Push-ups and Variations

Introduction to the push-up
The push-up, also known (in the UK) as the press-up, is one of the best upper body exercises. It is especially good for the chest (pectoral) and back of upper arm (triceps) muscles, but they also work the abdominal muscles and most of the muscles in the back. But, you may be doing it wrong. Properly done, a basic push-up is pretty hard. I also describe some easier and harder variations

The basic push-up
Begin on your hands and toes, hands underneath your shoulders, fingers pointed toward your head. Keeping your body completely straight from your head to your feet, lower your body by bending your arms until your chest touches the floor, then push yourself up to the original position.

Note that it is hard to know whether your body is straight. If you are exercising where there is a good mirror at the right height, set yourself up parallel to the mirror so you can check.

Don't cheat. Don't arch your back, and don't go halfway down - if you can't do this type of push-up, do an easier version. On the other hand, if these are easy for you (if you can do, say, 2 sets of 15) then you can try a harder version.

Easier versions of the push-up
Essentially, you make push-ups easier by raising your hands, so that less of your weight is on your hands. Alternatively, you can lessen the weight by doing them on your knees and hands. Find a version that you can do properly, then, when you can do 2 sets of 15, go to the next harder version.

The easiest push-up is probably the wall push-up. Stand facing a wall, far enough away that your hands can barely touch the wall when they are flat. Again, keeping your body straight, bend your arms until you touch the wall (your head will touch)

Next easiest is the bed or bench push-up. Get into the usual push-up position, but with your hands on a bed or bench. Again as usual, bend your arms, keep your body straight, until you touch the bed or bench. The higher the bench is off the floor, the easier this will be.

Next easiest is probably the knee push-up. This is just like the regular push-up, except that you rest on your hands and knees, rather than hands and feet.

Harder versions of the push-up
If you're in good enough shape that the regular push-up is easy - congratulations! Here are some harder versions

The hardest version I've seen is the planche. In this push-up, your feet are off the floor entirely. This one is only for very strong people!

Less demanding than that is a version where you place your feet in an elevated position, usually on a bench or ball, thus increasing the amount of weight on your hands.

Another version is to place your hands on balls, or on special hand-holds, thus increasing the range of movement and making it harder to do.

You can also do push-ups on your knuckles, instead of your palms.

Yet another version is the clap-hands push-up, where you do a usual push-up, but go up so fast that you can get your hands off the floor and clap them.