How to do the Push-up
Place your hands on the floor slightly wider than your shoulders and form a straight line with your body.
Brace your abs and glutes so your lower back doesn't sag.
Lower your chest close to the floor with your elbows at about 45 degrees.
Push the floor away until your arms are straight.
Sets and reps
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle growth | 3–4 | 6–15 | 1 min |
| Muscular endurance | 2–3 | 15–20 | 1 min |
When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add a rep or a harder variation next session.
Starting points from training research. Stop each set 1–3 reps short of failure.
Muscles worked
Alternatives
Same muscles, similar movement: swap in one of these if the Push-up doesn’t suit your gym or your joints.
Train smarter
- Calisthenics for beginners: progressions and a weekly planCalisthenics for beginners: push-up, pull-up, dip and squat progressions with clear targets for moving on, and a 3-day weekly plan you can start today.
- Home workout without equipment: build muscle with no gearA home workout without equipment that still builds muscle: exercise progressions from easy to hard, a sample 3-day week and how to keep progressing at home.
- How to do push-ups correctly: form, levels and muscle growthHow to do push-ups correctly: hand and elbow position, body line and depth, easier and harder variations, and how to use push-ups to build real muscle.
