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Push-Up

Also called: Press-up

Primary muscles: Deltoid, Pectoralis major

Secondary muscles: Trapezius

Stabilizers: Subscapularis

Joints / actions: Glenohumeral joint (horizontal adduction / flexion)

Plane: transverse

Equipment: bodyweight

What it is

Lowering and pushing your body up from the floor using your arms and chest.

Purpose

A bodyweight pushing exercise for the chest, shoulders, and triceps that also trains the core.

Starting position

Hands slightly wider than the shoulders, body in a straight line from head to heels, core and glutes braced (a plank position).

Step by step

Bend the elbows to lower your chest toward the floor, keeping the body straight.
Keep the elbows at roughly a 45° angle to the torso (not flared to 90°).
Push the floor away to return to the start, keeping the hips level.

Breathing

Inhale as you lower; exhale as you push up.

Coaching cues

"Long straight body, screw the hands into the floor, elbows back not out."

Common mistakes

Sagging or piking the hips; flaring elbows straight out; only lowering a few inches.

Easier regression

Incline push-up (hands on a bench) or knee push-up.

Harder progression

Feet-elevated (decline) push-up or tempo push-up.

Alternatives

Bench press, machine chest press.

Who may benefit

Almost everyone; a scalable staple of upper-body training.

Who should modify or avoid it

People with wrist pain or those unable to hold a plank without back pain — regress first.

Why this exercise works

It is a closed-chain push where the chest, front deltoid, and triceps drive the movement while the core resists sagging — training pushing strength and trunk stability together.

⚠ Safety note

Keep the spine neutral. If wrists hurt, use push-up handles or a fist position, or regress.

Sources

“The pectoralis major and anterior deltoid are prime movers in horizontal pushing of the arm; it is a compound movement, not a single-muscle exercise.”

Anatomy and Physiology 2e — OpenStax, Rice University · Ch. 11.5 Muscles of the Pectoral Girdle and Upper Limbs

Peer-reviewed textbook · License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Last checked 2026-07-19