To be honest, push-ups aren’t as easy as they seem. It takes a lot of upper-body and core strength to push your body weight off the floor while staying in a plank position with control.
Starting From Scratch
I used to be a long-distance runner with a weak upper body before I started strength training, so I know what it’s like to start from scratch. It will take time, but if you keep practicing consistently, you can get there.
How To Build Strength
If you want to be able to do this bodyweight move, I have two ways to help you reach your goal. You’ll work the same muscles in a different way to get stronger and get used to the movement pattern effectively.
Why These Exercises Matter
The two options below are the same ones I used when I was first learning how to do full push-ups, and they are also the same ones I use with my personal training clients now.
I still do versions of these moves to keep my push-up strength. You really will lose it if you don’t use it, and that’s definitely true for this bodyweight strength movement.
You might want to start with the first move and then add the second one once you get stronger, depending on how strong you are right now.
Push-up With A Negative
If you can hold a high plank with good form and a strong core for 30 to 60 seconds, you are ready to move on to a negative push-up variation, which is also called an eccentric push-up.
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This move is all about going down slowly. You will get stronger for a full push-up if you learn how to lower yourself slowly and with control.
How to do it:
- Get into a high plank position with your shoulders directly above your wrists and your body making a straight line from your shoulders to your feet.
- Use your core, shoulder blades, and buttocks.
- To lower yourself to the floor with control, bend your elbows and keep them close to your body.
- At the end of your range, let your knees fall to the floor.
- Push back up by extending your arms.
- To get back to a high plank position, lift your knees.
Make it easier: If you can’t get all the way down to the floor, try the incline version. Instead of putting your hands on the floor, put them on a box or chair to take some of the weight off your shoulders and arms. Keep doing this until you can do three sets of five to eight reps without any trouble.
Hold A Low Push-up
This is an isometric move that holds the bottom position of the push-up, right before your chest touches the floor.
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I like this move because it makes the hardest part of the push-up stronger. It can also be changed to make it harder for people with different levels of strength. You can hold lower to make it harder or higher while you build strength gradually.
How to do the move:
- Your body should be in a straight line from your shoulders to your feet, and your shoulders should be directly above your wrists.
- Use your core, shoulder blades, and buttocks.
- To lower yourself to the floor in a controlled way, bend your elbows and keep them close to your body.
- Stop at a depth that you can stay at for three to five seconds.
- Put your knees on the floor and then push yourself back up with your arms.
- To get back into a high plank position, lift your knees.
