Many people think of push-ups as a difficult but limiting exercise that only works the chest, but push-ups can provide a nearly complete upper body workout. There are so many variations of the simple push-up that it is theoretically possible to work all of the major muscles in your chest, upper back, shoulders arms and core, if you can last through the entire workout. To that end, there are variations that can make push-ups easier so you can do more or harder when you're ready for a challenge.
Find Your Form
Step 1
Kneel on the ground, and lean forward. Place your palms flat on the ground.
Step 2
Straighten your legs behind you as you lift your knees off the floor. Your body weight should be distributed between your hands and your toes.
Step 3
Reposition your arms so that your hands are directly under your shoulders. Your fingers should be comfortably spread, and they may face forward or slightly toward each other.
Step 4
Lower yourself slowly until your nose is even with your hands. Keep your back straight -- don't allow your pelvis to sag or lift.
Step 5
Push against the floor to return to the starting position. Keep this form throughout your workout. When your form begins to suffer, take a short break. Poor form leads to injury.
Workout
Step 1
Keep your form for the classic push-up, and do as many as you can. This is called "max reps" and is the way you should do all push-up exercises. Don't compromise your form to squeeze out more reps, just move on to another move.
Step 2
Place your hands farther apart, wider than your shoulders, and do a set of max reps. This will work your shoulders and upper back.
Step 3
Bring your hands together in front of you, and make a diamond shape between your two thumbs and index fingers. Do another max rep set. This will work your chest from the center and will help you get the cut between the pecs.
Step 4
Move your hands in and back until they are up against your ribcage. Your fingers should be facing forward, and your elbows should point back. Do a max set this way to work your triceps.
Step 5
Bring your hands back to the starting position underneath your shoulders, and walk your feet forward as far as you can -- your body should look like an upside-down V. Rise onto your tiptoes, and bend your elbows to lower the top of your head to the ground. Do a max rep set. This move works your shoulders from the top.
Make It Harder
Step 1
Raise a leg straight into the air behind you at the top of every push-up for extra core work. For even greater core burn, try "walking" forward, backward and side-to-side as you push.
Step 2
See how many times you can push yourself completely into the air and clap your hands at the top of each push-up. To make it even harder, push yourself hard enough that your feet leave the floor, too.
Step 3
Do one-handed push-ups by placing one hand directly in front of your face and the other behind your back. Twist your body slightly so the side that your bottom hand is on bears most of your weight. Spread your feet for balance, and do a max rep set.
Step 4
Place your feet on a higher plane than your hands for the entire workout. Start with a step, then move up to a chair.
Step 5
Do your push-ups with your feet on one chair and your hands on two others. This way, you can lower yourself below the level of your hands for maximum range of motion.
Tips and Warnings
- If regular push-ups are too hard for you, try doing them from your knees. Keep your back straight. If it's still too hard, put your hands on a higher plane than your feet. You can even do them while standing and leaning forward onto a wall.
- Push-ups can strain the wrists. If you feel discomfort in your wrists, try holding onto weights instead, using them as handles. This way you can maintain a more natural hand position while keeping proper push-up form.
References
- University of Washington Department of Radiology: Musculoskeletal Radiology -- Upper Extremity
- American Council on Exercise: Push-Up
- American Council on Exercise: Bent Knee Push-up
- "P90X: Chest and Back"; Beachbody Inc.; 2007
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