Pushups

How to do the Pushups

1. Lie on the floor face down and place your hands about 36 inches apart while holding your torso up at arms length.
2. Next, lower yourself downward until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale.
3. Now breathe out and press your upper body back up to the starting position while squeezing your chest.
4. After a brief pause at the top contracted position, you can begin to lower yourself downward again for as many repetitions as needed.

Muscles worked

Role	Muscles
Primary	chest
Secondary	shoulders, triceps
Equipment	no equipment
Difficulty	beginner
Type	compound

Train the same muscles a different way

6 alternatives for the same chest, with and without kit.

Bench Press - With Bands Resistance Bands Bent-Arm Dumbbell Pullover Dumbbell Decline Dumbbell Bench Press Dumbbell Dumbbell Bench Press Dumbbell Dumbbell Bench Press with Neutral Grip Dumbbell Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press Dumbbell

Harder than the Pushups

Plyo Kettlebell Pushups expert · Kettlebell Flat Bench Cable Flyes intermediate · Cable Machine Incline Cable Flye intermediate · Cable Machine

Superset the Pushups with

Opposing lats and middle back work — alternate sets without extra rest.

Chin-Up lats Inverted Row middle back Pullups lats V-Bar Pullup lats

Common questions

What muscles does the Pushups work?

The Pushups primarily works the chest, with the shoulders and triceps as secondary movers. Alternating Floor Press, Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip, and Barbell Guillotine Bench Press train the same muscle, across 11 equipment types.

What equipment do you need for the Pushups?

None — the Pushups is bodyweight, so it works at home, in a hotel room or outdoors. Alternating Floor Press and Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip also need nothing.

Is the Pushups suitable for beginners?

Yes, the Pushups is rated beginner. Plyo Kettlebell Pushups, Flat Bench Cable Flyes, and Incline Cable Flye are the progressions from here.

Where should the Pushups go in a workout?

Early — the Pushups is compound, working 3 muscle groups, so run it first or second while you are fresh, then superset Chin-Up and Inverted Row later.

Similar exercises

Alternating Floor Press Kettlebell Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip Barbell Barbell Guillotine Bench Press Barbell Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip Barbell Bench Press - With Bands Resistance Bands Bent-Arm Dumbbell Pullover Dumbbell