Push-Up
The classic, and for good reason. The push-up hits chest, shoulders, and triceps simultaneously while demanding full-body tension from your core, glutes, and quads to keep you in a rigid line. Done properly, it's one of the single best exercises you can do — no equipment, no excuses.
Most beginners do push-ups with sagging hips, flared elbows, and a shortened range of motion. Slow down and do them right and 10 clean reps will feel harder than 30 sloppy ones. This is also where you learn elbow tracking — the ~45° tuck you'll reuse in diamond push-ups, archer push-ups, and one-arm push-ups down the line.
How to do it
Set up in a high plank with hands shoulder-width apart, directly under your shoulders. Squeeze your glutes and brace your core so your body is one straight line. Bend your elbows (tracking at ~45° from your torso) and lower your chest to just above the floor. Press back up to full arm extension.
Target
3 sets of 10 reps with chest touching (or nearly touching) the floor each rep.
Key tips
- Elbows at roughly 45°, not flared straight out to the sides
- Full range of motion — chest to floor, arms fully extended at top
- Keep your core tight and glutes squeezed — no sagging hips, no piked bum
- If 10 is too hard, do as many strict reps as you can and finish the set with incline or knee push-ups
Progression
Before this: if a full push-up isn't there yet, regress the angle. Go back to the Wall Push-Up, then progress your hands to a counter, then a chair, then a low step — each step closer to the floor is harder.
Next step: once 3×10 is easy, narrow your hand position and move on to the Diamond Push-Up in Level 3 to hit the triceps harder.