Countless people have the goal of being able to do full push-ups from the floor, but have NO idea where to begin. Furthermore, there is so much unhelpful information out there that is leaving people feeling frustrated and confused! For example, many people are told to learn push-ups by doing push-ups from the knees, so they make little to no progress.
In this article that talks about how to get your first push-up, I discuss why I am not a fan of kneeling push-ups if doing full push-ups from the floor is a goal.
If you are looking for an amazing push-up progression program, check out my Ultimate Push-Up Program. My world class full body push-up program is for beginners to elites!
Here are 5 of my go-to push-up progression exercises that will help you get “unstuck” so you can get your first push-up, and learn more advanced types of push-ups.
#1) Hands Elevated Push-Ups
Do you have the goal of being able to perform regular push-ups but aren’t quite ready? If your goal is to be able to perform regular push-ups, I will come right out and say that I prefer hands elevated over kneeling push-ups. While this is subjective, in my 20+ years of coaching, I’ve found that the carryover from hands elevated push-ups to regular push-ups is significantly greater. With hands elevated push-ups, the same body positioning is utilized. This is key.
You may perform this exercise using an elevated surface like a box, bench, barbell (in a rack), Smith Machine, etc.
Coaching Tips:
- Place your hands so they are on an elevated surface.
- Get into a plank position from your hands and feet. Set your body so it is in a straight line from the top/back of your head to heels, tuck your chin, and keep your neck in a neutral position.
- While maintaining the same body positioning, gaze directly down to a spot on the floor/surface. For the duration of the exercise, your eyes should remain fixed on this spot.
- Adopt your preferred foot width. You may place your feet so they are together, shoulder width apart, or somewhere in between.
- Position your hands so they are shoulder width apart or slightly wider. Figure out what hand width and positioning works and feels best for you.
- At the top of the push-up, your shoulders, elbows, and wrists should be in a relatively stacked position. Your shoulders can be slightly ahead of your hands if this helps you keep your elbows stacked over your wrists/hands when you are in the bottom position of the push-up.
- Your weight should be evenly distributed throughout your full hands and fingers, not just at the base of your hands/wrists. Pretend you are trying to spread your full hands and fingers to the bench/surface.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), and squeeze your glutes.
- Lightly press your tongue against the roof of your mouth (behind your upper front teeth). This subtle trick can make keeping your head and neck from collapsing much easier.
- Descend into the push-up and retract your shoulder blades. Think about lightly drawing your shoulder blades together and towards your spine as you are performing the eccentric component, but do not overdo this movement. Imagine you are pulling or “rowing” your body down to the surface. Do not just drop down.
- In the bottom position, your elbows should be positioned over your wrists, and forearms in a vertical position. Do not allow your elbows to flare out. In the bottom position, your body and arms should resemble an “arrow,” not a “T”.
- Once your upper arms are approximately parallel (or slightly closer) to the elevated surface, press up and return to the starting position.
- When you are pressing your body away from the surface and are returning to the top position, protract your shoulder blades. Think about spreading your shoulder blades apart and moving them away from your spine, and around your ribcage. Do not keep them pinned.
- Exhale after you have pressed away from the surface and as your body is returning to the top position of the push-up.
- For the duration of the exercise, your body should remain in a straight line from the top/back of your head to heels. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, hips to collapse or pike, or neck to collapse.
#2) Hands Elevated Weight Transfers From Plank
This “plank” improves shoulder and scapular stability, and lumbo-pelvic stability (think core). Remember, the push-up is a moving plank!
The goal here is to focus on form, body position, tension, and stability, NOT exhaustion!
Coaching Tips:
- Get into a plank position from your hands and feet, and elevate your hands on a stable surface like a bench, box, stair, etc.
- On the planted side, your hand should be underneath your shoulder. Spread your fingers, and pretend you are suctioning or screwing your hand and fingers to the surface.
- On the other side of your body, place a weighted object.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), and squeeze your glutes.
- Now pass or slide the weight to the opposite side of your body. Repeat using the opposite arm.
- On the planted side, for the duration of the exercise press away from the surface/towards the ceiling and protract your shoulder blade (move it away from your spine and around your ribcage). Do not mindlessly hang out.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulder blades or shoulders to elevate towards your ears. Keep your shoulder blades down/depressed. Imagine you are sliding your shoulder blades down towards your heels.
- For the duration of the exercise, your body should remain in a straight line from your head to heels. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to pike or collapse.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#3) Eccentric Only Push-Ups
This exercise helps you learn the eccentric/lowering component of the push-up.
Coaching Tips:
- Get into a plank position from your hands and feet. Set your body so it is in a straight line from the top/back of your head to heels, tuck your chin, and keep your neck in a neutral position.
- While maintaining the same body positioning, gaze directly down to a spot on the floor. For the duration of the exercise, your eyes should remain fixed on this spot.
- Adopt your preferred foot width. You may place your feet so they are together, shoulder width apart, or somewhere in between.
- Position your hands so they are shoulder width apart or slightly wider. Figure out what hand width and positioning works and feels best for you.
- At the top of the push-up, your shoulders, elbows, and wrists should be in a relatively stacked position. Your shoulders can be slightly ahead of your hands if this helps you keep your elbows stacked over your wrists/hands when you are in the bottom position of the push-up.
- Your weight should be evenly distributed throughout your full hands and fingers, not just at the base of your hands/wrists. Pretend you are trying to spread your full hands and fingers to the floor.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), and squeeze your glutes.
- Lightly press your tongue against the roof of your mouth (behind your upper front teeth). This subtle trick can make keeping your head and neck from collapsing much easier.
- Descend into the push-up and retract your shoulder blades. Think about lightly drawing your shoulder blades together and towards your spine as you are performing the eccentric component, but do not overdo this movement. Imagine you are pulling or “rowing” your body down to the floor. Do not just drop down. Aim to lower yourself down in 3-5 (or more) seconds.
- In the bottom position, your elbows should be positioned over your wrists, and forearms in a vertical position. Do not allow your elbows to flare out. In the bottom position, your body and arms should resemble an “arrow,” not a “T”.
- Once your upper arms are approximately parallel (or slightly closer) to the floor, touch your knees down to the floor, and press back up to the starting position. Please note, this is the only time your knees should come into contact with the floor as the objective is for you to use the same body positioning as you would during regular push-ups.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position (and in a straight line from your head to heels during the lowering component). Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, hips to collapse or pike, or neck to collapse.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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#4) Modified Dead Bugs
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability. Keeping the knees bent for the duration of the exercise often allows people to perform the exercise correctly.
If you’ve been keeping your legs fully extended yet find the exercise “too easy,” this modification might actually make the exercise feel more difficult as you’ll be more inclined to perform the exercise correctly!
The goal here is to focus on form, body position, tension, and stability, NOT exhaustion!
Coaching Tips:
- Lie on your back on the floor. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position. Keep your chin tucked, and neck in a neutral position.
- Extend your arms so they are in a vertical position, and are above your chest.
- Bend your knees to approximately 45-90 degrees, and maintain the same angle for the duration of the exercise.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt).
- Now contract your core muscles, steadily exhale through your teeth, slowly lower your leg and opposite arm towards the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form. You can further modify this exercise by very lightly touching your heel to the floor. I like to tell people to imagine a raw uncooked egg is on the floor, and you want to touch the egg so lightly that it will not crack.
- Gain a moment of control, and then return your arm and your leg to the top/starting position.
- When you return to the starting position pause and do a proper reset. Most people rush and do not do a proper reset.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to leave the floor.
#5) Concentric Only Push-Ups
This exercise helps you learn the concentric/pressing component of the push-up.
Coaching Tips:
- Get into the bottom position of a push-up, but so your forehead, torso and lower body are in full contact with the floor.
- While maintaining the same body positioning, gaze directly down to a spot on the floor/surface. For the duration of the exercise, your eyes should remain fixed on this spot.
- Adopt your preferred foot width. You may place your feet so they are together, shoulder width apart, or somewhere in between.
- Position your hands so they are shoulder width apart or slightly wider.
- Your elbows should be positioned over your wrists, and forearms in a vertical position. Do not allow your elbows to flare out. In the bottom position, your body and arms should resemble an “arrow,” not a “T”.
- Your weight should be evenly distributed throughout your full hands and fingers, not just at the base of your hands/wrists.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), and squeeze your glutes.
- Now press your body away from the floor, and to the top position of the push-up.
- When you are pressing your body away from the floor and are traveling towards the top position, protract your shoulder blades. Think about spreading your shoulder blades apart and moving them away from your spine, and around your ribcage. Do not keep them pinned.
- Exhale after you have pressed away from the floor and as your body is approaching the top position of the push-up.
- At the top of the push-up, your shoulders, elbows, and wrists should be in a relatively stacked position. Your shoulders can be slightly ahead of your hands if this helps you keep your elbows stacked over your wrists/hands when you are in the bottom position of the push-up.
- From the top position, touch your knees down to the floor, and return to the starting position. Please note, this is the only time your knees should come into contact with the floor as the objective is for you to use the same body positioning as you would during regular push-ups.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position (and in a straight line from your head to heels during the pressing component). Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, hips to collapse or pike, or neck to collapse.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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