Push-up

Beginnerupper-body

Arms straight, body in a line, core tight.

The classic upper-body builder. Maintain a straight line from head to heels, lower under control, and press back up.

Key points

•Hands under shoulders, fingers spread
•Body forms a straight plank line
•Lower until chest nearly touches the floor
•Push the ground away to return

Practice with Coach Maya

Camera setup tips

· Place the camera side-on to you, 2 to 3 metres away.
· Keep your whole body in frame, head to feet.
· Phone on a tripod or a laptop webcam both work.
· Perform the movement, pause, repeat. Your coach speaks every 15 seconds.

Theory & Technique

The push-up is arguably the most effective bodyweight upper-body exercise ever devised. It trains your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core simultaneously. Start in a high plank with hands directly beneath your shoulders and fingers spread wide for a stable base. Your body should form one straight line from head to heels — no sagging hips, no piked-up butt. Lower yourself by bending the elbows until your chest is an inch from the floor, keeping your elbows at roughly a 45-degree angle to your body. Press the ground away to return to the top, fully extending your arms and squeezing your chest at the top.

Fun Fact

The world record for most push-ups in 24 hours is 46,001 — that's roughly 32 push-ups every single minute for an entire day!

Watch the real thing

Learn from real coaches first. Your live scoring compares you to the reference figure above; these videos are for learning, and stay with their creators on YouTube.