When you perform exercises, you are improving either your muscular strength or muscular endurance. Push-ups help improve muscular endurance because you can do them repetitively for numerous repetitions. Muscular strength, on the other hand, is built when you move maximal loads for a short period of time. Although they are known as upper-body exercises, push-ups actually work muscles throughout the entire body.
Pectorals
The major muscles in the chest, the pectorals are also the primary movers with push-ups. When you push yourself off the floor, you are working your pecs the hardest. You can redirect the focus of this contraction by repositioning your body. For example, if you place your feet on a bench and do decline push-ups, you will place more emphasis on your upper pecs. By placing your hands on the bench, you will place more emphasis on the lower pecs.
Shoulder Muscles
The deltoids are the muscles that give your shoulders a round appearance. They have three different segments: the anterior, medial and posterior. The anterior part is on the front, the medial is on the side, and the posterior is the rear part. Although push-ups work all three segments, the medial and anterior delts get the most emphasis. You can place more emphasis on the delts and trapezius if you do handstand push-ups with your feet on a wall. The trapezius is found on the top of the collarbones.
Triceps
Located on the back of the upper arms, the triceps muscles are elbow extensors. Every time that you move your arm from a bent to straight position, you work your triceps. During a push-up, this takes place when you push yourself off the floor. You can intensify contraction by moving your hands closer together on the floor.
Glutes
The gluteus maximus, medius and minimus muscles make up the buttocks. They are responsible for hip extension, which causes your thighs to move backward. Although you are not moving your legs into hip extension during push-ups, you do have to contract your glutes forcefully to help maintain proper body alignment.
Quadriceps
The major muscles on the front of the thighs, quadriceps cause hip flexion and knee extension. In similar fashion to the glutes, the quads contract during a push-up to help keep your body in proper alignment.
Abdominals
The rectus abdominis is the large muscle in the stomach, and the obliques are on the sides of the stomach. During push-ups, you forcefully contract these muscles to maintain a straight line from the shoulders to heels and to generate power.
Back Muscles
The erector spinae, or spinal erectors, are the muscles that run down the spine into the lower back. In similar fashion to the abs, the erector spinae also contract during a push-up to maintain good posture. The rhomboids are the muscles between the shoulders. Push-ups activate the rhomboids when you lower your body down and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
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