Press-up exercises are pretty hard to do, and they’re even harder to do the right way. Let’s learn together…
When it comes to strength and fitness, being able to do full press-up exercises and doing it well is pretty impressive. The good news is that this goal isn’t impossible. Press-ups are all about working with your bodyweight and utilising your upper-body strength. You’ll need strong shoulders, arms and chest muscles, and your body needs to work as one. In fact, a press-up is a total-body, functional movement, so every muscle – including your core and lower body – will need to fully engage for it to work.
Reps / Sets:
Beginner: 3 x 8
Intermediate: 3 x 10
Advanced: 3 x 12
The Press-up
To perform a press-up, start in a high plank position (A, below) with feet a bit wider than hip-width apart. This will give you more stability. Engage your core and pull your shoulders back as you slowly bend your elbows and lower towards the floor. Go as low as you can without letting your hips sag (B), then push into your hands as you straighten your arms and press yourself back up.
Try this squat exercise for women
Press up to ‘T’
This challenging modification will help you to build awareness of your body positioning whilst improving your core control. It’s a great move for your shoulder and wrist stability, too.
Start in a high plank position with your feet a bit wider than hip-width apart (A). Engage your core and pull your shoulders back as you slowly bend your elbows to lower towards the floor. As you push back up, rotate your torso and raise right arm up (B). Lower back down, then repeat by rotating to the other side.
Explosive Press-Ups
This press-up variation focuses on building upper-body explosive strength and power.
Start in a strong press-up position, with shoulders over wrists. Lower your knees to the floor and raise your feet, crossing the ankles (A). With control, bend your elbows as you lightly touch your chest to the ground. As you straighten your arms, explode up into the air so your hands come off the floor (B), focusing on using your upper-body strength, not your hips.
