Nederlands | English | Deutsch | Türkçe

Project Sports

Questions and answers about sports

Push-ups form and progression?

6 min read

Asked by: Amanda Crotty

What is the progression of push-ups?

The first push-up progression is the single and double knee assisted push-up. For this push-up variation, you’ll assume a traditional push-up position and place either one or both knees on the ground based on your strength and fitness level.

How can I progress from one pushup?

For our Push-up Progression Plan, I want you to alternate between two variations:

  1. On Day A, do 3 or 4 sets of a push-up variation that you can do 8-10 reps in.
  2. On Day B, do 3 or 4 sets of a push-up variation that you can do 5-8 reps in (so a harder variation).


Does form matter in pushups?

A typical modification for a pushup is to do one on your knees. This takes a lot of the weight off of your upper body, but not so much that you don’t get a challenge. “Get used to holding your own body weight, engaging the correct muscles, establishing proper form then building upon that,” Taylor said.

What is the best form for pushups?

Your shoulder blades should retract as you lower toward the ground. Lower your body until your upper arms are even with your back. Your elbows should be at a 45-degree angle away from your body, and your wrists should be under your elbows. Pause for a second at the bottom of the movement.

How do push-ups progress walls?

Progressing the Push-Up

  1. Facing a wall, stand arm’s length away.
  2. Place your hands at shoulder level.
  3. At the top of this push-up, engage the shoulders, core and glutes.
  4. Begin to let your chest and whole body move toward the wall.
  5. Keep your elbows close to the torso to avoid “winging”

Which muscles are used in a push-up?

Traditional pushups are beneficial for building upper body strength. They work the triceps, pectoral muscles, and shoulders. Using proper form, they can also strengthen the lower back and core by engaging (pulling in) the abdominal muscles.

Will doing 10 push-ups everyday help?

So in addition to the great benefits this move provides in terms of strengthening your chest, shoulders, and arms, it also enhances core strength and stability.

How fast can you progress with pushups?

As a beginner at strength training, if you focus your initial efforts on a push-up progression, in two months, you will see massive results. Give it a try, you’ll be happy with the increased definition, muscle size, and strength. After a month of this though, you may find that regular push-ups become a little dull.

How many pushups should I do a day?

Many people do more than 300 push-ups a day. But for an average person, even 50 to 100 push-ups should be enough to maintain a good upper body, provided it is done properly. You can start with 20 push-ups, but do not stick to this number. It is important to keep increasing the number to challenge your body.

Should chest touch floor in push-up?


Doing this you wind up rounding out your spine. And you get improper technique this way too and you're not putting optimal pressure on the chest in order to do the movement.

Should elbows be tucked in push-ups?

In a correct push-up, hand position and elbow position are crucial. Your elbows should be tucked in slightly, not out like a chicken! Solution: Imagine you were trying to give someone a light push. You wouldn’t squeeze your elbows directly into your side, and you wouldn’t lift your elbows up to your ears (hopefully).

How many pushups should I be able to do?

Average Number of Push-Ups: Adult Men Push-Up Chart

15-19 years old 17 or fewer push-ups
20-29 years old 16 or fewer push-ups
30-39 years old 11 or fewer push-ups
40-49 years old 9 or fewer push-ups
50-59 years old 6 or fewer push-ups

How many pushups can a Navy SEAL do?

Navy SEAL PST Standards

PST Event Minimum Standards Competitive Standards
Push-ups 50 80-100
Sit-ups 50 80-100
Pull-ups 10 15-20
1.5-mile timed run 10:30 9-10 minutes

Is 30 consecutive push-ups good?

Thirty push-ups a day will build your chest, add definition to your arms and increase your muscle mass. It’s real-life upper body strength, too, facilitating movements that range from carrying in the groceries to pushing a lawnmower.

How many pushups can a fit man do?

Table: push-up test norms for MEN

Age 17-19 20-29
Excellent > 56 > 47
Good 47-56 39-47
Above average 35-46 30-39
Average 19-34 17-29

What are the disadvantages of push-ups?

The Disadvantages of Pushup Tests

  • Muscular Imbalances. Pushups work your chest, shoulders and triceps muscles, along with your core. …
  • Injury. …
  • Specialization. …
  • Motivation.


Is it OK to do push-ups every day?

Doing pushups every day can be effective if you’re looking for a consistent exercise routine to follow. You will likely notice gains in upper body strength if you do pushups regularly. For the best results, continue to add variety to the types of pushups you do.

Are push-ups better than bench press?

While this is not surprising, the research also found that there were no significant differences in strength improvements between the bench press vs the push up groups, suggesting that if loading is relatively similar, strength improvements and EMG muscle activity in the bench press and push-up are comparable.

Do bodybuilders do push-ups?

Most bodybuilders do not use push-ups to develop these muscles, as they can do so many; it is more of an endurance workout than a muscle building workout. True muscle building workouts involved sets with a very maximum of 12 reps, and it’s usually less than 8 reps.

Do push-ups increase testosterone?

Research studies have shown that performing push-ups can help increase testosterone levels, reducing risk of developing osteoporosis (a medical condition in which the bones become brittle and fragile from loss of tissue, typically as a result of hormonal changes, or deficiency of calcium or vitamin D).

Do slow push ups work better?

Are Slow Push-Ups Better For Building Muscle? Slow push-ups allow for an increase in time-under-tension, which consequently contribute to a greater increase in muscle mass. Incorporating slow-push ups are a great tool for building your chest and triceps muscles.

Is it better to do push-ups on your knuckles?

During Knuckle Push-Ups, the pressure is placed on your knuckles instead of your extended wrists. If you experience pain in your wrists while doing standard Push-Ups, doing Push-Ups on your knuckles may be a good way to get the benefits without the pain.

Will 100 push-ups a day do anything?

If you’re a total beginner at first your muscles would be really sore from all the pushing. In the second week, you would start feeling changes in your arms, chest and core muscles. You could gain some strength and see a nice increase in your upper body muscle tone.