The pushup requires absolutely no equipment, engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously, and is scalable for any type of athlete, from beginner to advanced. But many people fail to get the fundamentals right: hips sag, elbows flare, or the range of motion is shortened — which reduces results and increases the chances of injury over time. Use the tables and step-by-step instructions throughout this guide to learn how to do a pushup properly, how to modify it for beginners, and how to continue working on it after you’ve mastered the basic form.
| If you want to… | Jump to |
| Learn correct standard technique | How to Do a Pushup Properly |
| Start from zero | For Beginners |
| Fix your form | Common Mistakes |
| See benchmarks by sex | As a Woman |
| Teach a child | For Kids |
| Target chest / go easier | Chest Gains & Easier Variations |
What Muscles Does a Pushup Work?
| Muscle group | Role |
| Chest, shoulders, triceps | Primary movers — drive the press |
| Core | Stabilizes the torso throughout |
| Glutes and legs | Hold the plank steady |
| Biceps | Stabilize on the way down only, not a prime mover |
The pushup is a functional, full-body exercise, and because it uses so many muscle groups at once, it will do little on its own to increase the size of your biceps. If you want to focus on the biceps more specifically, add curls or chin-ups alongside your pushup routine.
How to Do a Pushup Properly (Step-by-Step)
| Step | What to do |
| 1. Set your hands | Palms on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width, fingers forward. |
| 2. Build your plank | Legs extended behind you, up on your toes, feet hip-width apart. Squeeze shoulder blades together, brace your core and glutes so your body forms one straight line from head to heels. |
| 3. Lower with control | Bend elbows, lower your chest toward the floor, elbows tucked close rather than flared. Descend until your chest nearly touches the floor or your elbows hit roughly 90 degrees, whichever comes first. |
| 4. Press back up | Push through your palms to straighten your arms, keeping your hips level throughout. |
Tip: Move slowly through each rep — it keeps you in control and works the muscles more effectively than rushing.
How to Do a Pushup for Beginners
There’s a proven progression for how to do a pushup for beginners, ordered by difficulty:
| Variation | How to do it | Approx. % of body weight lifted |
| Wall pushup | Arm’s length from a wall, palms on it at shoulder height, lean in and out | Lowest |
| Seated pushup | On a bench, press palms down to lift hips slightly | Low |
| Kneeling pushup | Hands and knees, lower chest toward floor, core braced | ~49% |
| Incline pushup | Hands on a bench/step, legs extended, lower chest to the edge | ~36–45% |
| Standard pushup | Full plank position | ~50–75% |
Aim for 10–15 reps per set with rest between sets, and only move up a level once the current one feels controlled — fewer reps with correct form beats many with poor form.
How to Do a Pushup with Good Form: Common Mistakes
Trainers flag these recurring errors:
| Mistake | Why it’s a problem | Quick fix |
| Sagging hips | Weak or under-braced core | Build core strength; practice on knees first |
| Hands too wide | Strains the shoulders | Keep hands under shoulders, fingers forward |
| Flared elbows | Raises shoulder injury risk | Keep elbows closer to your body |
| Moving too fast | Less muscle activation, faster fatigue | Slow, controlled tempo both ways |
| Partial reps | Doesn’t build full-range strength | Scale down instead of cutting reps short |
A properly executed pushup needs stability through the entire kinetic chain, with a neutral spine and a straight line from head to heels.
How to Do a Pushup as a Woman
Many people search for how to do a pushup as a woman, or how to do a pushup women can use to track progress, since fitness benchmarks are often set separately by sex:
| Benchmark | Detail |
| Average reps (full standard pushup) | 9 reps, per a 2022 study of female college students |
| ACSM push-up test | Kneeling position for women vs. standard toes-down for men |
| Why the difference | A full pushup involves lifting a larger share of body weight |
The technique itself doesn’t change — setup, hand position, bracing, and tempo apply the same way regardless of sex. What differs is mainly the starting point: many women build up through kneeling or incline pushups first, which is a normal, effective path rather than a shortcut.
How to Do a Pushup for Kids
Kids can learn pushups, but the focus should stay on the plank position and body awareness before chasing full reps. A simple progression:
- Build the plank hold first — short bouts starting around 5 seconds, gradually working up. This is the real foundation of a good pushup.
- Start with a knee pushup — hands below shoulders, straight line from head to knees, lower until the chest nearly touches the floor.
- Progress to a toe pushup — extend the knees and walk hands slightly further forward once the knee version feels comfortable.
Coaching tip: For kids under 8, focus on one coaching cue at a time — too many corrections at once tend to slow progress.
How to Do a Pushup for Chest Gains and Easier Variations
Once the standard version feels manageable, adjust for your goal:
| Goal | Variation | Why it works |
| How to do a pushup for chest | Decline pushup (feet elevated) | Shifts more load to the upper chest and shoulders |
| How to do a pushup easily | Incline pushup (hands elevated) | Full plank position with reduced load — better than dropping to your knees |
Worth noting: research in the Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness found that pushups performed at comparable relative intensity produced muscle hypertrophy and strength gains similar to the bench press over eight weeks — proof this bodyweight basic still belongs in a serious routine.
Final Thoughts
The pushup rewards patience and consistency far more than rushing.
- Start with the modification that matches your current strength.
- Keep your core braced and body in one straight line.
- Progress gradually, prioritizing form over rep count.
Do that consistently, and the “simple” pushup will keep challenging — and rewarding — you for years.
FAQ’S
Not directly — the biceps only stabilize the shoulder and elbow during the lowering phase, so they’re a secondary helper, not a prime mover.
Start with 10–15 reps per set, resting between sets, and only add reps once your form stays solid throughout.
Aim for 3 sets of 5–10 pushups, 2–3 times a week, with at least 48 hours of rest between sessions to recover.
A standard pushup requires lifting roughly 50–75% of your body weight, which is why building strength through easier variations first makes such a difference.
Many people work toward completing 50 pushups in a single day, then build up to around 100 over roughly two months of consistent training.
Also Read
Best Exercises for Strength at Home (No Gym Required)
Sources
- NASM — Push-Up: How to Do It, Form & Muscles
- Gymshark — The Ultimate Guide To Push Ups
- Healthline — Pushups for Beginners: Seated, Standing, Kneeling, and Tips
- North Shore Pediatric Therapy — The Power of Push-Ups
- SpiderFit Kids — A Simple How-to Guide for Teaching Push Ups to Kids
