How To Do a Standard Pushup | Movement Breakdown
Pushups are a staple exercise that works various muscle groups, including the chest, triceps, shoulders, and core. To perform a pushup, you start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart, your arms straight, and your feet together. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the ground, then push back up to the starting position.
Pushups work several muscle groups, including:
- Chest muscles (pectoralis major and minor)
- Shoulder muscles (anterior and medial deltoids)
- Triceps muscles (triceps brachii)
- Abdominal muscles (rectus abdominis and obliques)
- Back muscles (erector spinae and rhomboids)
- Glutes (gluteus maximus and medius)
They are a compound exercise that engage multiple muscles at once, making them a great exercise for building upper body strength and improving overall fitness.
To focus on the chest muscles during a pushup, you can try adjusting your hand placement. For example, placing your hands wider apart than shoulder-width will emphasize the chest muscles more. Additionally, performing pushups on an incline or decline surface can change the focus of the exercise on different muscle groups.
If you are looking for an alternative to pushups, there are many exercises that target similar muscle groups, such as chest presses, bench dips, and triceps extensions.
To make pushups harder, you can try increasing the number of reps or sets you do, or you can add resistance by wearing a weighted vest or using resistance bands. Additionally, you can try performing variations of the pushup, such as diamond pushups or single-leg pushups, which require more strength and balance.
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