Do push-ups on an exercise mat to cushion your hands and wrists so they don’t get sore.
Avoid raising your hips too high or letting them sag too low so that your body goes out of line.
Try to take about 2 seconds to lower yourself down so you have more control over your movements.
Avoid locking your elbows when you return to your starting position since you could risk injuring them. If your arms start shaking or you can’t fully get back into your starting position, don’t sweat it. Try putting your knees down to make it easier or lower yourself back to the floor and take a break before trying again.
For a good starting point, try doing 5–10 push-ups at a time. Once that starts feeling easy, try adding 5 reps at a time.
Putting your knees against the ground supports more weight, so you aren’t pushing as much bodyweight back up at the end of your rep.
Wall push-ups only use about 36–45% of your bodyweight compared to 50–75% for standard push-ups.
Use smaller inclines as the exercise gets easier so you can continue challenging yourself and build up to doing a basic push-up. Stack step platforms on top of each other so you can easily control and adjust the height of the incline you’re using during your push-ups.
Do 5 reps at first, but try doing more if you still feel comfortable. If doing eccentric push-ups on the floor is too difficult, try doing them on an incline instead.
Placing your hands closer together makes you support more weight with your arm muscles so you build them up faster.
Knuckle push-ups are great if you’re trying to condition your hands for boxing or martial arts.
Fingertip push-ups are more challenging since most of your bodyweight is supported by your fingers. This exercise is great for boosting the strength in your hands for things like boxing and rock climbing.
An elevated leg push-up puts more bodyweight on your chest, arms, and shoulders so you feel a more intense workout.
Lifting your leg off the ground puts more bodyweight on your arms, and it engages the sides of your core even more. Avoid resting your foot on your leg or glute since you won’t get a full workout. Hold your foot in the air to keep your muscles engaged.
Spider-Man push-ups make you support more bodyweight with your arms and shoulders, plus they work your lower abs and sides more effectively.
Work up to one-armed push-ups by putting one of your hands on a yoga block or step platform. That way, you’re supporting most of your weight with the hand on the floor.
Try this on a soft exercise mat so you don’t hurt yourself if your hands slip.
