To be honest, push-ups aren’t as easy as they seem. It takes a lot of upper-body and core strength to push your body weight off the floor while staying in a plank position.
I used to be a long-distance runner with a weak upper body before I started strength training, so I know what it’s like to start over. You can get there, but it will take time and practice.
If you want to do this bodyweight move, I have two changes that will help you reach your goal. You’ll work the same muscles, but in a different way, to get stronger and practise the movement pattern.
You might like the picture of a woman lying on her back on an exercise mat on a wooden floor, with her legs bent at 90 degrees. There are plants and glass walls behind her.
Can’t do a plank? A Pilates teacher gives three easy-to-follow options that still build core strength. A man in an orange shirt and a man in a white shirt are both doing push-ups against a low wall outside, with the camera facing them from the side.
If you’re new to working out, a personal trainer says these are the first five exercises you should do. A woman is doing a side plank on a mat.
This core strength workout doesn’t require any equipment and can help with back pain and posture.
I used the two options below when I was first learning how to do full push-ups, and I still use them with my personal training clients today.
I still do versions of these moves to keep my push-up strength. You really will lose it if you don’t use it, and that’s definitely true for this bodyweight move.
You might want to start with the first move and then add the second one once you get stronger, depending on how strong you are right now.
1. Push-up with a negative
If you can hold a high plank with good form and a strong core for 30 to 60 seconds, you are ready to move on to a negative push-up, which is also called an eccentric push-up.
Sign up for the Fit&Well Newsletter
Get health tips, workout ideas, and advice on how to feel better in your inbox every week.
Your Email Address
Get in touch with me about news and deals from other Future brands.
We will send you emails on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors.
You agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and are at least 16 years old when you send in your information.
This move is all about going down. You will get stronger for a full push-up if you learn how to lower yourself slowly and with control.
How to do it:
Eccentric Push-Up with Full Reset – YouTubeEccentric Push-Up with Full Reset – YouTube
Sets: 3 Reps: 5-8
What to read next: a woman in a glute bridge position on a yoga mat
No sit-ups or planks—I’m a personal trainer and these are the five moves I think that all beginners should start working on their deep core with
A woman is smiling and holding a resistance band in a park.
I’ve been doing this standing exercise for six months, and it’s made my core much stronger. A woman does a high plank at home.
This circuit is what I would do if I wanted to build up my core strength and only had five minutes and no equipment.
- Get into a high plank position with your shoulders directly over your wrists and your body in a straight line from your shoulders to your feet.
- Use your core, shoulder blades, and buttocks.
- To lower yourself to the floor with control, bend your elbows and keep them close to your body.
- At the end of your range, let your knees fall to the floor.
- Push back up by extending your arms.
- To get back to a high plank position, lift your knees.
Make it easier: If you can’t get all the way down to the floor, try the incline version. Instead of putting your hands on the floor, put them on a box or chair to take some of the weight off your shoulders and arms. Keep doing this until you can do three sets of five to eight reps without any trouble.
2. Hold a low push-up
This is an isometric move that holds the bottom position of the push-up, right before your chest touches the floor.
I like this move because it makes the hardest part of the push-up stronger. It can also be changed to make it harder for people with different levels of strength. You can hold lower to make it harder or higher while you build strength.
How to do the move:
Low Push Up Hold – YouTubeLow Push Up Hold – YouTube Watch On
Sets: 3 Reps: 5-8
- Your body should be in a straight line from your shoulders to your feet, and your shoulders should be directly above your wrists.
- Use your core, shoulder blades, and buttocks.
- To lower yourself to the floor in a controlled way, bend your elbows and keep them close to your body.
- Stop at a depth that you can stay at for three to five seconds.
- Put your knees on the floor and then push yourself back up with your arms.
- To get back to a high plank position, lift your knees.
