Push-Up
Push-Up Exercise Description
The push-up is a bodyweight horizontal pressing exercise that builds upper-body strength while demanding full-body stability. It primarily targets the pectoralis major, triceps brachii, and anterior deltoids. The serratus anterior, rotator cuff, and scapular stabilizers guide proper shoulder blade motion, while the abdominals, obliques, glutes, and legs maintain a rigid plank from head to heels. Done with controlled alignment, it reinforces a neutral spine and efficient scapulothoracic rhythm—retraction on the way down and protraction as you press away. Proper hand placement and elbow tracking reduce unnecessary shoulder stress and promote force transfer through the trunk. This foundational closed-chain movement scales easily by adjusting leverage or hand elevation, making it a reliable standard for technique and strength assessment.
- Muscle Groups: Chest, Delts, Pecs, Shoulders, Triceps
- Target Muscles: Deltoid - Anterior, Pectoralis Major - Sternal Head, Triceps Brachii - Lateral Head
- Assisting Muscles: Pectoralis Major - Clavicular Head, Serratus Anterior
- Stabilizing Muscles: External Obliques, Gluteus Maximus, Infraspinatus, Rectus Abdominis, Trapezius - Middle Fibers
- Body Area: Upper Body
- Body Parts: Arms, Chest, Shoulders, Upper Arms
- Body Surface: Back, Front
- Body Symmetry: Bilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Push
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Elbow Extensors, Horizontal Shoulder Adduction, Shoulder Flexors
- Joint Involvement: Multi-joint
- Muscle Location: Front Shoulder, Mid Chest, Outer Tricep
- Movement Direction: Horizontal
- Muscle Position: Anterior, Posterior
- Gender: Female
How To Do The Push-Up Exercise
‘- Place hands slightly wider than shoulder-width with fingers forward; wrists stacked under or just in front of the shoulders.
– Set feet together or hip-width; form a straight line from head to heels.
– Brace the core, lightly squeeze glutes, and keep ribs down to maintain a neutral spine.
– Pack the shoulders: keep them away from the ears and create gentle outward “screw-in” torque through the hands.
– Inhale softly; lower the chest by bending elbows, keeping them angled about 30–45° from the torso.
– Allow the shoulder blades to glide: retract on the descent without collapsing the chest.
– Lower until the chest approaches the floor (or shoulders reach about elbow height) without losing alignment.
– Press the floor away, protracting the shoulder blades at the top without shrugging.
– Keep the neck neutral; gaze slightly ahead of the hands.
– Distribute pressure through the whole hand (especially the thumb and index finger) to avoid wrist collapse.
– Move smoothly; avoid sagging hips, flared elbows, or craning the head.
Push-Up Tips
‘- Place hands slightly wider than shoulder-width with fingers pointing straight forward.
– Stack wrists under or just in front of the shoulders to support the press.
– Set feet together or hip-width and maintain a straight line from head to heels.
– Brace the core, lightly squeeze glutes, and keep ribs down to hold a neutral spine.
– Keep shoulders away from the ears and apply gentle outward “screw-in” torque through the hands.
– Lower by bending the elbows to about 30–45° from the torso as you descend.
– Let the shoulder blades retract on the way down without letting the chest collapse.
– Lower until the chest approaches the floor or shoulders reach about elbow height without losing alignment.
– Press the floor away and protract the shoulder blades at the top without shrugging.
– Keep the neck neutral by gazing slightly ahead of the hands.
– Distribute pressure through the whole hand, especially the thumb and index finger, to avoid wrist collapse.
– Move smoothly and avoid sagging hips, flared elbows, or craning the head.
Push-Up Beginner Introduction
The push-up is a classic bodyweight press performed parallel to the floor, often used as a simple way to gauge upper-body strength and control. The movement involves lowering and raising the body in a rigid plank, so the chest, triceps, and front shoulders share the workload while the abs, side abs, glutes, and legs help the whole body move as one solid unit. This combination turns a basic press into a full-body challenge rather than just an arm exercise.
Shoulder health and trunk stability sit at the core of this pattern. Muscles around the rib cage, upper back, and rotator cuff guide smooth shoulder-blade motion as the torso travels toward and away from the ground. Hand spacing, elbow path, and pressure through the palms influence how force travels through the arms into the trunk. When the body stays aligned from head to feet and the movement remains controlled, the exercise reinforces a stable spine, coordinated shoulder action, and efficient technique that can later be adjusted by changing leverage or hand height.