Push-ups are one of the best bodyweight exercises for targeting the upper body muscles. They are a common staple in exercise programs for people of all fitness levels—from professional athletes to people recovering from injuries. While push-ups are usually considered a chest exercise, they target several muscles in your shoulders and core.
This article discusses which muscles push-ups work, how to perform them, their benefits, common mistakes, and popular variations.
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What Muscles Do Push-Ups Work?
Push-ups are an exercise that works various muscles in the chest and shoulders. They also activate muscles in the core and hips that help stabilize the body and maintain proper posture during this exercise. Below is a breakdown of which muscles push-ups work and how each contributes to this common resistance exercise.
Pectoralis Major
The pectoralis major—often called the "pecs"—are large fan-shaped muscles on the front of the chest. These are some of the primary "pushing" muscles during the push-up.
Pectoralis Minor
The pectoralis minor are smaller chest muscles underneath the pectoralis major muscles. The pectoralis minor helps keep the shoulders stable during the push-up.
Serratus Anterior
The serratus anterior muscles run from your shoulder blades to your rib cage. They appear "serrated" when attaching to the ribs, giving this muscle its name. This muscle helps to maintain body position during the push-up.
Triceps
The triceps muscles are the only muscles in the back of the upper arms. While your biceps (muscles on the front of the upper arms) are responsible for curling movements, triceps support elbow extension. They are one of the primary "pushing" muscles used during a push-up.
Anterior Deltoids
The deltoid muscles give the tops of the shoulders their rounded shape. These muscles are comprised of three parts—anterior, middle, and posterior. When the muscles come together, they form a triangle—or delta, named for the Greek letter. Each deltoid muscle performs a slightly different movement.
The anterior deltoids help your shoulders maintain a flexed position during the push-up.
Core Muscles and Gluteus Maximus
The core muscles are important in maintaining proper positioning during the push-up. The gluteus maximus muscles in the buttocks are also active during the push-up, stabilizing the hips.
What Are the Benefits of Push-Ups?
Most people do push-ups to strengthen their upper body. However, this exercise offers additional health benefits.
Builds Upper Body Strength
Most people perform push-ups to strengthen muscles in the chest, shoulders, and upper arms. Push-ups use body weight as resistance, so you can do them virtually anywhere—no fitness equipment is required.
If you prefer to add extra resistance to a standard push-up, you can progress this strengthening exercise by using weight plates, resistance bands, a weighted vest, or chains.
May Reduce Risk of Cardiovascular Events
Your ability to perform push-ups can contribute to your cardiovascular (heart) health. A 2019 study found that men who could perform at least 40 push-ups within 30 seconds had a lower risk of cardiovascular events (such as heart failure or heart attack) over the next 10 years compared to men who could not complete 10 push-ups in the same amount of time.
Helps Protect the Shoulder Joint
Push-ups are classified as a closed-chain exercise because your hands are planted on the ground throughout the movement. Because of this, the muscles you work during a push-up also help stabilize the shoulder joint.
Push-ups may also contribute to shoulder joint health by strengthening your bones and reducing the risk of age-related muscle loss.
May Improve Body Composition
Including resistance exercises like push-ups in a regular exercise routine can help you lose fat and build lean muscle mass.
How to Do a Push-Up With Proper Form
It's crucial to perform push-ups with proper form to prevent injury. Start by ensuring you're in a proper plank position:
- Keep your body straight, and lift it off the ground by balancing yourself on your hands and the balls of your feet.
- Position your hands in line with your shoulders, slightly more than shoulder-width apart.
- Step your feet away from each other until your legs are hip-width apart. Keep your toes pointed straight down toward the ground.
- Keep your neck straight by looking at the ground between your hands. Your ears should now be in line with your shoulders and ankles.
- Tighten your abdominals, buttocks, and muscles in your thighs.
The plank is the starting position for the standard push-up.
Performing a push-up:
- Once you are in the plank position, tighten your abdominal muscles. (Imagine pulling your belly button back toward your spine.)
- Slowly bend your elbows and lower your body toward the ground.
- Once you can't go any lower, push away from the ground as you straighten your elbows.
Common Push-Up Variations
Push-ups can be modified in many ways, making them appropriate for people of all fitness levels.
Knee Push-Ups
If your upper body isn't strong enough to perform a standard push-up, try them on your knees. Rather than starting in a full plank position, bend your knees and rest them on the ground, hip-width apart. Keep your torso straight as you lower and raise your upper body.
Wall Push-Ups
Wall push-ups are an excellent option for people who are brand new to push-ups or those recovering from injuries. Place your hands on the wall at shoulder height, slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Step your feet back 12 to 18 inches and position them hip-width apart, then perform your push-up against the wall.
Incline Push-Ups
Incline push-ups are an advancement from the wall push-up and a good modification for people working towards performing a standard push-up. You perform incline push-ups by placing your hands on a counter, the back of a sturdy chair or couch, or an elevated box.
Decline Push-Ups
Decline push-ups are more advanced than standard push-ups as they increase resistance on the upper body. To perform decline push-ups, elevate your feet on a step, stool, or other sturdy surface, lower your body to the ground, and push up.
Weighted Push-Ups
Adding resistance to the standard push-up is an option for advancing this exercise. You can do this by wearing a weighted vest, looping a chain over your back, placing a weight plate on your back, or looping a resistance band under your hands and over your upper back.
It's essential to keep your core tight with weighted push-ups to protect your spine.
Clap Push-Ups
Clap push-ups are an advanced exercise. As you press up, push hard and fast off the ground and clap your hands together before landing back in the plank position.
One-Arm Push-Ups
Performing one-arm push-ups requires significant upper body and core strength. In a plank position, spread your feet apart—slightly wider than hip-width—to help maintain your balance. Then, perform your push-up with one hand on the ground and the other behind your back.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
To decrease your risk of injury, avoid these common push-up mistakes:
- Don't let your back sag: Keep your core and buttock muscles tight throughout the movement. Allowing your back to sag increases stress on your spine, leading to lower back pain.
- Don't flare your arms: Keep your elbows tucked while performing push-ups. Flaring them out to the sides increases pressure on your shoulder joints, injuring ligaments.
- Avoid going too fast: To get the most benefit, perform push-ups at a controlled pace, lowering yourself down as far as possible and straightening your elbows fully at the top.
Are There Risks of Doing Push-Ups Daily?
As with any exercise, it is possible to overdo push-ups. However, it's not necessarily wrong to do push-ups daily, especially if you aren't doing many. Ideally, you should allow a day of rest between workouts that target the same muscle groups.
Muscle soreness is often delayed 24 to 72 hours after a workout—a phenomenon called "delayed onset muscle soreness" or DOMS. If you're new to push-ups, allow yourself a few days to see how you really feel afterward before deciding how frequently to do them.
Summary
Most people think of push-ups as a chest muscle-strengthening exercise, but they also activate other muscles in the shoulders, arms, core, and buttocks. This exercise can also improve bone strength, reduce age-related muscle loss, and improve cardiovascular health. People of all levels of fitness can do push-ups using various modifications.
