You can't ask for much more than an exercise program that's effective, portable and free, but that's what the versatile push-up is for strength training enthusiasts. Simple modifications to the position and execution can target specific muscle groups over others, but for overall upper-body conditioning, push-ups are a necessary weapon in the body-building arsenal.
Pectoralis Muscles
The pectoralis major muscles run from the breastbone to the humorous bone, connecting at the upper arm and shoulder area. These are the target of most strength trainers when incorporating push-ups into the workout. The bulk of muscle visible on the chest is the pectoralis major, while the pectoralis minor muscles tuck in under the broad expanse of the majors, connecting from the middle of the rib cage around to the scapula, or shoulder blade. They are commonly grouped together under the shorthand "pecs."
Major and minor pecs are easily targeted individually based on the orientation of the body during push-ups. Bringing the hands closer together and placing them on the floor further under the body toward the upper abdominals concentrates the effort on the minors, while broad positioning of the hands placed on the floor in line with the shoulders focuses activity in the majors.
Deltoids
The muscles of the chest combine with the muscles of the shoulder in the group known as the deltoids. The deltoids are like a cap on the shoulder attaching to the top of the humorous bone in three stretches---anterior, posterior and lateral. Together, they supply the strength needed move the arm away from the body. The anterior helps raise the arm up in a forward motion, the lateral powers the arm out to the side and the posterior allows movement of the arm to a position behind the body.
It is primarily the anterior deltoid that aids in a standard push-up as the arm is extended out in front of the body as you rise up from the floor into the neutral position. The posterior and lateral deltoids can play a greater role as you adjust the hand position under your body.
Triceps
The triceps muscles run from the scapula and humorous to the bones of the forearm. Like the deltoids, there are three different individual muscles in the group: the lateral, medial and long head. Each performs the same basic function in a slightly different way, namely, providing the force to extend the arm to a straight position from a position bent at the elbow.
If you think about the biceps---the muscles toward the front side of the upper arm---and how they contract, you can see that the triceps provide the counterpoint. While biceps help you to bend at the elbow by contracting and pulling the arm up, the triceps contract in the opposite direction, pulling the arm straight. When you are at the lowest point in your push-up, extending your arm to the straightened position at the top of the push-up is largely a function of the triceps.
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