Smart Workout Diary

Push-Up

The push-up is a bodyweight pressing exercise performed from a plank position. It primarily trains the chest, triceps, and shoulders while requiring core control, supporting upper-body strength and muscular endurance.

Demonstration

Push-Up — demonstration 1
Push-Up — demonstration 2

Instructions

  1. Set up on the floor with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, fingers spread, and arms straight.
  2. Step or extend both feet back into a high plank, forming a straight line from head to heels.
  3. Brace your core and squeeze the glutes lightly; keep the neck neutral and look slightly ahead of your hands.
  4. Lower under control by bending the elbows, keeping them angled roughly 30–45 degrees from the torso, until the chest is close to the floor.
  5. Press through the hands to return to the high plank without letting the hips sag or rise excessively, then repeat.
Muscle Group
Chest
Other Muscle Groups
Triceps, Front Delts
Type
Calisthenics
Mechanics
Compound
Equipment
Body Only
Difficulty
Beginner

Technique tips

  1. Keep a rigid plank: move the body as one unit rather than leading with the chest or hips.
  2. Control the range: lower only as far as you can while keeping the spine neutral and shoulders controlled.
  3. Breathe steadily: inhale on the descent and exhale as you press up.
  4. Adjust difficulty safely: use an elevated surface if full floor repetitions cannot be performed with sound form.
Exercise library