How To Get Better At Push-Ups: Ultimate 10-Step Guide

Introduction

There is no doubt in saying that push-ups are one of the best exercises that provide amazing health benefits.

The good thing about push-ups is that it is a bodyweight exercise, which means that you can do it anywhere you want. Push-ups are a great way to build amazing upper strength and they target different muscle groups such as shoulders, triceps, and chest at once.

Push-ups are also considered as the fastest way to increase strength, but the only problem is that most people cannot do this amazing exercise effectively and properly.

There are also many people who can do some push-ups, but struggle to increase the rep count.

So, if you have any of these kinds of problems, then this ultimate 10-step push-up guide is very helpful for you.

In this article, you will get the best 10 ways that will teach you how to get better at push-ups. After reading this article, you will have all the necessary information and you’ll be able to extend your rep range very easily.

If this sounds compelling, then stick to the very end of this article!

1- Learn The Proper Form

One of the most important things that you should do to get better at pushups is improving your form.

There are many people, especially beginners, who don’t how to execute a complete push-up with the right form and due to this, they cannot get better and don’t get any results.

Instead, doing push-ups in the wrong form may cause shoulder injuries and result in muscle damages. Before doing anything, you should make sure that your form is right.

To help you understand better, here are some tips that may help you get the right form.

• The main thing you should do is keep your back straight. Don’t slouch or loosen up your shoulders during the entire exercise, as it will reduce your strength. Along with this, keep your core tight and engaged

• One more mistake that most make is they lift their butt as they go down. While this makes the push-up a bit easier, you won’t get any benefits by doing this. Your butt should not be lifted and it must be down and aligned during the entire push-up.

• To make your push-ups perfect, you should always remember that your body should form a straight line. You have to make sure that you are not arching or letting your body rest down

If you have just started your push-up journey, then you can ask your friend to keep an eye on your form. Also, before starting the push-up session, warm up your wrist, so it won’t get twisted while doing the exercise.

Once you are in the push-up position, keep your palms firmly rooted on the mat to protect your wrist from the strain.

(Check out the video below on proper form)

2- Use Variations To Make It Easier

If you are a complete beginner and have never done a single push-up before, then it might be a little difficult for you to start with regular push-ups.

Though if you can do regular pushups, then you may not need this tip as this is only for people who can’t even do a single push-up.

For people who face difficulties in completing the regular push-up, push-up variations are the best way to make things a little easier.

The variation that you can opt for is incline push-ups. These kinds of push-ups target your lower chest and the back muscles, and they are slightly easier to complete.

The main difference between this and the regular push-up is that in this push-up, you are not parallel to the ground. Instead, you are doing the pushup in an elevated angle.

Now, the angle depends on how much easier you want to make the push-up. For example- if you want to decrease the difficulty, then you should elevate the angle and use a high table or stool to execute the pushup.

In short, the higher the surface, the easier the push-up will become for you. You can also do these push-ups by using a wall. Just decide the angle that is comfortable for you and start doing it. You should do 3 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions, and take a 2-minute rest after each set.

3- Focus On Quality

If you want to get better at push-ups and want to gain some muscles and strength, then you should focus more on quality rather than quantity.

There are many people who just want to increase the numbers and this does not only include beginners, but most experienced people also make this silly mistake.

By increasing the numbers, you will get mental satisfaction and your ego will be satisfied, but the sad part is that your body won’t get any benefits. So, it doesn’t matter whether you can just do 3 push-ups or 10 or even 100, you should make sure your last push-up is the same as your 1st push-up.

The best way to do that is by following a 3:2 ratio. This means when you go down, make sure you are reaching the ground in 3 seconds and when you come up, make sure it is 2 seconds.

This is called time under tension and the more tension you build in the muscle during the exercise, the better results you will get.

If you get better, then you can increase the seconds to 5 seconds down and 3 seconds up. Just make sure you are executing all the push-ups in the perfect form and putting proper tension on the muscles.

4- Do Modified Push-ups

Though push-ups seem like a simple exercise when you are watching a professional trainer doing them, but in reality, they take a lot of practice and hard work.

If you are a beginner, then you should start your push-ups journey with modified push-ups. Though if you can do the regular ones with the right form, then you are good to go; however, if you can do them, then now you are no longer a beginner.

So, for beginners, the best way to learn how to do push-ups is by starting with the modified versions first, then gradually moving to the advanced push-ups.

This will reduce the chances of injuries and you will be able to understand the movement correctly.

Apart from this, to get better results, it is very important to build a mind-muscle connection. These push-ups will also help you with that.

Here are some modified versions of push-ups that you can try in order to gain strength and get better.

Knee Push-up- This is one of the popular modifications of a regular push-up that most pro trainers recommend to their clients.

It is quite similar to the traditional push-up, but the only difference is that in this push-up, instead of using your feet, you use your knee.

This makes it a bit easier, as now, you don’t have to push the weight of the entire body. This is the best modification that will help you master the traditional move.

If you feel that it is too easy for you, then you can switch to one knee push-up and do the exercise by bending only one knee. By doing this, you will improve your stability and form, which will help you with the traditional push-up.

(Check out the video below on how to do a knee push-up)

The 50/50 Push-up- This push-up modification is for those people who want to get better quickly. It is the same traditional push-up. The only difference is that you won’t go as deep as you go in the traditional push-up.

The form, the hand positioning, and everything else is the same. Just don’t extend your elbows completely as you do in a traditional push-up. The incomplete range of motion is the reason it’s called as the 50/50 push-up.

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5- Include Core Exercises

Another great way to get better at push-ups is by adding core or abdominal exercises in your workout.

If you analyze properly, then you will realize that during the push-up, half of the strength to maintain the posture comes from your abdominal area.

Your core must be strong enough to hold the push position. If your core is weak, then no matter what you do, you won’t be able to develop and learn the proper form.

The good thing is that the exercise to develop core strength is very easy. Even a plank is enough to improve your core strength. To increase the effectiveness, you can put some weights on your back while doing planks.

6- Time Yourself

Once you get slightly better, then you should focus on tracking your workout history. Tracking is very important as it helps you figure out whether you are progressing or not.

The best way to do that is by timing yourself during your workout session. For example, set the timer for 1-minute and try to do as many push-ups as you can.

If you need a break in between, take your break and write down your number of push-ups and the amount of rest you took.

In your next session, your main goal should be to exceed your previous number of push-ups.

7- Progress Slowly

Another common mistake that most people make is that when they start getting a little better, they forget the basics and rush on things.

It won’t only wear you out, but you may also develop some wrong techniques or form. The idea is to reach muscle failure while maintaining the form.

For example, if you can do 20 push-ups with proper form, then the next workout your aim should be reaching 22 to 25 pushups.

Don’t hop to 30. You might complete it by twisting or arching your back, but that doesn’t count, so progress slowly and always maintain proper form.

8- Increase Resistance

You should only do this if you can do continuous push-ups with proper form for a minute without taking rest. Reach that level first because it won’t be easy and can cause muscle damage.

If you can do that, then it’s time to level up and add some weights. You can carry a backpack with weight, or if you have a spotter, then you can directly place them in your back.

Now, you have try to do as many push-ups as you can. If you can’t do 8 to 12 push-ups with the weight, then it means the weight is too heavy for you, so reduce it and then start again.

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9- Mix In Other Push-ups

If you can do 30 to 50 push-ups in one minute, then it’s time to increase your workout level.

Traditional push-ups are considered the basic form of push-ups and once you have mastered them, then you can upgrade to more difficult variations of push-ups.

Along with traditional push-ups, you can add decline push-ups to your workout routine. You can also add narrow grip push-ups if you want to increase the difficulty.

These variations won’t only give you amazing strength, but it will also improve your traditional push-ups.

10- Eat Healthy

Apart from all the physical work, one main thing that you will have to do isconsume the necessary nutrients.

No matter how hard you train, if your diet is not healthy and nutritious, then you won’t get any increase in muscle and strength.

To complete your workout with intensity, you need energy, which you can only get by eating enough protein, carbs, and fats.

So, make sure that your diet is well balanced and you’re getting all the necessary nutrients. If you don’t get an adequate amount of nutrients, particularly protein, from your foods, then feel free to also utilize some health supplements.

Conclusion

Push-ups are not as easy as they look.

You will have to put your time and effort in mastering them. So, if you can’t do a single push-up or only limited to 2 or 3 push-ups, then you should start by perfecting your form.

If you are facing difficulties in the traditional push-up, then you can also perform simpler variations such as incline push-ups or wall push-ups. First, learn them, then move ahead.

Also, focus on doing them properly and don’t run behind the numbers. At last, you can then gradually increase weight and try to eat as healthy as you can.

Follow this 10-step guide and push-ups will soon become a walk in the park for you!