How to do a Push-Up

What is a Push-Up?

The push-up is the bread and butter bodyweight exercise. The Military use it. Martial Arts students use it. Athletes use it. And you should learn how to use it too. The push-up has dozens of different variations, but in this post we are going to focus on the “Classic” push-up you probably learned back in your P.E. class. The push-up is a strength building exercise for your upper body that has existed probably since Adam and Eve were around.

The following muscle groups are engaged when performing push-ups:

• Chest
• Shoulders
• Triceps

How to Do a Push-Up (Instructions):

Trainer Tips for Push-Ups: 

• Progression (make harder)
  • Perform the movement with your hands closer together to do a close-grip push-up. 
  • Elevate your feet by placing them on a chair, bench, couch, etc…
  • Place your hands on surfaces that have different elevations, such as one hand on the first step of a staircase and the other hand on the ground.
  • Place your hands farther apart to perform a wide grip push-up.
  • Use only one arm.
• Regression (make easier)
  • Perform the movement on your knees with your hands on the ground.
  • Perform the movement on your knees with your hands on an elevated platform, such as a chair, bench, couch, etc…
  • Stand and perform with your hands on an elevated platform.
• Application:
  • Set a goal to complete 100 push-ups throughout the entire day. 
    • Example: Complete 10 push-ups every hour from 7am – 5pm
  • Set a goal to complete 30 push-ups each morning as a part of your morning routine.

Push-Ups in the LF 12 Week Bodyweight Program:

• (easiest) Stand and perform with your hands on an elevated platform.
• Perform the movement on your knees with your hands on an elevated platform, such as a chair, bench, couch, etc…
• Perform the movement on your knees with your hands on the ground.
• Perform the Push-Up: Classic movement, on your feet with your hands on the ground. 
• Place your hands farther apart to perform a wide grip push-up.
• Place your hands closer together to perform a close grip push-up. 
• Place your hands on surfaces that have different elevations, such as one hand on the first step of a staircase and the other hand on the ground.
• Elevate your feet by placing them on a chair, bench, couch, etc…
• Push at the top of the movement and raise your hands off the ground (clapping/plyo push-up). 
• (hardest) Use only one arm.
  • You can apply the entire push-up progression listed above to the one arm push-up. For example, the easiest one arm push-up application is to perform it while standing with your hands on an elevated platform. To make it one step harder, perform the one arm push-up on your knees with your hands on an elevated platform. Etc…