How to do the Push Up M
ChestBodyweightIntermediate
The push up is one of the most battle-tested upper body builders in existence, demanding full-body tension and real pressing strength with nothing but the floor beneath you. Master this movement and you build a chest that performs as well as it looks.
Add this to my personalized plan →Muscles worked
Primary
Pectorals (chest)
Secondary
Front deltsTriceps
Step-by-step
- Set up with hands just outside shoulder width, arms straight, body forming a rigid plank from head to heels.
- Squeeze your glutes and brace your core hard before you move a single inch.
- Lower your chest to within an inch of the floor by driving your elbows back at roughly a 45-degree angle from your torso.
- Press the floor away explosively to full arm extension, maintaining that rigid plank throughout.
Common mistakes
- Sagging hips that turn the rep into a spine compression exercise — brace your core and glutes as if you are about to take a punch before each rep.
- Flaring elbows out to 90 degrees which loads the shoulder joint dangerously — keep elbows tracking at 45 degrees relative to your body.
- Partial range of motion that cheats the chest of its full stretch — your chest must nearly graze the floor on every single rep to count it.
Pro tip — As you press up, think about trying to rotate your hands outward into the floor without actually moving them — this external rotation cue creates full lat engagement and dramatically increases chest tension through the entire range of motion.
Sets & reps by goal
Build muscle3–4 sets × 6–10 reps
Get stronger4–5 sets × 3–6 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 10–12 reps
Rest: 2–3 min between sets (60–90s on lighter days).
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