The ultimate upper body exercise. Build chest, shoulder, and tricep strength with proper form and progressive variations.
Push-ups are one of the most effective bodyweight exercises for building upper body strength. They target your chest (pectorals), shoulders (deltoids), and triceps while also engaging your core, back, and legs for stability. Unlike isolated exercises, push-ups train multiple muscle groups simultaneously, making them incredibly efficient.
This exercise is featured prominently in our Beginner's Foundation program and becomes increasingly challenging in our Intermediate Challenge and Advanced Mastery programs through various progressions.
The beauty of push-ups lies in their scalability. Whether you're doing knee push-ups or one-arm push-ups, the movement pattern remains the same, allowing for natural progression as you build strength.
Start where you are and progress systematically. Each variation builds strength for the next level:
Perfect for absolute beginners. Stand facing a wall, place hands on wall at chest height, and perform push-ups. Start with 3 sets of 10-15 reps.
Use a table, counter, or bench. The higher the surface, the easier. Progress to lower surfaces as you get stronger. Aim for 3 sets of 12-15 reps.
On hands and knees, maintain straight body from knees to head. This is featured in our Beginner's Foundation program. Build to 3 sets of 15-20 reps.
The classic push-up. Once you can do 3 sets of 15-20 reps, you're ready for variations. This is the foundation for all advanced push-up work.
Feet elevated on a surface. Increases difficulty by putting more weight on upper body. Great for building toward handstand push-ups.
Hands form a diamond shape. Intensely targets triceps. Featured in our Intermediate Challenge program.
Shift weight to one side, creating unilateral loading. Excellent for building toward one-arm push-ups. Advanced movement in our Advanced Mastery program.
The ultimate push-up variation. Requires exceptional strength, balance, and core stability. Master this and you've achieved elite upper body strength.
Letting your hips drop breaks the straight line and reduces core engagement. Keep your glutes and core tight throughout the movement.
Elbows pointing straight out (90 degrees) can cause shoulder impingement. Keep elbows at 45 degrees from your body.
Not going low enough reduces muscle activation. Your chest should come within 2-3 inches of the floor on each rep.
Fast, uncontrolled push-ups reduce effectiveness and increase injury risk. Focus on controlled, deliberate movements.
Start with knee or incline push-ups. Aim for 3 sets of 8-12 reps, 3 times per week. Focus on perfect form over quantity.
Check out our Beginner's Foundation program for a structured approach.
Perform 3-5 sets of 15-25 standard push-ups. Add variations like diamond or decline push-ups. Include in circuit training with squats and planks.
See our Intermediate Challenge program for advanced routines.
Master one-arm push-ups, archer push-ups, and explosive variations. Combine with other advanced exercises like burpees for full-body conditioning.
Our Advanced Mastery program includes elite push-up training.