If you are looking for an exercise that works several upper body muscles at once, requires no equipment and can be done almost anywhere, push-ups are the answer. For these reasons, push-ups are a standard in military fitness, boot camp sessions and in-home workouts. They primarily target the chest, triceps and shoulders -- but other muscles also come into play during a push-up.
Chest Muscles
The chest muscles, or pectoralis muscles, are primary movers during a push-up. Also called the agonist muscles, primary movers are the muscles most involved in performing a specific exercise. When pressing your body up during a push-up, you are essentially pulling your upper arms toward the midline of your body. This motion is referred to as transverse flexion and it is the main movement performed by the chest muscles.
Triceps Muscles
The triceps are a group of muscles on the back of your upper arm. The triceps name stems from the fact that the triceps muscle has three heads. Each head has its own origin point on the body. The triceps are also primary movers during a push-up. Their main responsibility is elbow extension, or straightening the elbow.
Front Shoulders
Three deltoid muscles make up the shoulder joint: anterior, posterior and lateral deltoids. The anterior deltoid is a small muscle on the front of the shoulder. It attaches to the clavicle on one end and the humerous, or upper arm bone, on the other end. The front deltoids act as synergists during a push-up. Synergists assist the primary movers in performing a joint motion. The front delts assist the chest muscles in transverse flexion.
Stabilizers
Stabilizer muscles hold the rest of the body in place during an exercise. These muscles do not actively contract. Many muscles help stabilize the body during a push-up. The abdominal muscles are the main stabilizers. The rhomboids in the upper back and the rotator cuff in the shoulder joint also assist in maintaining proper form. The glutes and quadriceps stabilize the lower part of your body during a full push-up.
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