Body weight exercises such as pushups train muscles and nerves to move your body around -- an ability you can use during everyday activities, includng getting up from the floor or pushing a box across the desk or counter. Pushups are also an effective, versatile exercise for building strength and endurance, with nearly endless variations to exercise different muscles and keep your workouts interesting.
Muscles Worked
Your chest, shoulders and triceps are the primary movers during pushups. But your core muscles, including abs and hips, also work to hold your body straight. Think of pushups as a combination abdominal-plank-exercise-plus-chest-and-arms-workout, all rolled into one.
Note that you can alter your pushup position to emphasize involvement from certain muscles. For example, placing your hands further apart works the outer fibers of your pecs. Bringing your hands closer together works the inner pec fibers, and placing your hands close together and near your ribs instead of beneath your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body, focuses the effort of lifting on your triceps.
Basic Technique
Position yourself face down on the floor, weight on your hands and the balls of your feet. Place both hands beneath and slightly wider than, your shoulders. Squeeze your abs to keep your body straight from head to feet as you bend your arms, lowering your chest. Stop when your shoulders are level with your elbows, then press back up to the starting position.
Modifications
Pushups are a challenging exercise. If you're not strong enough to do full pushups yet you can do them from your knees instead, keeping your body straight from head to knees. Another option: Keep your body straight but rest your hands on an elevated surface, including a bench or even the wall. The higher you place your hands, the easier the pushups will be.
If you can do more than a full set of regular pushups with good form, you might be ready for a more challenging variation. Your options include resting your hands or feet on an unstable surface such as a wobble board, or having a friend steady a weight plate on your back as you do the pushups.
Contraindications
If you have severe back problems, the extended-plank position of pushups might be too difficult to hold; consult your physician or physical therapist about appropriate modifications. If you have shoulder problems, adjust the pushups as necessary for a pain-free range of motion. In particular, don't let your shoulders drop below elbow-level in the "down" position; this forces your shoulders into external rotation, making them more vulnerable to injury.
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