Push-Up
The classic bodyweight press — chest, shoulder, and arm strength wrapped inside a moving plank.
Also called: press-up, pompes, pompes lentes et écartées, push-ups
Illustrations: Exercise data by RepDB (repdb.co)
Setup
Hands slightly wider than shoulders, body a rigid straight line from head to heels.
How to do the Push-Up
- Lower the chest to just above the floor, elbows about 45 degrees from the body.
- The body moves as one plank — hips neither sag nor pike.
- Press the floor away to full elbow lockout.
- Squeeze the glutes and brace the whole way.
Push-Up muscles worked
The Push-Up works the chest, triceps, shoulders and core.
Common Push-Up mistakes
- Hips sagging or leading the way up.
- Elbows flared straight out at 90 degrees.
- Half-range reps at the top.
Scale it
Easier: Hands on a bench or wall — keep the strict body line.
Harder: Feet elevated, tempo push-ups, or add a weight plate on the back.
Pairs well with
Bench Press
Pressing a barbell or dumbbells from the chest lying on a bench — the standard heavy upper-body push.
Cable Chest Press
Pressing against constant cable tension — keeps the chest loaded through the full range, easy on the shoulder since the angle is adjustable.
Floor Press
A bench press from the floor — the same pressing pattern with a built-in range limit that spares the shoulders.
Incline Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Press
Incline pressing with palms facing each other — a shoulder-friendly grip that still builds upper chest and front shoulder strength.