Push-up

The push-up is a bodyweight press in which you lower your chest to the floor from a straight-arm plank and push back up. It trains the chest, front deltoids and triceps while the abs and glutes hold the body rigid, and it needs no equipment, which makes it the most practical upper-body strength exercise there is.

Targets: Pectoralis Major Sternal Head
Also works: Deltoid Anterior, Pectoralis Major Clavicular Head, Triceps Brachii
Equipment: Body weight
Level: Beginner
Start with: 3 × 10-12, 60s rest

How to do it

Start in a high plank with hands slightly wider than shoulder width, fingers pointing forward.
Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs so your body forms one straight line from head to heels.
Bend your elbows and lower your chest towards the floor, elbows angled about 45 degrees from your sides.
Lower until your chest is about a fist from the floor.
Push the floor away to straighten your arms, keeping the body in one line.

Form cues

Move as a single plank; the hips rise and fall with the shoulders.
Screw your hands into the floor to keep the elbows from flaring.
At the top, push the floor away an extra inch to spread the shoulder blades.

Common mistakes

Sagging hips, which puts the lower back under strain. Squeeze the glutes and shorten the set rather than letting the hips drop.
Flaring the elbows straight out to the sides, the usual cause of sore shoulders from push-ups. Keep them at about 45 degrees.
Half reps that stop a few inches down. Lower the chest close to the floor each time, or use an incline until you can.

Where this fits in a week

Dietly Fit scores one photo a week out of 100, names the area holding the score back, and builds the week around it — so a movement like this gets programmed when your pectoralis major sternal head is what needs the work, not because it was next on a list.

More chest movements

Demonstration courtesy of Gym Visual. Sets and reps are a starting point, not a prescription. Speak to a qualified professional before starting a new exercise program, particularly if you are managing an injury or a health condition.