How To Do Push Ups Correctly, by Jack Hanrahan Fitness on YouTube. 8 min 31 s.
- Video length
- 8 min 31 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Kneel on the floor and place your hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Spread your fingers and press your palms flat, with your wrists stacked under your elbows.
Set your head in a neutral position, looking at the floor just ahead of your hands. Keep your neck long instead of craning forward.
Extend your legs behind you and squeeze your glutes so your body forms one straight line from head to heels. Brace your abs like you are about to take a light punch.
Lower your chest toward the floor by bending your elbows back at roughly 45 degrees from your ribs. Keep your hips and shoulders moving down together.
Stop when your chest is a fist's height from the floor, or as low as you can go without sagging. Do not bounce off the bottom.
Push the floor away and straighten your arms to return to the top. Keep your body rigid the whole way up.
Do a few slow practice reps while a mirror or phone camera checks your line. Watch for a sagging lower back or raised hips.
Fix the common mistakes: hands too far forward, elbows flared straight out, head dropping first, hips leading the way, and half reps.
Tips and common mistakes
If your hips sag, drop to your knees or put your hands on a bench until you build strength.
Keep your elbows tucked at about 45 degrees to protect your shoulders.
Slow the lowering phase to two or three seconds to get more from each rep.
Stop the set when your form breaks rather than grinding out sloppy reps.
Questions
How many push ups should a beginner do?
Start with two or three sets of five to eight clean reps. Add reps only when you can keep a straight body line for every one.
Are knee push ups okay?
Yes. Knee push ups or hands on a bench are good ways to build strength while keeping correct form. Move to full push ups when you can do ten clean reps.
Where should I feel push ups?
You should feel it mainly in your chest and the back of your arms, with your core working to stay braced. Sharp shoulder or wrist pain means stop and check your setup.
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.
