Chest

Push-Up

The ultimate bodyweight press: chest, shoulders, triceps and core with nothing but the floor.

Also known as: press-up, pushups

Level: Beginner
Equipment: Bodyweight
Type: Compound

Movement

Muscles worked

Push-Up muscle map: chest, triceps and front delts highlighted on the front and back of the body

How to do it

Place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders and extend your legs, body in a straight line from head to heels.
Brace your glutes and abs so your hips neither sag nor pike.
Lower your chest toward the floor with your elbows about 45 degrees from your body.
When your chest is a few centimetres from the floor, press back up to straight arms.

Form cues

Your whole body moves as one, like a plank.
Hands under or slightly wider than your shoulders, fingers forward.
A few full push-ups beat many half reps.

Common mistakes

Letting your hips sag: it loads your lower back. Squeeze your glutes and abs.
Flaring your elbows straight out: it stresses the shoulder. Keep them around 45 degrees.
Only dropping a few centimetres: your chest barely works. Go down until you almost touch the floor.
Poking your head toward the floor: your neck breaks the line. Look just ahead of your hands.

Sets and reps

For muscle growth, 3-4 sets close to failure, usually 8-25 reps. If 25 feels easy, move to a harder variation or add weight.

Variations

Same movement, different equipment. Pick based on what you have and what you want from push-ups.

Wall push-ups
The easiest version, for starting from zero.
Bodyweight · Beginner
How to do it
1. Stand facing a wall and place your palms on it at shoulder height.
2. Step your feet back until your arms are fully extended.
3. Bend your elbows to bring your chest toward the wall.
4. Keep your body in a straight line throughout.
5. Press back to the starting position.
Primary
Chest
Secondary
Front Delts, Triceps
Incline push-ups
Hands on a bench: less load, same technique.
Bodyweight · Beginner
How to do it
1. Place your hands on a bench or elevated surface, shoulder-width apart.
2. Extend your legs behind you into a plank position.
3. Lower your chest toward the bench by bending your elbows.
4. Push back up to the starting position.
Primary
Chest
Secondary
Front Delts, Triceps
Knee push-ups
Reduces the load while you build strength and form.
Bodyweight · Beginner
How to do it
1. Start in a push-up position with your knees on the floor.
2. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the ground.
3. Keep your body in a straight line from knees to shoulders.
4. Lower your chest toward the floor by bending your elbows.
5. Press through your hands to return to the starting position.
Primary
Chest
Secondary
Front Delts, Abs, Triceps
Wide push-ups
Hands wider apart: a bit more chest, less triceps.
Bodyweight · Intermediate
How to do it
1. Start in a high plank with hands wider than shoulder-width.
2. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
3. Lower your chest toward the floor by bending your elbows.
4. Keep your core braced and glutes engaged.
5. Press back up until your arms are extended.
Primary
Chest
Secondary
Front Delts, Serratus, Triceps
Decline push-ups
Feet elevated: more load and more upper chest and shoulder.
Bodyweight · Intermediate
How to do it
1. Place your feet on an elevated surface and hands on the ground.
2. Lower your chest to the floor in a controlled manner.
3. Push back up to the start.
Primary
Chest
Secondary
Front Delts, Triceps
Deficit push-ups
Hands on blocks so you can sink below the floor and stretch your chest more.
Bodyweight · Advanced
How to do it
1. Place your hands on two elevated surfaces like parallettes or blocks.
2. Assume a plank position with hands under your shoulders.
3. Lower your chest below the level of your hands.
4. Press back up to extend your arms.
Primary
Chest
Secondary
Front Delts, Serratus, Triceps
Ring push-ups
The rings move, demanding more stability.
Gymnastic Rings · Intermediate
How to do it
1. Set the rings just above floor height.
2. Grip the rings and assume a plank position with arms straight.
3. Lower the chest toward the rings, keeping the elbows close to the body.
4. Press back up to full arm extension.
Primary
Chest, Triceps
Secondary
Front Delts, Serratus
Stability ball push-ups
Feet on the ball make your core work harder.
Stability Ball · Intermediate
How to do it
1. Kneel in front of a stability ball and place your shins or feet on top of it.
2. Set the hands on the floor under the shoulders in a high-plank position.
3. Brace the core hard — the ball will want to roll sideways.
4. Lower the chest to the floor by bending the elbows.
5. Press back up to the starting position without letting the ball wobble.
Primary
Chest
Secondary
Front Delts, Abs, Serratus, Triceps
Hands-on-ball push-ups
An unstable base under your hands challenges shoulders and core.
Stability Ball · Intermediate
How to do it
1. Place both hands on top of a stability ball and walk your feet back into a straight-arm plank, body in a straight line from head to heels.
2. Brace your core and keep the ball steady beneath your hands.
3. Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the ball under control.
4. Press back up to full arm extension without letting the ball roll.
Primary
Chest
Secondary
Front Delts, Abs, Serratus, Triceps
Archer push-ups
One arm does most of the work: a step toward the one-arm push-up.
Bodyweight · Advanced
How to do it
1. Set up in a wide push-up position with arms straight.
2. Lower yourself toward one hand while keeping the other arm straight.
3. Keep your core tight and body in a straight line.
4. Press back up to the start position.
5. Alternate sides each rep for the desired number of reps.
Primary
Chest
Secondary
Front Delts, Abs, Serratus, Triceps
Clap push-ups
An explosive push so your hands leave the floor for a clap.
Bodyweight · Advanced
How to do it
1. Begin in a standard push-up position.
2. Lower your chest to the floor.
3. Explosively push up so hands leave the ground.
4. Clap your hands together and land softly, returning to start.
Primary
Chest
Secondary
Triceps
Plyometric push-ups
Explosive pressing to build upper-body power.
Bodyweight · Intermediate
How to do it
1. Set up in a standard push-up position with hands shoulder-width.
2. Lower yourself with control until the chest nearly touches the floor.
3. Drive up explosively so the hands leave the floor.
4. Land softly with the elbows slightly bent.
Primary
Chest, Triceps
Secondary
Front Delts
Pseudo planche push-ups
Hands by your hips and body leaning forward: very hard on the shoulders.
Bodyweight · Advanced
How to do it
1. Start in a push-up position with your hands turned so fingers point back.
2. Lean your shoulders forward past your wrists.
3. Lower your chest toward the floor by bending your elbows.
4. Keep your body in a straight line.
5. Press back up while maintaining the forward lean.
Primary
Front Delts, Chest
Secondary
Serratus, Triceps