Pushups
A foundational bodyweight chest exercise done in a plank position, lowering and pressing your body weight with your hands. It needs no equipment and scales easily from beginner to advanced.
- Primary musclesChest
- Secondary musclesShoulders, Triceps
- EquipmentBodyweight
- LevelBeginner · compound
How to do the pushups
- Get into a plank position with your hands set slightly wider than shoulder width on the floor.
- Keep your body in a straight line from your head to your heels.
- Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor, keeping your core braced.
- Stop just before your chest touches the ground.
- Push through your hands to press your body back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the rest of your set without letting your hips sag or pike up.
Original library instructions (4 steps)
- Lie on the floor face down and place your hands about 36 inches apart while holding your torso up at arms length.
- Next, lower yourself downward until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale.
- Now breathe out and press your upper body back up to the starting position while squeezing your chest.
- After a brief pause at the top contracted position, you can begin to lower yourself downward again for as many repetitions as needed.
Common mistakes
- Letting the hips sag toward the floor, which strains the lower back; keep the core braced in a straight line.
- Flaring the elbows straight out to the sides; keep them at a moderate angle to protect the shoulders.
- Only lowering partway down; a fuller range trains the chest through more of its motion.
- Rushing the reps; slow down and control both the lowering and pressing phases.
Sets and reps by goal
| Goal | Sets, reps and rest |
|---|---|
| Strength | 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps, 60 to 90 seconds rest |
| Muscle | 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps, 60 seconds rest |
| Endurance | 2 to 3 sets of 20 to 25 reps, 30 to 45 seconds rest |
Ranges, not prescriptions. Start at the low end and add a set or a rep when every set feels controlled.
Tips
- Do them from your knees or against a raised surface first if a full pushup is still too hard.
In the app: this exercise is one of 873 in GymPilot's library, with the same photos, form cues and a link back to the moment in an imported video it came from.
Questions
Are pushups good for beginners?
Yes, and they scale easily. Beginners can do them from an incline or on their knees, then progress to the floor as their pushing strength improves.
What muscles do pushups work?
They mainly target the chest, with the shoulders and triceps working together to press your body away from the floor.
