Recently I stumbled upon this video that made me rethink and improve my push-up game.
Here’s the checklist:
Mistake #1: Not applying Full Range of Motion
Solution: Get all the way down (chest touches the floor), and all the way up. Don’t just do half push-ups like most people. Do full ones!
Mistake #2: Flaring your elbows out too wide
Solution: Tuck your elbows in as close to the body as possible.
Mistake #3: Not keeping a straight spine
Solution: Keep a proper and firm plank position.
Mistake #4: Going too fast
Solution: Go slow and do each repetition properly.
Mistake #5: Not breathing properly
Solution: Breathe in through your nose as you go down. As you go up, breathe out in a steady stream through your mouth.
Mistake #6: Not progressing with the movement
Solution: When you can’t do full push-ups yet, do them on your knees, but still applying all things above (especially, keeping a straight posture). When regular push-ups stop being hard, you can do weighted ones (e.g. putting a weight plate on your back) or plyo pushups (e.g. clapping your hands in between reps) or one-handed ones.
Watch the full demonstration video here.
