Fitness Move of the Week: Push-up

Most people do push-ups wrong. It’s time to bring that to an end.
 
Push-ups work your chest, triceps, shoulders, abs, and more. They require just your bodyweight (to start) and can be varied in countless ways.
 
Now that you’ve perfected your plank from, you’re ready to start working on push-ups, since they start in the plank position!

How to do a push-up

1. Start in a full-arm plank position. Your arms should be just slightly wider than shoulder distance, and your hands should be placed as it feels comfortable for you. They shouldn’t face in, but if they’re facing out a bit, that’s fine.

2. Your body should be one straight line. Focus on a point slightly in front of you to keep your spine in line and prevent your head from facing down.

3. Lower yourself down until your elbows form a 90-degree angle (or lower, if you have the proper strength and flexibility). Your elbows should remain close to your body. Do NOT stick them out to the sides – that is the most common error of push-ups. If they start flying out to the sides, take that as an indication of fatigue and rest before continuing with push-ups.

4. Once you reach the 90-degree angle, or your chest touches the floor, push back up to your starting position. Your body should remain tight and straight throughout the entire push-up.

5. Voilà! You’ve done a push-up. Keep at it until you reach fatigue. Try to increase your number of reps each time to build even more strength (and go for some variations if you’re feeling bold!).