
- Kneeling Push-Up
- Clap Push-Up
- Bench Press
- Cable Chest Press
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