How to Do a Push-Up (and What Muscles They’re Good for)

What Muscles Do Push-Ups Work?

Many people typically think of push-ups as an upper-body exercise, but they actually work the full body. You’ll strengthen the muscles of the arms, chest, and back, as well as your abdominal muscles and your quadriceps (the large muscles on the front of your thighs), says Lisa Toscano, EdD, professor of kinesiology at Manhattan College in the Bronx, New York. “These latter two muscle groups act as stabilizers as you keep your body in a straight line, while the arms, chest, and back assist in the up-down motion.”

According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine, other muscles you’ll be training as you do a push-up include the pectoralis major (your chest muscle), the anterior deltoids (front of your shoulders), triceps, biceps, rhomboids (the upper-back muscles that connect between your spine and shoulder blades), and the trapezius (the muscle bundle that extends from the back of your head and neck).

Secondary muscle groups worked include the serratus anterior (the fan-shaped muscle along the top of your ribs) and coracobrachialis (a long, slender muscle in the upper arm), as well as the core as a whole, notes Dylann Craig, founder of Impact Physical Therapy in New York City.

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Are Push-Ups Safe for Everyone?

You can injure yourself doing push-ups if you take on too much too quickly, Capritto says. If you’re a beginner, start with modified push-ups, such as incline push-ups (using a box or bench), knee push-ups, or standing push-ups done against a wall (more on how to do these variations below), she recommends.

“Many beginners will need to modify push-ups for months or years before safely progressing to a standard push-up,” she says. Know that you’re building up a lot of strength with modified versions.

Additionally, pregnant women should modify push-ups in a way that puts less stress on the abdomen, either by doing box or knee push-ups (more on those below), or by doing standing push-ups against a wall, Capritto says.

And if you have any injury or pain in the chest or shoulder (no matter if anterior or posterior), you should consult with a certified trainer, physical therapist, or another healthcare professional for a full assessment and to ask for explicit guidelines and modification options to prevent re-injury or exacerbation of an existing injury, Capritto advises.

Capritto says you should always talk to your doctor, physical therapist, or orthopedic specialist before attempting push-ups if you have any other condition that might be aggravated by the activity.

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How Many Push-Ups Should You Be Doing?

If you’re just starting out, Capritto suggests incorporating push-ups into your workout routine between one and three times a week, each time performing three sets of 5 to 10 push-ups. If you can’t do a full, traditional push-up with good form, start with modified push-ups.

Capritto recommends starting with box push-ups or knee push-ups if you need to modify (instructions below). Modifications make the movement safer for beginners, as they build strength in the muscles of the core and scapula (shoulder blade), she says. “In addition to lowering the risk of injury, these modifications also allow beginners to accumulate more volume, and thus work toward strength and muscular endurance.”

Once you can complete three sets of 5 to 10 reps of modified push-ups with the correct form, Capritto suggests you might be ready to try regular, nonmodified push-ups. Start by doing as many as you can do with good form — even if it’s just a single one, she says. Then, once your form starts to fail, switch back to modified push-ups and finish the set.

And remember, most people progress slowly when it comes to upping the number of nonmodified push-ups they can do. You may only be able to do one traditional push-up in each set each week as you switch from modified to nonmodified push-ups, Capritto says.

Try to incorporate push-ups into your workout routine on nonconsecutive days to give muscles a chance to recover and grow, Capritto recommends.

Any variation of push-ups can be part of full-body resistance training workouts or part of upper-body workouts, says Capritto. “You can also sprinkle in a few reps at random times — after lunch, when you finish work, or whenever you remember,” she says. “Quick sessions add up.”

When adding push-ups to your routine, complete them towards the beginning of your workout, suggests Holly Roser, a NASM- and ACE-certified personal trainer based in San Mateo, California: “Because push-ups involve bigger muscle groups and require more overall effort, you’ll want to do them first when you have the most amount of energy.”

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How to Do a Push-Up (Correctly)

When you add push-ups to your workout routine, you’ll reap the most benefits if you use proper technique. “If you do them correctly,” says Capritto, “you’ll engage the intended muscles and lower your risk of injury.”

Here are step-by-step instructions from Capritto for the correct form for traditional push-ups and two modified types of push-ups: a box push-up and a knee push-up.

Traditional Push-Ups

1. Start in an all-fours position, with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders and knees on the ground. Keep your head in a neutral position.
2. Straighten your legs out and back, one at a time, keeping your feet a comfortable distance apart, so that you’re in a high-plank position with your body forming a straight line parallel to the ground from top of head to heels. (The wider your feet, the more stability you will have.)
3. Slowly bend your elbows backward, making a 45-degree angle with your torso, lowering your chest until it almost touches the floor, while keeping the muscles of your core tight and your back as flat as possible. (Imagine someone placed a foam roller along your spine on your back and you want to keep it from falling off.)
4. Pause for a moment, then push your body back up into high-plank position, maintaining a flat back and engaging your core, front deltoids, triceps, chest, and forearms.

You can also follow the detailed instructions and video guide from The American Council on Exercise.

Box Push-Ups

1. Grab a sturdy box or stack of risers. Place your hands about shoulder-width apart on the box.
2. Straighten your legs out and back, one at a time, keeping your feet at a comfortable distance apart, so that your body forms a straight line from top of head to heels. Keep your core engaged and your head in a neutral position.
3. Slowly bend your elbows to form a 45-degree angle with your torso, lowering your chest toward the box as far as you can go without compromising your form (without allowing your arms to flare out, your hips to sink, your shoulders to round, or your back to arch) on the way back up. Ultimately, you should aim to build up enough strength to gently touch your chest to the box, but Capritto notes that keeping your form correct is more important than how far you lower your body.
4. Press upward as you rise back up to the starting position.

Knee Push-Ups

1. Start on all fours on the ground and move into a modified plank position, with hands slightly wider than shoulders and knees on the ground. Your body should form a straight line from top of head to knees. Keep your head in a neutral position.
2. Keep your knees on the floor, but don’t cross your feet.
3. Slowly bend your elbows to form a 45-degree angle with your torso, lowering your chest toward the floor, making sure to keep your back as straight as possible. Touch chest to floor if possible, or as low as you can go without compromising the position of your back and arms.
4. Press the floor away as you rise back up to the starting position.

You can also follow the detailed instructions and video guide from The American Council on Exercise.