Push-ups
Chest, triceps, front deltoids and core.
How to do it
- Hands on the floor a little wider than your shoulders, legs straight, resting on your toes.
- Body in a straight line: glutes and abs tight (it's a moving plank).
- Lower your chest until it almost touches the floor, elbows about 45° from your body.
- Push the floor away until your arms are straight.
Cues
- Chest, hips and knees go down and up together.
- Elbows back, not flared out in a T.
- If you can't hit the reps, do them with your hands on a bench (easier).
Common mistakes
- Sagging hips (it arches the lower back).
- Short range of motion.
- Head poking forward towards the floor.
As in the plank: posterior pelvic tilt and closed ribs. If your hips drop, the set is over.
Photos: free-exercise-db (public domain).
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