Push-Up
Also called: pushup, press-up
The everywhere exercise: a moving plank that presses. Scales from first rep to weighted reps on rings.
Technique
How to do it
- 1
Hands under shoulders, body in one straight line from ears to heels.
- 2
Lower until your chest is a fist-height from the floor, elbows ~45°.
- 3
Press the floor away without letting the hips sag or pike.
- 4
Lock out and squeeze at the top.
Cue bank
Two cues, picked by context
Internal cues for growth work at moderate loads; external cues when the bar is heavy. The app switches automatically.
“Feel both pecs pull toward your sternum as you press.”
“Push the floor away from you.”
Common faults
What to watch for
Standard coaching taxonomy for this movement. A dedicated Harry Spotter rubric is on the roadmap.
Sagging hips
The plank fails before the pecs do.
Fix: Squeeze glutes; shorten the set.
Chicken-neck reps
The head bobs, the chest never travels.
Fix: Chest leads, chin stays packed.
Flared elbows
Same shoulder complaint as the bench.
Fix: Elbows at 45°, hands screwed into the floor.
Substitutions