Chest · Mid chest · Bodyweight
Push-Up
The push-up is the basic bodyweight press: a straight body lowered to the floor and pushed back up. It trains the chest, shoulders and triceps along with the core, needs no equipment, and scales from knee push-ups to weighted ones.
How to
Bodyweight- 1 Hands under shoulders, body in a straight line.
- 2 Lower until the chest nearly touches the floor.
- 3 Press back up without sagging the hips.
Tips
- Squeeze the glutes and brace the abs so the body moves as one piece.
- Keep the elbows at about 45° to the body, not flared.
- Make it easier with hands on a bench, harder with feet raised or a weight on the back.
Common mistakes
- Letting the hips sag or pike up.
- Going only halfway down.
- Leading with the head instead of the chest.
Muscles worked
Main
- Chest
Also working
- Triceps
- Front delts
- Abs and glutes, which keep the body straight
Breathing and bracing
Breathe in on the way down, breathe out as you push up.
Sets and reps
- Muscle size
- 3–4 sets close to failure, 1–2 min rest
- Getting started
- Hands on a bench or knees on the floor, 3 sets of 8–12
- Progress
- Feet on a bench, a weight vest, or a slow three-second lowering
Setup
- 1 Place the hands slightly wider than the shoulders, fingers forward.
- 2 Step the feet back so the body forms a straight line from head to heels.
- 3 Squeeze the glutes and brace the abs.
- 4 Keep the neck in line with the spine, eyes on the floor just ahead of the hands.
Technique in detail
- Lower the chest toward the floor with the elbows at about 45° from the body.
- Go down until the chest is about a fist's height from the floor.
- Push the floor away to straight arms.
- Keep the hips in line with the shoulders the whole time.
- Spread the shoulder blades slightly at the top.
In these plans
Not part of a built-in plan. Add it to any workout from the exercise picker.
Variations and alternatives
Questions
How many push-ups should I be able to do?
There is no fixed number, but 20 clean reps is a solid base before moving to harder versions.
Are push-ups as good as the bench press?
For building muscle they can be, if you take sets close to failure and make them harder over time. The bench press is easier to load heavy.
How do I log push-ups in Volu(me)?
Log 0 kg with the reps, or the vest's weight if you wear one.
Log it in Volu(me)
Add Push-Up to any workout. Next time the app fills in the weight and reps from your last session and marks a new best set the moment you tick it.