Exercise technique guide
How to Do a Push-Up
The push-up trains your chest, shoulders, triceps and core in one move, using only your bodyweight. It is the classic test of upper-body strength and needs no equipment, so it fits any home. We scale it from wall push-ups up to full floor reps.
The push-up is the upper-body squat: one movement that trains half your body and travels anywhere. It builds a strong chest and shoulders while your core works hard to keep your body in a straight line.
You need nothing but the floor, so it suits a hotel room, a condo or our Putra Heights centre. Many people fail push-ups not from weak arms but a sagging middle, which good coaching fixes fast.
What it trains and who it suits
It works the chest, front shoulders and triceps, with the core and glutes bracing to hold a plank. It suits anyone building pressing strength, from beginners on an incline to advanced trainees on the floor.
Because it is a moving plank, it also teaches full-body tension, a skill that carries into almost every other lift.
Step-by-step cues
- Set hands slightly wider than your shoulders
- Straighten your body from head to heels, squeezing glutes
- Lower your chest toward the floor with elbows angled back
- Stop when your chest is just above the ground
- Push the floor away to return to the top
Common mistakes and quick fixes
- Hips sagging, squeeze glutes and brace like a plank
- Elbows flaring wide, angle them about forty-five degrees
- Half reps, lower with control until the chest nearly touches
- Head dropping first, keep your body moving as one unit
Regressions, progressions and when to stop
Too hard? Push up from a wall or a bench to reduce the load. Too easy? Slow the lowering, add a pause, or elevate your feet. At home a countertop works; at our centre we build from incline to full and weighted push-ups.
- Stop if you feel sharp shoulder or wrist pain rather than effort
- See a professional if a shoulder pinches sharply each rep