Push-Up Complete Mini Course

Palm Push-Ups are a small but powerful movement done on all fours. By pressing through your knuckles and lifting the palms off the floor, you build strength in the wrists and forearms—key foundations for pain-free push-ups and better hand positioning.

The plank is a full-body isometric hold that trains the core, shoulders, and posture muscles. In this version, you'll maintain a strong, straight line from head to heels, building the strength and stability needed to support your body during a push-up.

Wall Push-Ups are a beginner-friendly push-up variation that reduces load on the upper body while reinforcing proper form. By standing and pressing against a wall, you’ll start building strength, control, and muscle memory without the stress of full bodyweight.

Reader’s Pose Push-Ups begin in a resting kneeling position (similar to child’s pose) and transition into a modified push-up. This gentle flowing movement builds upper body strength while improving shoulder mobility and control through a partial range of motion.

Tabletop Push-Ups are a gentle introduction to pushing from the floor. With knees and hands grounded, this variation reduces bodyweight load while helping you develop the strength, alignment, and confidence needed to eventually push from a full plank position.

Push-Up Negatives focus on the lowering (eccentric) phase of the push-up. You’ll descend slowly from a plank or kneeling position, teaching your body control, alignment, and strength under tension.

This is an isometric hold at the bottom of a push-up. Holding near the floor builds raw strength and control in the most difficult part of the movement.

Elevated Push-Ups are performed with your hands on a raised surface (bench, box, countertop). This reduces the load while training the full push-up range.

This dynamic movement flows from a push-up position into an Upward Facing Dog, combining strength, control, and spinal extension. It’s optional and should only be done if your low back feels good.

Kneeling Push-Ups allow you to practice the full movement pattern of a push-up with reduced intensity. With the knees grounded, it’s easier to control form while building strength in the chest, arms, and core.

The Dead Stop Push-Up starts and ends with your chest on the ground. Each rep begins from a complete rest, forcing you to generate strength from a full stop—no momentum, just muscle.

The standard full push-up is the baseline strength move this entire course has prepared you for. Body in a straight line, lowering under control, pressing back up strong.

This dynamic variation is done with hands on an elevated surface and focuses on speed and power. It helps develop explosive strength and fast-twitch muscle response.

This variation uses a wider hand placement to shift more emphasis to the chest muscles and reduce tricep involvement. It also adds a slight stability challenge.

This close-grip push-up variation emphasizes the triceps and inner chest. It requires more control and core tension and can be quite challenging even for experienced athletes.