The push-up should be a staple in any exercise program, whether the goals be related to strength, hypertrophy, athleticism, or aesthetics. However, there is a little more to this exercise than most people realize. This lack of knowledge often leads to incorrect technique, which in turn leads to not getting the most benefit out of doing this great exercise. I am going to point out 3 of the more common mistakes I've seen with push-ups as well as give some ways to fix them and make this exercise even more effective. There is an attached video below for reference to each of the mistakes I will describe.
First off, many people will often do push-ups with their elbows flared out at about 90 degrees from their sides. The main reason this happens is because it simply makes the exercise easier, albeit less effective and more likely to lead to shoulder and elbow issues down the road. With the elbows flared like this, the pectoral fibers are in a position better suited to produce force. In addition to this, EMG research has shown that with the elbow in this position as opposed to keeping them at more of a 45 degree angle, the exercise results in less muscle activation in the pecs and triceps. Since a number of people (especially bench press loving males) have a deficit in shoulder horizontal abduction, flaring the elbows up lets them use the muscular tightness to help push them out of the bottom portion of each rep.
The second common mistake is letting the hips sag, especially on the concentric (upward) portion of each repetition. This is also referred to as “caterpillaring,” as you can observe in the attached video. What happens is that on the way up, the shoulders rise faster than the hips, causing extension through the lumbar spine and possibly associated anterior pelvic tilt. This can happen for several reasons. The first would be simply due to the fact that it makes the exercise easier and creates the illusion that you are performing full range reps. You only pushing part of your lower body up as the hips sag behind, instead of pushing your whole body up as a single unit in a correctly performed pushup. This is often fixed by some simple verbal or tactile cues. The second reason is due to the lack of interior “anti-extension” core strength. Compensation for this weakness occurs by hanging on ligamentous supports such as the hip flexors anteriorly as they fall into anterior pelvic tilt, and through approximation of vertebrae in the lumbar spine posteriorly. These individuals probably have tight hip flexors and lumbar extensors along with weak glutes and rectus abdominus.
The third common mistake seen is limiting the range of motion by jutting the chin forward on each rep. This can also occur for several reasons. The first is that the individual’s deep neck flexors may be weak and working against the extra force of gravity in the prone position is just to much for them. If a person has a slight forward head posture in standing, it is often magnified when assuming a prone position. The other reason for doing this involves lessening the range of motion so that the clear bottom position is avoided. The bottom position requires one to hold up the highest percentage of body weight as the body should be close to parallel with the floor. This could also be an ego issue. It’s pretty easy to rep out on push-ups doing it this way versus using correct form and banging out fewer than 10 reps.
There are several things that can be done to avoid these mistakes as well as to increase the effectiveness of this exercise. The first correction deals with problems related to flaring out the elbows. A way to help with this would be to slightly turn your hands outward. This makes keeping those elbows in less than a 45 degree angle much easier, and it also prevents them from flaring out. This position also shortens the lever arm, allowing higher activation of the pecs and triceps, and it brings the lats on board to help with core stabilization via the tightening of the thoracolumbar fascia. As far as grip width, the best advice would be to try to find a position that puts your elbows straight over your hands in the bottom position, as well as puts your elbows just behind your shoulders. This position allows for the optimal sharing of forces over the wrist, shoulder, and elbow joints.
As far as correcting the hip sag problem, there are several different things that may help out. The first would be to begin by tightening up your body in the top position. Think that someone is going to bump into you from the side at any minute. Next squeeze your armpits down to engage your lats and “pull” yourself into the bottom position. Don’t just relax and fall into it the bottom. If you tend to go into anterior pelvic tilt, then think about setting yourself into a neutral position by squeezing the glutes hard. If you are still unable to adequately stabilize your torso, choose a regression exercise variation that decreases the stability demands.
In addition, think about pulling your chin back into your neck and holding it there for the duration of the exercise. Your chin/nose should never touch the floor before your chest does. If you are unable to do a correct full range of motion, find a variation that allows you to do so, and build your strength levels from there. One you have mastered a given variation, move on to more advanced exercises. Never sacrifice movement quality for quantity.
Aaron Olson
