Horizontal push

Push-ups

Bodyweight horizontal pressing. No equipment needed, and scaled properly they build strength just like a bench press.

Push-ups — exercise illustration

Horizontal push · Beginner

Push-ups

Bodyweight · AI visualisation, illustrative only

Equipment
Bodyweight
Level
Beginner
Primary muscles
Pectoralis major, Triceps
Secondary muscles
Serratus anterior, Abdominals, Glutes
Working range
8–20 reps · RIR 2

Step by step

Movement diagram: Push-ups
A movement diagram, not a photograph. It shows the sequence of joint angles and the path of the load — body proportions are schematic. If you have reduced motion enabled, you will see both positions side by side.
  1. 1Hands slightly wider than shoulders, fingers pointing forward.
  2. 2Body in one line from heels to head. Squeeze glutes and brace the abs.
  3. 3Lower with elbows about 45 degrees from the torso.
  4. 4Go down until your chest is just above the floor.
  5. 5Push back up and, at the very top, let the shoulder blades spread — that recruits the serratus.

What makes the biggest difference

Common mistakes

Hips sagging

The lumbar spine takes the load instead of the chest. Squeeze the glutes and imagine a glass of water on your back.

Partial range

Halfway down is a different exercise. Five full push-ups from the knees beat twenty shallow ones.

Head craning forward

The neck stays in line with the spine. Look at the floor about 30 cm in front of your hands.

What to do instead

Too hard through full range

Elevated push-ups

Hands on a bench or box reduce the load. Lower the surface once you can do 12 clean reps.

Too easy — adding reps no longer works

Feet-elevated or weighted push-ups

Shifts more bodyweight onto the arms. Alternatively use a plate on the back or a band across the shoulder blades.

Wrist pain

Push-ups on handles or fists

A neutral wrist removes the extension that usually causes the pain.

Contraindications

  • A recent wrist or shoulder injury — get it checked first.
  • Diastasis recti — have a suitable variation prescribed for you.

This is not medical advice. If any of these apply to you, or the exercise causes pain, talk to a doctor or physiotherapist before returning to training.

Similar exercises

Bench pressDips

Log your sets and watch the progression

You enter weight, reps and RIR — the app computes your estimated 1RM, plots the strength curve and suggests the next session’s load along with the reasoning.

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