Pushing: chest, shoulders and triceps

Push-up

Muscles worked: Chest · triceps · shoulders · trunk

How to do it

Set up. Start with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width and toes on the floor. Brace into a straight line from head to heels.
Move. Bend your elbows to lower your chest under control. Keep your trunk firm and avoid letting your hips sag.
Finish. Press through your hands to return to the high plank. Keep your shoulders and hips rising together.

Form cues

Hands just wider than your shoulders, fingers forward.
Body in one straight line from head to heels. Squeeze your bum and brace your stomach.
Lower your chest towards the floor with your elbows at roughly 45 degrees from your body, not flared out to the sides.
Go as low as you can control, then push the floor away.
Breathe out as you push up.

Muscles worked

Push-ups work your chest, triceps and the front of your shoulders, with your stomach and glutes keeping your body straight.

Easier and harder versions

Easier

Incline push-ups against a wall, worktop or bench. The higher your hands, the easier it is.
Push-ups from your knees, keeping a straight line from your knees to your head.

Harder

A slow 3-second lowering.
Feet raised on a step.
A pause at the bottom.

Common mistakes

Hips sagging or piking up.
Elbows flared straight out to the sides.
Only doing the top few centimetres. Use an incline instead and go all the way down.
Head dropping towards the floor.

Where it appears in the member plans

In the 12-Week Home Plan: Bodyweight it’s 4 sets of 4 to 10, from your knees or an incline if you need to. Fat-Loss Foundations, Cardio & HIIT and Sports Fitness use it in strength sessions and circuits.

Push-up questions

How many push-ups should a beginner do?

Two or three sets of as many as you can do with good form, stopping a rep or two before you can’t do another. If that’s fewer than 5, start on an incline.

Are knee push-ups worth doing?

Yes. They work the same muscles with less of your body weight. Keep a straight line from knees to head.

What muscles do push-ups work?

Mainly the chest, triceps and front shoulders, with the trunk working to hold you straight.

Should I do push-ups every day?

You don’t need to. Two or three sessions a week with rest days in between is plenty to make progress.

Try FitFitCity free for a week

Push-ups are in the 12-week home plans and Fat-Loss Foundations. Try them free for a week.

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After that, membership is £79 a year, or £9.99 a month on a 12-month minimum.

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