Push-Up
Primary muscles: Pectorals · Triceps · Front deltoids · Core
Overview
The push-up is the most basic upper-body pushing exercise, and it can be done anywhere with no equipment. It looks simple, but performed correctly it is a compound movement that recruits muscle throughout the body — not just the chest, shoulders, and arms, but also the core and lower body.
The starting position is a plank, with the wrists directly under or slightly outside the shoulders. Spreading the fingers slightly and pointing the index fingers forward reduces strain on the wrists. The body should form a straight line from head to heels, and you must brace the core and glutes so the hips neither pike up nor sag.
The CrossFit standard is "chest-to-ground": lower until the chest fully touches the floor. Keeping the elbows at 45–60 degrees to the torso is safest for the shoulder joint. If the elbows flare too far out, excessive load concentrates on the front of the shoulder.
On the way up, press the floor away explosively with your palms. This pushing strength should balance the pulling strength you build in pull-ups so that functional upper-body strength develops in harmony.
CrossFit also programs many variations, including diamond push-ups, wide push-ups, ring push-ups, and the hand-release push-up. In the hand-release push-up you briefly lift both hands off the floor at the bottom, which is used to verify the chest actually touches down.
Step-by-step
Plank setup
Place the hands shoulder-width apart, bring the feet together, and align the body in a straight line.
Brace the core
Squeeze the abs and glutes to stabilize the torso.
Lower down
Bend the elbows at about 45 degrees and lower until the chest touches the floor.
Touch the floor
Pause briefly at the moment the chest fully touches the ground.
Press up
Push the floor away with the palms until the arms are fully extended.
Technical Standards
Plank position with wrists under the shoulders and fingers slightly spread
Straight line from head to heels — no piking or sagging hips
Lower until the chest fully touches the floor
Keep elbows at 45–60 degrees relative to the torso
Brace the core and glutes to stabilize the torso
Press up until the arms are fully extended
Common Faults
Worm position: the hips rise first and the chest follows later — a segmented movement
Elbow flare: elbows flare out to 90 degrees, overloading the front of the shoulder
Partial range of motion: the chest does not touch the floor, reducing muscle activation
Head drop: the chin dives toward the floor first, putting excess tension on the neck
Scaling
Knee push-up — perform with knees on the floor to reduce bodyweight load. This builds base strength before the full push-up.
Incline push-up — place the hands on a box or bench to raise the angle and reduce the load. Gradually lower the incline until you progress to floor push-ups.
Decline push-up or added weight — raise the feet on a box or put plates in a backpack to increase intensity.
WODs featuring this movement
Barbara
Under 20 min (Elite), Each round under 4 min
Chelsea
Goal: complete the 30-minute EMOM
Cindy
20-minute AMRAP - 20+ rounds (Elite), 12+ rounds (Competitive), 8+ rounds (Recreational)
Murph
Sub-40 min (Elite), Under 55 min (Competitive), Under 70 min (Recreational)
JT
Sub-8 min (Elite), Under 15 min (Competitive)
24.5
For Time (20-min cap)
23.2
AMRAP 15 min (score: completed reps)