Push-Up: Muscles Worked and How to Do It
TL;DR
The push-up works your chest as the main mover, pressing your body up off the floor. Your shoulders and triceps help drive your arms straight, making this a simple bodyweight exercise that builds pushing strength anywhere, with no equipment needed.
- Primary muscle:
- Chest
- Secondary muscles:
- Shoulders, Triceps
Muscles worked
Your chest (pectorals) is the primary mover in the push-up. As you press your body away from the floor, your chest muscles pull your arms across and in front of your body, doing most of the work of the lift.
Your shoulders (front delts) and triceps assist the press. The shoulders help drive your upper arms forward, and the triceps straighten your elbows through the last part of every rep.
Log Push-Up in PR Streak
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How to do it
- Lie on the floor face down and place your hands about 36 inches apart while holding your torso up at arms length.
- Next, lower yourself downward until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale.
- Now breathe out and press your upper body back up to the starting position while squeezing your chest.
- After a brief pause at the top contracted position, you can begin to lower yourself downward again for as many repetitions as needed.
Form tips
- Set your hands slightly wider than shoulder width, fingers pointing forward.
- Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels, without letting your hips sag or pike up.
- Lower until your chest is close to the floor, then press back up while breathing out.
- Keep your elbows at roughly a 45-degree angle to your torso rather than flared straight out.
- If a full push-up is too hard, do it from your knees or against a raised surface first.
Exercise details
| Equipment | Bodyweight |
|---|---|
| Level | Beginner |
| Mechanic | Compound |
Used by lifters following PPL, 5x5, upper/lower, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do push-ups work?
Push-ups mainly work your chest, with your shoulders and triceps helping press your body up. Because it's a compound bodyweight move, it trains all three muscles together in one simple exercise you can do anywhere.
How are push-ups different from the bench press?
Both work your chest, shoulders and triceps in a similar pressing pattern. The bench press lets you load a barbell for heavier resistance, while the push-up uses your own bodyweight and trains your body as one stable unit.
Are push-ups enough to build a bigger chest?
They can build real chest strength and size, especially for beginners, and you can keep increasing the challenge with feet elevated, added weight or slower reps. Many lifters also combine them with barbell or dumbbell pressing.
More chest exercises
Exercise instructions and photos come from the free-exercise-db library, public domain, the same library used inside the PR Streak app.
