Complete guide to push-ups

Push-ups may be a classic exercise, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy. 

Get this bodyweight move right, and you’ve unlocked a great home workout for your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. Get it wrong, and you could be risking injury.

Follow my form guide to take it back to basics and rock your push-up form like a pro.

Nail your push-up form

Hit the floor and let’s get your position into gear.

· Place your hands shoulder-width apart, lined up directly under your shoulders.

·  Push your shoulder blades back and make sure your elbows are not flared out to the side.

·  Activate your core.

·  Keep your head neutral (that means in line with your spine!) 

·  Remember, you don’t need to lower yourself all the way to the ground to complete a rep – imagine a can of drink under your chest and only go that far. 

How to modify push-ups

Push-ups are hard. If they weren't, we wouldn’t need this guide! There’s nothing wrong with modifying an exercise to learn, build strength and control, and get it done. 

Once you build strength and control, you can try progressing to the classic push-up. But until you’re ready, try these modifications.

Knee push-up 
Set up your form the same as above, but place your knees on the ground. The further back your knees are from your torso, the harder the move will be. 

Incline push-up
You can also modify a push-up by maintaining the classic position but placing your hands on a raised surface, like a coffee table or a bench. 

Push-up progressions

Want to push your push-up boundaries for a bigger challenge? Once you’re nailing the classic technique, you can make small changes to deliver a big challenge.

· Once you can easily crush 10 push-ups, add some 5-second negatives to your routine. That’s where you lower to the ground slowly (for a controlled count of 5) before driving back up. This increases your time under tension, giving you a bodyweight chest exercise you can do at home with even bigger results. 

·  A slight change of position can change the target of a push-up and get different muscles working harder.

Common push-up mistakes & how to fix them

If you notice any of these habits creeping into your form, it’s time for a reset. At best, poor form will seriously limit your gains. At worst, you’re putting yourself at risk of injury.

Drooping head: Don’t look at the ground directly below you, look at the ground a few feet in front of you – this will help keep your head and neck in line with your spine.

Hands too far forward: If your arms are extended out in front of your body, you won’t be working your core and could be putting strain on your joints. Bring those hands back safely underneath your shoulders. 

Elbows pointing out: If your elbows are spreading out like wings when you lower yourself down, you’re again missing core control and putting stress on your shoulders. Keep those triceps positioned at roughly a 45-degree angle from your shoulders.

Accidental worm: We’re not breakdancing here, people! Your body needs to remain one solid line during the push-up, which requires great core strength. If you can’t keep your body in a solid ‘plank’ position during the exercise, modify and do the move on your knees or on an incline.

Ego push-ups: You know the person – the one obsessed with smashing out reps as fast as they can to prove how awesome they are, even though their form is trash. Don’t be that person.

Remember, the best way to check your form is to video yourself doing push-ups. Then you can make any adjustments and keep on pushing for more.