In this article, you’ll learn:
- proper pushup form
- how to progress your pushups
- exercises to build mobility & stability to improve your pushups
- 6 common pushup mistakes & how to fix them
The pushup is a foundational strength training movement & an effective exercise to build full body strength!
Benefits of the pushup:
- Strengthens the chest, shoulders, triceps, back, legs & entire core musculature
- Requires no equipment
- Build resilient shoulders to prevent injury
- Improves posutre
- Strengthens the core to prevent lower back injury
It’s incredibly important to perform the pushup with correct form to ensure you’re getting all the benefits from it and limiting your risk of injury.
How to Perform the Pushup
Setup in a strong plank position:
- Hands are slightly wider than shoulder-width apart
- First finger points forwards & fingers are spread wide apart
- Elbows are straight
- Shoulders are directly above the wrists, externally rotated & down away from your ears
- Crown of the head reaches forward
- Back of the neck is long
- Eye gaze is slightly ahead of you
- Core is engaged to keep a neutral spine
- Butt & legs are squeezed tight
- Knees are extended straight
- Hips are level with the rest of your body
- Feet are whatever distance apart feels most comfortable for your body (wider apart will be more stable)
- Your body should be a straight line from the crown of your head down to your feet
Movement:
- Begin the movement by allowing your shoulder blades to move together.
- Bend your elbows backwards at about a 45 degree angle to your body.
- Lower your chest in between your hands as far as you can without losing proper form.
- Once you’ve reached the bottom position, contract your chest & extend your elbows to press back up to a high plank position.
Watch the videos below for a full demonstration!
Pushup Progression Model
Why is the pushup one of the most butchered exercises out there?
Because it’s hard!
The standard pushup is an advanced exercise with many benefits, however it can be difficult to perform.
After all, it requires you to engage your entire body!
But it’s definitely worth it – the pushup is one of the most functional & effective exercises to build strength.
Use this progression model to work up to a full pushup & even more advanced variations of it!
Safely work through each exercise until you’ve mastered it, then move on to the next.
Wall Pushup
⬇︎
Incline Pushup
⬇︎
Plank
⬇︎
Eccentric Pushup
⬇︎
Pushup
⬇︎
Band Pushup
⬇︎
Weighted Pushup
Watch this video for demonstrations of all exercises listed above.
Improving Mobility & Stability for Pushups
Pushups involve many moving parts! Keeping them mobile & stable is essential to ensure your pushups are safe & effective.
You can use the exercises in the routine below to stretch & mobilize your thoracic spine, lats & chest & build stability in your shoulders & upper back.
Exercise descriptions are below!
Thoracic Rotation
- Setup in table top position with your hands under your shoulders & knees under your hips
- Place one hand behind your head
- Sit your butt back onto your heels
- Rotate your chest, head & neck in the direction away from the hand on the ground
- The elbow of the hand on your head rotates up towards the ceiling
Prayer Stretch
- Start in a kneeling position with your palms or elbows on an elevated surface
- Sit back onto your heels
- Allow your chest to stretch down towards the ground
- If doing the bent arm version, move your clasped hands behind your head
Wall Chest Stretch
- Bring one arm up to shoulder height, bend the elbow to a right angle & position the palm & inside of the arm on the edge of a wall
- Step forward with the leg on the same side of the hand on the wall
- Stretch forward & press the chest through
Band Angel
- Anchor a band on a sturdy object
- Hold it band with an underhand grip
- Keeping your arms straight, pull the band down to your sides
- Keeping tension on the band & your shoulders pulled back, make a circle until your hands come together overhead
- Reverse the motion & release the band
External Rotation
- Grip a band with an underhand grip & shoulder width apart
- Bend your elbows to a right angle, drawing them to your sides
- Pull the band apart using your shoulder external rotators
YTWL
- Bring your feet hip width apart & hinge forward at your hips with a straight spine
- With your palms facing each other & arms straight, raise your arms diagonally out in front of you, making a Y shape
- With your palms facing forward, bring your arms up until they are parallel with the floor, so your body makes a T shape
- Weight your palms facing each other & arms bent, raise your arms up so they form a W shape with your head
- With your palms facing backwards, bend your elbows towards your face. Rotate your shoulders so your elbows stay stationary, forming an L shape with each arm.
Band Pull Apart
- Hold a band with an overhand grip and hands shoulder width apart
- Place your hands slightly below shoulder height
- Pull the band apart by squeezing your shoulder blades together until it touches your chest
Face Pull
- Anchor a band on a sturdy object
- Grip it with an overhand grip
- Extend your arms out in front of you
- Pull the handles towards your face, keeping your upper arms parallel to the floor
Row
- Anchor a band on a sturdy object
- Grip a band with your palms facing each other
- Bend your elbows & pull the handles towards your lower ribs
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together & extend your chest forward
6 Common Pushup Mistakes & How To Fix Them
Pushup Mistake #1 – Incorrect Hand Placement
The first pushup mistake is incorrect hand placement & not using your hands.
A safe & effective pushup all begins with proper hand placement!
❌ A common mistake is placing the hands either too far forward or too wide apart.
- If your hands are too far in front of you (too high above shoulder height), the stress gets shifted into your shoulder joint, upper traps & neck.
- If your hands are too wide apart, the stress gets shifted into the shoulder joint, elbows & wrists.
✅ When you set up, ensure your wrists are placed directly under your shoulders & slightly wider than shoulder width apart. This will ensure you are using your chest, triceps, shoulders & back and protecting your joints.
❌ Another mistake is forgetting to use your hands during the pushup! If you just put your hands on the ground and don’t use them, you’re missing out on strength & power and placing excessive stress on the shoulders, elbows & wrists.
✅ Spread your fingers wide apart, grip the ground with your hands & use them to twist the shoulders into external rotation (a little bonus – this will ensure your fingers are not pointing inward which is another mistake). This will take pressure out of your wrists & put your shoulders in a healthy & stable position to perform the movement.
Pushup Mistake #2 – Flaring the Elbows
The second pushup mistake is flaring your elbows out.
Flaring the elbows out:
❌Puts stress on the shoulder, elbow & wrist joints
❌Decreases the effectiveness of the exercise by reducing the involvement of the appropriate musculature (chest & shoulders)
❌Can lead to overuse injuries, poor shoulder function & shoulder impingement caused by inflammation & tissue degeneration
The fix:
✅Externally rotate your shoulders
✅Open your chest
✅Draw your shoulders away from your ears
✅Bend the elbows back at about a 45 degree angle
✅Allow the shoulder blades to come together as you lower & move apart as you push up
These adjustments will make your pushups safe & effective!
Pushup Mistake #3 – Sagging the Hips
The third pushup mistake is sagging the hips.
👉In a pushup, your entire body should remain in a strong plank position from start to finish.
👉This ensures that the movement is coming from the shoulders & elbows bending – that’s it!
❌When the hips start to sag, you will have movement coming from the lower back.
❌You’ll put your spine & pelvis in a vulnerable position.
❌This can lead to lower back discomfort, pain & injury.
❌In addition, you’re missing out on the core strengthening benefits of the pushup!
The fix:
✅Setup in a strong plank position
✅Squeeze your butt & tuck it under slightly
✅Contract your quads to press your knees straight
✅Draw your belly up & in towards your spine to hollow out your core
✅Use your abs & glutes to stabilize the spine & pelvis
✅If you cannot keep a neutral spine position throughout the entire pushup, perform an incline pushup by placing your hands on an elevated surface.
✅Build strength at this level, then progressively work your way down towards the floor.
Pushup Mistake #4 – Improper Neck Position
The fourth pushup mistake is improper neck positioning.
There are 3 improper neck positions I see most often in a pushup
👉Poking or jutting the head forward
👉Dropping & hanging the head down
👉Looking forward or up
❌All these neck positions place excessive stress on your neck & cervical spine & often place your shoulders in an unhealthy position.
❌This can add to the common poor posture-related issues we see more and more these days.
❌These neck positions will also lead to other form-related issues in your pushup.
The fix:
✅Make sure you’re keeping your head tucked back & in line with your spine.
✅As you lower down into the pushup, your chest should touch the floor first, not any part of your face.
Pushup Mistake #5 – Not Moving Through a Full Range of Motion
The fifth pushup mistake is not going through a full range of motion.
The full range of motion of a pushup is:
👉Arms fully extended in the top (plank position)
👉Chest to the ground or shoulders below your elbows at the bottom position
❌When you shorten the movement, you’re not getting the full strength building benefit of the pushup
✅Always train the full range of motion to build strength in your chest, triceps & shoulders
✅If you can’t perform the entire movement, it’s likely because you lack the strength to do so
✅Elevate your hands on a high enough surface that allows you to complete the full range of motion
✅Build strength in this elevated position, then progressively move to lower surfaces until you can perform a full rep on the floor!
Pushup Mistake #6 – Improper Shoulder Position
The sixth & final pushup mistake is improper shoulder positioning.
There are 3 shoulder positioning mistakes I see most often in a pushup
👉Collapsing in the shoulder blades at the beginning before the movement has started
👉Not pushing all the way through at the top of the pushup
👉Allowing the shoulders to round forward at the bottom of the pushup
❌All these mistakes lead to stress placed on the shoulder joint, neck & upper traps instead of the appropriate musculature – chest, shoulders, triceps
The fix:
✅As you lower into the bottom of a pushup, your shoulder blades retract (or move together).
✅This happens in conjunction with the entire movement (not before the movement begins).
✅Throughout the movement (but especially at the bottom), think about keeping the chest open & shoulders tipped back slightly.
✅When pressing back up to the top, push your upper back towards the ceiling & pull you shoulder blades apart.
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