How to Do Push-Ups

Push-ups are one of the most well known exercises and work many of the muscles in the arms and upper body. Learn about increasing muscle strength in your arms with push up exercises.

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Keep back straight and abs tight
Do not drop head
Glide away from floor

About this Author

Michelle is a personal trainer at a gym in NC and has been a personal trainer for several years. She is certified through ACE and is a certified aerobics instructor as well. Her Specialty is weight lifting and she enjoys training aspiring female body builders as she is one herself. She focuses on helping her clients stronger, healthier, and sending them out feeling better for it. The best part of her job is when she see people living a better life as a result of the physical training. She was also a Marine physical trainer before she was employed at the gym.

MICHELLE TRAPP: I'm going to be showing how to do pushups right now, one of my personal favorites. Bunch of different levels to get you to work your way up to a full-fledged military pushup. I'm going to show you the different levels. You're going to grab yourself a mat, you will need it for level 1 and 2. So, for all you beginners out there, who have told yourselves that you can't do pushups, I'm telling you that you can. Here's how we start, hands on either side of the mat, my bottom legs are resting on the mat here. The only thing I have to focus on pushing up is my upper body, that's it. My back is straight, my abs are tight, I'm going to drop my chest to that mat, and I'm going to push back up, down and up, pushing the floor away from me, I'm gliding up from the floor. That is level 1. When that gets simple, you can do 12 to 15 reps, not even winded, really easy, level 2. We are going to come up with our knees now, crossing our feet, we are going to have to lift a little bit more weight now. Okay, my butt is down, my back is flat, my "abs" are tight. Again, we are coming down, and up, notice my head isn't dropped down, my neck and my spine are all in alignment. Down and up, inhale all the way down, exhale on the way up. Back to level 2, working your way up to level 3, military pushups. Okay, these are on your toes guys, butts not here, butts not here. My body is forming a plank, all right, dropping down and up, inhale, exhale on the way up. Military pushup right here, abs are tight. I'm pushing the floor away from me, up and down. Many reps as you can get; you can never do too many pushups. That is how it is done, remember you are gliding away from the floor, abs are tight, back is straight, that is all there is to it.

How to Do Push-Ups Video

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