The Push Up is a beginner-friendly bodyweight strength exercise that targets the chest, with the shoulders and triceps working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesChest
Secondary musclesShoulders, Triceps
EquipmentBodyweight
LevelBeginner
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Push Up
Set up in a high-plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width and arms locked.
Brace your core, squeeze the glutes, and keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
Lower your chest slowly toward the floor over 2 to 3 seconds, keeping the elbows at about 45 degrees.
Stop when your chest hovers just above the floor, holding the bottom briefly with full body tension.
Press back up by driving the floor away through the palms until the arms reach full extension.
Reset your breath and repeat for the full set, keeping the body line tight on every rep.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Builds the chest, triceps, and front shoulders without any equipment.
Reinforces a strong full-body plank shape under pressing load.
Scales infinitely from incline beginner versions to advanced weighted variations.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Letting the hips sag toward the floor, which removes the core demand and strains the lower back.
Letting the elbows flare to 90 degrees, which strains the front shoulders and reduces chest engagement.
Cutting the depth short and only pressing the top half of the rep instead of touching the chest down.
Letting the head poke forward instead of keeping the neck in line with the spine.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Push Up, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
