Your Comprehensive Guide to the Proper Push-Up

To give your entire upper body a workout, as well as help strengthen your core, Alissa Rumsey, MS, certified strength and conditioning specialist, says add push-ups to your routine. All you need is your body weight and some floor space.

TARGETS:

Chest, shoulders, back, biceps and triceps

HOW TO:

Step 1: Place your hands on the floor, under your shoulders. Keep your hands slightly farther than shoulder-width apart and fingers pointing forward. Tighten your core, draw your shoulder blades down and stretch your legs behind you, so that your body is in a straight line. Make sure your head is aligned with your spine.
Step 2: Inhale, as you slowly bend your elbows, lowering your body to the floor (to a count of two to three seconds) until your chest is two to three inches from the floor. Keep your elbows close to your body.

Step 3: Exhale and quickly push all the way back up, straightening your elbows. “Keep one fluid motion as you do each rep,” says Rumsey, “and don’t allow your lower back or rib-cage to sag, or your hips to hike upward.”

SUGGESTED REPS:

Start with 8 to 12.

ALSO TRY:

Make the move a little easier by placing your knees on the ground (instead of your toes), suggests Rumsey. The rest of the push-up stays the same.