Push-Ups
The push-up is a fundamental bodyweight exercise that targets the chest, triceps, and shoulders while engaging the core. It's one of the most effective exercises for building upper body strength without equipment.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Push-Ups
- Start in a high plank position with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart
- Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels
- Lower your chest toward the floor by bending your elbows
- Push back up to the starting position by fully extending your arms
- Maintain a tight core throughout the movement
Form Tips
- Keep elbows at a 45-degree angle, not flared out to 90 degrees
- Don't let your hips sag or pike up
- Look slightly ahead of your hands, not straight down
- Squeeze your glutes to maintain a rigid body line
- Breathe in on the way down, out on the way up
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Sagging hips that put strain on the lower back
- Flaring elbows out to 90 degrees causing shoulder impingement
- Not going through full range of motion
- Looking straight down instead of slightly forward
- Holding breath during reps
Muscles Worked
Benefits of Push-Ups
- Builds upper body pushing strength
- Requires no equipment and can be done anywhere
- Strengthens core stability
- Improves shoulder health when done correctly
- Scalable from beginner to advanced
Variations
Knee Push-Ups
beginnerPerformed on knees to reduce load
Incline Push-Ups
beginnerHands elevated on bench or wall
Diamond Push-Ups
intermediateHands close together targeting triceps
Wide Push-Ups
intermediateWider hand placement emphasizing chest
Decline Push-Ups
intermediateFeet elevated to increase difficulty
Clap Push-Ups
advancedExplosive push-up with a clap at the top
One-Arm Push-Ups
advancedSingle arm for maximum challenge
Archer Push-Ups
advancedAsymmetric loading for unilateral strength
Alternatives to Push-Ups
10 movements that train the same primary muscles, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Bench Press
The bench press is the most popular upper body exercise for building chest strength and muscle mass. It's a compound movement that also develops the triceps and anterior deltoids.
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2
Push-Ups With Feet Elevated
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, needing no equipment.
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3
Push-Ups With Feet On An Exercise Ball
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the chest, using an exercise ball.
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4
Decline Push-Up
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest.
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5
Push-Ups - Close Triceps Position
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the triceps, needing no equipment.
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6
Suspended Push-Up
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest.
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7
Handstand Push-Ups
An advanced compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, needing no equipment.
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8
Incline Push-Up Medium
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, needing no equipment.
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9
Incline Push-Up Reverse Grip
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, needing no equipment.
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10
Incline Push-Up Wide
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, needing no equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do push-ups work?
Push-Ups primarily works the chest, triceps and shoulders. The abs assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for push-ups?
None. Push-Ups is a bodyweight movement you can do anywhere you have floor space.
Push-Ups: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Push-Ups is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.
What can I do instead of push-ups?
Bench Press, Push-Ups With Feet Elevated, Push-Ups With Feet On An Exercise Ball train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my push-ups reps automatically?
Yes. Push-Ups is one of the movements Fitnit tracks with on-device pose detection — the phone camera counts reps and scores your form, with no wearable and no manual logging.
Written by the Fitnit team. Photographs from free-exercise-db (public domain).
Track Your Push-Ups with AI
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