You can run and you can hide (or in this case, scroll), but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a strength routine on the Peloton App that doesn’t include at least one set of push-ups. That’s because push-ups, in essence, are the perfect exercise. 

When considering which muscles push-ups work, you may only think of the upper body—but that’s not the case. “Push-ups really are a full-body exercise,” says Peloton instructor Erik Jäger. “When performed correctly, push-ups improve your posture and strengthen your core, chest, triceps, and shoulders.” 

Sounds great, right? The problem is that push-ups can be pretty challenging. Instead of throwing in the towel, take the time to get it right. Read on to learn more about the muscles worked by push-ups, how to perfect your form to get the most out of this exercise, and why it’s worth taking the time to do so. 

Muscles Worked By Push-Ups

“The upper body certainly gets targeted during a push-up. This includes the chest, triceps, and shoulders,” Erik says—but that’s not all. Here’s a closer look at which muscles kick into action during push-ups.

Chest

Your chest muscles—namely the pectoralis major and minor (aka your pecs)—are the main target of push-ups. Your chest helps control how slowly you lower to the mat and is also largely responsible for the motion of pushing up away from the floor. The serratus anterior, a lesser-known muscle located on the side of your chest that runs along your top eight ribs, is also highly active during push-ups, since it helps to move and stabilize your shoulder blade.   

Triceps 

Your triceps are the muscles on the back of your upper arm that work to straighten the elbow, and they’re one of the most active muscles during push-ups. During a push-up rep, your triceps assist in controlling your descent toward the floor, but then powerfully engage to straighten your arms as you push up to the top of a rep. The closer your elbows are to your sides, the more you’ll engage your triceps during push-ups.

Shoulders 

You might not have guessed it, but the anterior deltoids (i.e., the frontmost section of your shoulder muscles) are another primary mover during the push-up. The anterior deltoid’s main job is to lift your arm up in front of you (think: a front raise). When you’re pressing out of the bottom of a push-up rep, the anterior deltoids work to pull your upper arm forward. The rear deltoids (the back section of the shoulder muscles) also kick in to pull your arms and shoulders backward slightly when you’re nearing the bottom of the rep, and the rotator cuff muscles help to stabilize your shoulder joint throughout the movement. 

Upper Back 

A crew of upper-back muscles help to execute push-ups, including the latissimus dorsi (aka lats), trapezius (traps), and rhomboids. Together, they help stabilize and move your shoulder blades, controlling your descent toward the floor.

Core

If you perform a push-up with proper form, you’re essentially doing a moving plank—one of the best core exercises out there. As a result, push-ups engage several of your core muscles, including the rectus abdominis (your “six pack” muscles), internal and external obliques (sides of your core), transverse abdominis (your deep core), psoas (a hip flexor) and erector spinae (back muscles that run along your spine), according to research published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning.

How to Do a Push-Up 

To reap all the benefits of push-ups, it’s key to practice proper form. Follow these step-by-step instructions from Erik to make sure you’re doing push-ups correctly and engaging all the right muscles.

Other Benefits of Push-Ups

Build Serious Strength

There’s a reason push-ups can feel so difficult. A 2011 controlled trial published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that by doing a standard push-up, you’re pressing approximately 64 percent of your bodyweight. Meanwhile, knee push-ups involve pressing roughly 49 percent of your bodyweight. This offers a solid way to build strength in all the muscles listed above, even without weights or machines. The strength you build in push-ups can then carry over to other pushing exercises that target similar muscles, including the bench press, chest press, and overhead press. 

Boost Functional Fitness 

In addition to improving your pushing power in the gym, push-ups also boost your functional fitness, preparing your body to move well through activities performed in sports or daily life. For example, the strength you build with push-ups can make it easier to push open a door, carry your kids, and hoist something heavy overhead. Training functionally in your workout routine will help you move more efficiently and prevent injury when you have to tap into these muscles and movement patterns in everyday life.

Increase Mucular Endurance

Banging out push-up reps is a great way to increase your muscular endurance, or your muscles’ ability to work over a period of time. You’ll see this firsthand as you find that you’re slowly able to increase the number of push-ups you can do in a row. This increased muscular endurance comes in handy during upper-body intensive sports, such as boxing or rowing, and can even help you maintain a strong upper body position during long cycling rides. During daily life, better muscular endurance in your core and upper body also helps you maintain proper posture, so you can stand or sit tall for long periods.

Help Improve Important Health Markers

Push-ups are linked to benefits that may help you stay healthy longer in life. For example, 2019 research published in JAMA Network Open found that, in a 10-year longitudinal study of male firefighters 18 years and older, those who could crank out more than 40 push-ups had a significant reduction in cardiovascular disease and events associated with it, such as a heart attack. Those who performed 10 or fewer push-ups saw a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease and its related events. Resistance training (including bodyweight training such as push-ups) is linked with better bone health, as it increases bone density, which makes bones less prone to fracture.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Doing Push-Ups

There are some common mistakes Erik sees when people do push-ups, and how to correct them.

How to Get Better at Push-Ups 

Push-ups may seem intimidating at first, but if you modify appropriately and take the time to focus on your form, the rest of the rep will follow. 

1. Drill High Planks

One of the first things you can do to get better at a push-up is to work on your high plank. Aim to hold a plank for 30 seconds up to 1 minute to ensure that you have the core strength you need to do push-ups properly.

2. Modify As Needed—and Don’t Let Your Ego Get In the Way

“It’s important not to have false pride when learning how to do a push-up,” Erik says. “This means that if you know your form is off (i.e., you feel your back arching, have lower back pain, notice your elbows pointing out, or anything else), you should start with knee push-ups and work up from there.” You can also modify by placing your hands on an elevated surface, such as a workout bench, plyometric box, or even the wall; the higher the support, the easier it will be.

By dropping your knees or elevating your hands, you reduce the amount of weight you’re pressing; think of it like reaching for a 10-pound dumbbell first instead of going straight to 20. This will allow you to focus on the muscle groups you may be neglecting in your high plank, such as your core and triceps.

3. Do Push-Ups Consistently

“If you really want to focus on push-ups, use them in your training three times a week,” Erik says. He suggests doing five sets, doing anywhere from 5 to 12 reps per set, depending on your fitness level. After a few weeks, aim to increase the number of reps you’re doing. Stick with it, you just might surprise yourself with how many push-ups you can do.