Articles
The Push-Up: Why is This So Hard?
November 7 2011
November 7 2011
One of the things in my life that continually mystifies me is how something as simple and pure as the push-up has become so confusing and impossible for so many people. This is like the exercise equivalent of every adult in the world suddenly forgetting how to walk (yet still wanting to do the triple jump).
This very issue is what caused me to add planks into every day of our introductory class series. I was embarrassed by the inability of people in the gym to do excellent push-ups and decided that the most pro-active approach I could take would be to train them from day one how to do it rather than trying to re-engineer them later down the line when they’re uninterested and just think I’m being a dick about it.
The priorities for the push-up as I see them are, in order: correct and rigid posture, including head position; range of motion; elbow orientation; resistance.
First and foremost, if someone can’t hold his or her body tightly in a straight line from ankle to shoulder, they’re unable to do proper push-ups. You can kick and squirm and fight this idea all you want, but you can’t escape it. You should be able to visually draw a straight line from the ankle, through the hip and through the shoulder at any point in the push-up, and the head and neck should remain in a neutral position—dipping the chin to the floor isn’t getting you to the bottom of the movement.
This rigid alignment should never change throughout the exercise. Don’t push your shoulders up and then later bring your hips up to meet them. This isn’t a push-up and it looks inappropriate.
Next is the range of motion. This shouldn’t have to be specified after saying “push-up” but there seems to be some confusion surrounding it. At the top, the elbows should be completely extended and the shoulder blades protracted. At the bottom, the chest should be in light contact with the floor (That is, the chest has reached and touched the floor but is not supported by it). Again, in both of these positions and everywhere in between, the body should be straight and rigid.
This full range of motion in my opinion should take precedence over the degree of resistance. That is, if you can’t complete a push-up to full depth from the toes, you need to modify it somehow, such as moving to the knees or elevating your hands. Remember when on your knees, you still need to maintain a rigid straight body—the knees simply replace your ankles in this case. The hands can be elevated on a wall, but the wall gets in the way of the face—you’re better off moving the hands to a plyo box or bench so the head can travel without obstruction and make the correct posture possible.
I encourage clients who can do a few standard push-ups to begin workouts with them and move to the knees when needed to maintain the range of motion. This can be difficult on the ego, especially for men, but the benefits are worth any potential embarrassment. No one loads a weight on the bar and benches it halfway down because it’s too heavy (well… excepting board pressing and the like); they start with a weight they can move through the entire range of motion and build up from there. Why the push-up (and pull-up for that matter) are viewed differently, I don’t know. Presumably because high-volume push-ups are commonplace in both bodyweight training and fitness testing, and we've all discovered we can do a lot more by doing a lot less.
I prefer the upper arms to be within about 45 degrees from the sides of the body. This allows the shoulder to move through that full range of motion more easily and naturally. Moving the hands wider and bringing the elbows farther from the sides will usually make push-ups easier for people, but it also limits depth for most people and starts tearing up the shoulders pretty quickly.
The push-up is one of those things that when done well doesn’t draw much attention—it’s not a flashy feat of athleticism. However, in my opinion, how one performs a push-up is indicative of that individual’s athletic foundation, and possibly more importantly, how committed one is to excellence in movement and performance. Sloppy push-ups suggest to me a superficial interest in athleticism and a degree of laziness. Put a little attention and effort into the simple things and it will pay returns in the more complicated and interesting ones.
This very issue is what caused me to add planks into every day of our introductory class series. I was embarrassed by the inability of people in the gym to do excellent push-ups and decided that the most pro-active approach I could take would be to train them from day one how to do it rather than trying to re-engineer them later down the line when they’re uninterested and just think I’m being a dick about it.
The priorities for the push-up as I see them are, in order: correct and rigid posture, including head position; range of motion; elbow orientation; resistance.
First and foremost, if someone can’t hold his or her body tightly in a straight line from ankle to shoulder, they’re unable to do proper push-ups. You can kick and squirm and fight this idea all you want, but you can’t escape it. You should be able to visually draw a straight line from the ankle, through the hip and through the shoulder at any point in the push-up, and the head and neck should remain in a neutral position—dipping the chin to the floor isn’t getting you to the bottom of the movement.
This rigid alignment should never change throughout the exercise. Don’t push your shoulders up and then later bring your hips up to meet them. This isn’t a push-up and it looks inappropriate.
Next is the range of motion. This shouldn’t have to be specified after saying “push-up” but there seems to be some confusion surrounding it. At the top, the elbows should be completely extended and the shoulder blades protracted. At the bottom, the chest should be in light contact with the floor (That is, the chest has reached and touched the floor but is not supported by it). Again, in both of these positions and everywhere in between, the body should be straight and rigid.
This full range of motion in my opinion should take precedence over the degree of resistance. That is, if you can’t complete a push-up to full depth from the toes, you need to modify it somehow, such as moving to the knees or elevating your hands. Remember when on your knees, you still need to maintain a rigid straight body—the knees simply replace your ankles in this case. The hands can be elevated on a wall, but the wall gets in the way of the face—you’re better off moving the hands to a plyo box or bench so the head can travel without obstruction and make the correct posture possible.
I encourage clients who can do a few standard push-ups to begin workouts with them and move to the knees when needed to maintain the range of motion. This can be difficult on the ego, especially for men, but the benefits are worth any potential embarrassment. No one loads a weight on the bar and benches it halfway down because it’s too heavy (well… excepting board pressing and the like); they start with a weight they can move through the entire range of motion and build up from there. Why the push-up (and pull-up for that matter) are viewed differently, I don’t know. Presumably because high-volume push-ups are commonplace in both bodyweight training and fitness testing, and we've all discovered we can do a lot more by doing a lot less.
I prefer the upper arms to be within about 45 degrees from the sides of the body. This allows the shoulder to move through that full range of motion more easily and naturally. Moving the hands wider and bringing the elbows farther from the sides will usually make push-ups easier for people, but it also limits depth for most people and starts tearing up the shoulders pretty quickly.
The push-up is one of those things that when done well doesn’t draw much attention—it’s not a flashy feat of athleticism. However, in my opinion, how one performs a push-up is indicative of that individual’s athletic foundation, and possibly more importantly, how committed one is to excellence in movement and performance. Sloppy push-ups suggest to me a superficial interest in athleticism and a degree of laziness. Put a little attention and effort into the simple things and it will pay returns in the more complicated and interesting ones.
FORM, FORM, FORM!
Thanks Greg!
Have noted that, tell a female client to assume a "push up position" and 80% or more will place their hands significantly ahead of their shoulders, instead of under the shoulders. Never see a guy do this.
@Randy: You can be rest assured plenty of boys have the same problem you describe. I see it every day unfortunately.
While the modified version helps to increase muscular strength, it also encourages the lower back sagging once adequate strength has been developed.
Another recommendation is to use the equipment that's used for Step Aerobic (can be found in most gyms) to perform the incline pushup You can maintain the proper pushup form (straight body posture) that Greg mentioned in this article while placing your hands on the step to perform incline pushups. To make the pushup easier, use the additional raisers until you are able to perform the pushup for your desired number of reps. Reduce the raisers gradually until you are able to perform pushups on the floor. To make the pushups more difficult, continue to use the raisers but now place your feet on them while placing your hands on the floor. If you would like to know the percentage of bodyweight supported during the various pushups, while on my squidoo lens, look up the article "How Much Weight Do You Lift In A Pushup" I also provide a demonstration using the Step Aerobic equipment with raisers.
I hope you find the information to be of constructive value. Cheers!
Your article is from the point of an arrogant jerk, I'm really sorry that not every one you see can do a push up perfectly the first time like you did. Came looking for advice, not to be insulted.
I encouraged and explained modifications to allow you to do push-ups more effectively at the initial stage you're in to help you get stronger and eventually get you to full ROM, excellent push-ups from the toes. The only shaming was of people who, rather than like you, who say you're working to improve, refuse to fix the problem. I'm sorry you've decided this was so offensive. Good luck with your quests to improve your push-ups.
Thanks
As you finish the extension of the arms, push your shoulders forward a bit but without letting your upper back round. In other words, get as high as you can by straightening your arms, and then get slightly higher with the shoulders.
i wish you had touched on hand position and external rotation. how do you feel about the idea of fingers close to 90 degrees (perpendicular to the body) and thumbs toward the head? just my opinion but i think this (external rotation) makes pushing the elbows back, towards the feet and keeping the arms in much easier/more natural. as for upper arm position, why 45 degrees and not 10-20 degrees? i would think that the closer one can keep the arms to the body the better. i am not contending that these are things you do not already know/have heard of/thought of, just curious what your opinion is.
As another female reader I can't see anything offensive about anything you wrote at all. Thanks for the tips.
Chest to ground sounds like a crossfit thing because it's easier to judge. Any thoughts?
I'm much happier doing the Kelly Starrett version... About the same as you have described, and with the fingers and inside of the elbow facing forward, to full depth (which if I'm reading right makes the upper arm closer to a zero angle). It's nice to be liberated from having to achieve numbers, and instead focus on ROM and correct movement with something that should enhance shoulders and core in the long run rather than slowly destroy them. Coach Christopher Sommers also directs similar form - elbows at the sides, fingers up/forward, and full ROM. After 5 sets of 15, you move on to a tougher variation.
Anyway, great article.
Chest touching the floor has nothing to do with CrossFit - that's complete range of motion, just as in a bench press, the bar touches the body rather than stopping with the elbows at 90 degrees, or in a squat, the knee is closed completely (or should be). Military testing is not really a measure of movement quality, and world records in push-ups are laughable with regard to movement standards. You're more than welcome to use those standards for your own push-ups if that's what you feel is required, but you've read my opinion on that already.
What CrossFit introduced was actually lying on the floor, which I explicitly state in the article is not encouraged. I'm looking for light contact, which means guaranteed full ROM and no relaxing in the bottom to then bounce and snake back up. In fact, that absurd practice was part of the impetus for writing this article.
I wouldn't give Starrett credit for that - it's how gymnasts have been doing push-ups since the beginning of time, but yes, it sounds like you're describing what I am.