How To Do Pushups Like A Pro
The pushup is one the simplest yet most effective body workouts you can do. There are several key ways to make them very effective, as well as many variations to target different muscle groups. If you are a beginner, learn the basics and common mistakes that people make. Think you’ve mastered pushups? Try some of the advanced versions listed here!
Regular pushups
Regular pushups work primarily the chest, triceps and shoulders, and some of your core. To do them, place your hands on the floor at shoulder width. Your palms should be flat, with fingers facing forward. Pushups are typically done with two hands and two feet, but I like to do them with two hands and only one foot. For my first set, I place my right foot over my left foot, and alternate every set thereafter. By using only one foot, I reduce wobbling and force myself to balance my body by three points instead of four.
The pushup has two stages - the “up” and the “down.” On the “up” stage, your arms must be fully extended. Your arms, body and floor should form a triangle. When you lower your body for the “down” stage, look straight ahead of you, preferably at a mirror so you can watch your posture. Continue lowering your body until your chin is several inches from the floor and your elbows are bent at 90 degrees. Your chest should be less than three inches from the ground.
Try to fully extend on your “up” stage and go down as far as you can on your “down” stage (without reaching the floor) to maximize your range of motion and make your workout more effective.
Common mistakes
- Unbalanced body
Your body must be symmetrical at all times. Many people unknowingly sink to one side of their body while going down for a pushup. Observe yourself with a mirror, taking special attention to your shoulders and arms. Each side of your body should move by the same amount at the same time. - Uneven hands
Unless you are doing special kinds of pushups, make sure your hands always face forward and are equidistant from the center of your chest. If your hands are placed sideways, so will your arms, and your entire upper body, ruining your form. - Body not straight
On every pushup, imagine your body as a stick, because it should be as straight as one. Do not raise your butt in the air or sink it down. Have firm control of your body, and maintain that form.
Different kinds of pushups
You can adjust the regular pushup to place more emphasis on different muscles.
1. On knees
Difficulty: Super Easy
These are the same as regular pushups, but are done on your knees instead of your feet. Do these only if you need practice for real, regular pushups and are not strong enough to do regular pushups.
2. Raised
Difficulty: Easy
Place your feet on a couch, table, or any higher platform. Raised pushups require stronger arms because your legs support less weight. These target the same muscles as regular pushups, but places more load on them.
3. Wide
Difficulty: Easy
For a wide pushup, place your hands several inches farther apart than for a regular pushup. Wide pushups work more of the chest, but since they limit my range of motion, I rarely do them.
4. Knuckle
Difficulty: Medium
Do pushups with closed fists instead of open palms. When I first did knuckle pushups on wooden planks for taekwondo, I collapsed after one rep because it was so painful. But after a few weeks, I got used to it. Do not worry if it is painful at first - your fists will adjust to the pressure.
5. Diamond
Difficulty: Medium
To do a diamond pushup, place your thumbs from each hand at a 90-degree angle (as if you are about to give a handshake). Then, place your hands flat on the floor, joining the tips of your thumbs and index fingers. These are fairly difficult and require strong forearms and upper arms.
6. Group
Difficulty: Medium
Get a bunch of friends together (best with four people) and do pushups in a square formation, with each person’s legs on another person’s back. It takes good coordination to pull off, so it probably will not work, but it is funny to participate or watch. Every time that I have done it, my friends and I end up laughing.
7. One-handed
Difficulty: Hard
Pushups, with only one hand! Although these are challenging, they are easier than they look. This is more about correct technique than strength. Place your arm and feet equidistant from each other so that they act like a tripod. Placing your feet wider than usual gives them more share of the body weight and makes the pushup easier to do.
8. Finger
Difficulty: Hard
Use the tips of your ten fingers instead of your entire palm. You can easily injure yourself with finger pushups by stretching them the wrong way, so be careful. If you would like to practice for finger pushups without actually doing them, do pushups with your fingers flat down but your palm raised.
9. Footless pushup / vertical dip
Difficulty: Impossible?
I have only seen this done twice in my life. Watch at 1:41.
Pushup tips
- Have good form
Good form should always be your first priority. 20 good pushups are better than 50 bad ones, whether you are judging by workout efficiency or aesthetics. - Push yourself
If you usually only do regular pushups, try the variations listed in this article. If you usually only do 20 pushups at a time, do 25 next time. Keep building upon what you did previously, because pushups become easier the more you do them.The current record holder for most pushups in one day is held by Charles Servizio at 46,001. But he, and other people who do pushups in the thousands, say that their workouts require more mental than physical work. How many pushups they can do is not determined by strong their arms are, but by how focused their minds are.
The biggest fitness obstacle you will face is not physical (genetics, strength or endurance), but mental (laziness and lack of motivation).
- Do not give up
If you are struggling to even do 5 pushups now, do not give up altogether. Your first five pushups are the biggest hurdle you will face. After you overcome it, you will be able to push yourself more and more, and eventually do dozens, hundreds, thousands!
Wow. Now that is impressive.
I assume you mean #9? Yeah, I have tried it and I can’t even lift my body for a second.
But I’m going to work to be able to do that! It may take a few years, but I’m going to work on it. (it’s been on my to-do list for a long time)
I agree - the guy in the vid in #9 was doing planche push-ups - FINGERTIP planche pushups!!!!
I’m almost able to pull off a planche at this point, but doing what he did there is faaaar beyond my current capabilities!!!
Hey Mazid,
Ah, they’re called planche pushups! I definitely want to be able to do them (optimistic: within a year?)
And yeah the bboy in the video (Junior) is nuts.