How to Get Your First 10 Push Ups (Beginner Guide From Zero), by Cara Kuykens on YouTube. 10 min 8 s.
- Video length
- 10 min 8 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes per session
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Set up your form first. Place hands slightly wider than shoulder width, fingers forward, and keep a straight line from head to heels. Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes.
Start with wall push ups. Stand an arm's length from a wall, hands at chest height, and lower your chest toward the wall with elbows at about 45 degrees. Do 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
Move to incline push ups on a sturdy bench or table. The higher the surface, the easier the rep. Keep the same straight body line and lower until your chest nearly touches the edge.
Progress to knee push ups on the floor. Keep knees down but hips in line with your shoulders, not piked up. Lower your chest to a fist's height from the floor.
Add negative push ups. Start in a full plank, lower yourself slowly over 3 to 5 seconds, then drop to your knees to reset. Do 3 to 5 slow reps.
Attempt full push ups. Press back up from the bottom when you can, even for one rep, and keep your elbows tucked at roughly 45 degrees from your body.
Build to 10 reps. Do several sets of 3 to 5 push ups with good form, adding a rep each week, and rest 1 to 2 minutes between sets.
Train 2 to 3 times a week and leave a rest day between sessions so your muscles recover.
Tips and common mistakes
Don't let your hips sag or pike up; keep a straight line from head to heels.
If your wrists hurt, do push ups on fists, parallettes or dumbbell handles to keep the wrist straight.
Do scapular push ups (small shoulder blade squeezes in a plank) to build the shoulder control you need.
Stop a set when your form breaks rather than grinding out sloppy reps.
Questions
How long does it take to get 10 push ups?
It varies by person, but training 2 to 3 times a week with steady progression usually takes several weeks to a few months. Move up a step only when you can do 3 sets of 8 to 12 clean reps.
Should I do push ups every day?
No. Give your muscles at least one rest day between push up sessions so they can recover and get stronger.
What if I can't do a single knee push up?
Stay on wall or incline push ups and lower the surface gradually as you get stronger. The negative push ups also help you build the lowering strength.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
