February 18, 2013

Doing "Real" Push-Ups Without Pain? Ask the Trainers!

Lots of people, women in particular, would like to work up to "real" full-body push ups. They're a great upper body workout, and wouldn't it be cool to one day have such awesome upper body strength you get compliments like "wow, check out those guns?"



Er... OK. A tad too literal?

Well, as long as we're trolling around in public domain images (and hoping that Wikipedia is correct in asserting that an image which is "a work of a U.S. military employee, taken or made as part of that person's official duties" is indeed in the public domain, because who wants to piss off gals with guns?) lets just go with a classic.


There, that's better.

Anyway, despite the awesomeness of push-ups, many folks seem to have wrist or shoulder or other bio-mechanical issues that make them problematic.

We, (and by "we" I mean the entire imaginary Cranky Fitness Editorial Staff), asked four knowledgeable personal trainers for their advice.

How to do push ups without pain?

They also coughed up instructional pictures and videos, hooray!

And of course the least-expert fitness blogger on the planet had to weigh in at the end too. Let's start with the smart advice, shall we?



Dave Smith:


[Dave Smith is a personal trainer who specializes in quick and effective body weight exercise routines that can be done anywhere, anytime - Check him out at MakeYourBodyWork.com]



I see this problem all the time - Thanks for raising it as a question! Push-ups are a fantastic exercise that can be great for body-weight strength training. However, the vast majority of people (yes, women in particular) have a difficult time performing push-ups safely. Here are two points to keep in mind when aiming to do "real" full-body push-ups:

1. Set Up For Success. At the bottom of a push-up your elbows should line up directly above your wrists (see the pictures below). This requires quite a wide starting position, often wider than most people would naturally choose. A wide start reduces wrist stress because it aligns the forearm as you deepen into the push-up. The bottom part of the push-up is where the most resistance occurs, so proper alignment at this point in the movement is most critical.

Proper Alignment = Easy on Wrists




Poor Alignment = More Wrist Stress





2. Be Honest With Yourself. I regularly see exercisers who think they can do push-ups from their toes when in actuality they are not quite strong enough. Drooping hips or a bobbing head (as shown in the picture below) indicate that a modification is likely needed.




A bobbing head may make it feel like you're going deeper in a push-up but it really just adds an unsafe curve in the spine. This form usually indicates lacking strength in the shoulders, chest, triceps, or core.

If someone is not able to do perfect push-ups from their toes then they shouldn't be doing them! It will only be a matter of time before they experience an injury, often in their shoulders or low back. Push-ups are easy to modify by doing them from the knees or by placing your hands on an elevated surface like a bench. Perfect a modified push-up and then start adding a few reps from your toes as your strength increases!


Taylor Ryan:

 [Taylor Ryan is a certified personal trainer and nutrition consultant; check out her personal blog Lifting Revolution for tips, recipes, workouts and more!]


Teaching boot camps, I see this as an issue on an almost daily basis. A lot of times, it is easier to start a new push-up(er) on an incline. Meaning their feet are on the ground but their hands on on a bench or something even higher (the wall). This helps to remove some of the pressure placed on the wrists but also helps them to understand a straight body form.

For many people just getting into push-ups, there is a tendency to lift the butt into the sky to create a “tent”, this is one of the main causes for added shoulder stress. So with the incline, people are able to focus on keeping the tush down.

Another trick to help wrist pressure is to strengthen the wrists. Just like you want strong ankles and knees for running, you want strong wrists for push-ups. Of course simply by doing them, the wrists will gradually get stronger but to help the process along, doing moves like holding light weights (1-3 pounders) in the hands and curling the wrists in and out (towards the body) helps a lot. Soup cans are great for this!

If shoulder pain is the problem, first off always make sure there is not an underlying issue by talking with a doctor. If everything is in the clear, then focus on push-up range of motion.

When going down, keep the shoulders over the wrists, not behind them as this causes added stress. Stop when the elbows are at 90-degrees or a little higher. 90-degrees is what you’re working for but as a beginner going a bit short is okay. Going beyond and you will likely feel it in the shoulders.

Moves like dumbbell bench press can also help strengthen the stabilizer muscles that are used during push-ups.

And last tip... keep your hands at shoulder width apart. Women have a tendency to open the hands up too wide which will place more stress on the shoulders and less on the chest (which is what the main muscle being worked should be).

I also have SEVERAL push-up videos on my youtube page which might help.


Chris Kelly:



[Chris Kelly is a fitness writer and personal training studio owner. He specializes in quick and effective workout routines to fit fitness/nutrition in to a busy schedule. Check out his blog at Peak Wellness online.]


Due to the increasingly sedentary nature of the American lifestyle, wrist and elbow issues are often times the product of too much computer time.

Wrist and elbow pain is something we almost universally see with new clients at our facility but while you may stretch/mobilize your hips, chest or shoulders when they are sore and tight when was the last time you did anything for the wrist and forearms? If your response is greeted by the sound of crickets in the background, chances are you need to re-evaluate this strategy.

Much like any other joint, the wrist falls victim to the same muscle imbalances and inflexibility as any other joint in the body and should be dealt with as such.

The first step in this equation is figuring out what motions are restricted in your wrist and performing the appropriate stretches and mobilizations to improve these limitations. I also recommend soft tissue work for the fore arms as well as the shoulder as these areas are directly connected and often associated with mutual dysfunction.


Here is a video of a fantastic wrist assessment and mobility suggestions to work on this area.


In terms of the push up, what we often find is a turning out of the hands as an indicator of a lack of wrist mobility. The issue here is that a normal push up requires a great deal of wrist extension as the trainee sinks to the bottom. If you lack this mobility, pain is the inevitable outcome.

Performing a push up with the hands on dumbbells or handles of some kind puts the wrist in a more neutral position and is good substitute for individuals limited in this area.


Adria Ali



[Adria is a personal trainer with 3 certifications and a Bachelors of Science in Kinesology. She's been training full time for over 12 years and running Fit Tip Daily.com for the last 5 years.

There are several things you can do to work your self up into a full push up. Bio mechanical issues usually stem from improper muscle balance. This is usually due to poor posture and repetitive movements.

For wrist issues, there are 2 things that can be done.

Use supportive weight lifting gloves with wrist straps

Use push up bars OR dumbbells (as push up bars). Of course these would be the hex dumbbells that won't roll away.

Shoulder issues usually arise when the muscles in the chest are overly tight and the rhomboids and lats are too weak to maintain proper posture. This creates rounded shoulders and a hunched over look.

In order to remedy this, you need to strengthen the back muscles and stretch the chest. Also try to practice proper posture through out the day.

My recommendation for strengthening the body (as a whole) in preparation for a full push up is working on the plank exercise. Holding the pose for as long as possible 3 times and doing this 3- 4 times a week. This will build up the abs, the tendons, and the muscles of the back and shoulders.

*Trainer Fitness Fact - The tendons of the joints MUST grown with the muscles. Injury happens when "Jane" the desk worker decides to go back to the gym after 10 years. She decides to do what she used to "back in the day." She attempts her usual exercises but injures herself. It's not that she couldn't lift the weight but rather that her joints / tendons were not conditioned to carry the load.


Push -up progression

Ball Push-up

Start with the ball high on the thighs and move it down 3 inches every week until you get to your ankles. Do 12- 15 reps 3 sets if possible.

You can also view an animated modified pushup.

Bar Push Up




And go here for an even more challenging push-up version!

Crabby McSlacker




I remember years ago the frustration and ego-deflation of having to resort to the knees down "girls" push-up.

I was too young to actually injure myself doing full-body push-ups, but had I been middle-aged when I used my dumb-ass approach of leaping to "guys" push-ups and soon as possible using horrible form just to assuage my ego-driven desire to get off my knees, I'm sure I'd be nursing yet another chronic injury.

Not that I'm particularly careful about form now, either.  But YOU should be because I'm an idiot.

Anyway, so I totally agree with the trainers above that (1) it's best to pay attention to form and work up gradually to full body push-us; and that (2) there are other modifications that do not require the knees-down position, for those of us who find that weirdly humiliating.

What do you all think of push-ups as an upper body strength move?

Photo: Gals with guns

50 comments:

  1. I think push-ups are arguably the most perfect exercise there is. There are countless ways to modify them to target the chest, shoulders, or arms. Done properly, they engage the core and legs. They can be done anywhere. I used to dread them; now I love them.

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    1. Well I know you're in kick-ass good shape Norma so it's great to know they're part of your arsenal!

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  2. I was never any good at them. All the great advice above has got me wanting to give them another shot.

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    1. Go Leah!

      SO many people who never thought they were good at 'em eventually got there with lots of persistence, effort, pain, misery and... wait, where are you going? :)

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  3. Love push-ups of every variety!! When I find one I can't do, I enjoy the challenge of trying to build up to master it. 5 years ago I would have said - No Way, I Can't do a toe push-up!
    I enjoyed reading all of the trainer tips - lots of good information.

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    1. Ah, love your attitude Kim! "When I find one I can't do..." I tend to go, yikes, that's too hard, gimme something easier!

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  4. I always found push-ups easier to do with my hands placed wider apart. I always kind of thought I was cheating or doing it wrong. So when I read Dave's answer, I thought: Yay! Then I read Taylor's answer and thought: Rats...

    So now I am confused.

    Aside from that, lots of great tips here! Thanks!

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    1. I wondered about that too! But then again, as part of our training we often do several different variations on pushups with hands different distances apart, fingers pointing inwards and so on to target different groups of muscles... So maybe there's no one right answer?

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    2. I saw that too, which is the real-world result of asking more than one person the same question!

      Though I suspect that they could both be true: some people go too wide and it causes problems, while others go too narrow; guess the important part is finding the right sweet spot for each of us.

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  5. I love push-ups as a full body strength exercise and more often than not, I do better with slow and lower reps. My most common push-up injury is my right elbow. It has an existing injury and usually if I go for higher reps or too fast, like clockwork I can count on a sore elbow.

    Great series. I loved reading the responses. Wrist strength really ends up translating to a lot more than pushups - you can see weak wrist strength in free-weight lifting as well...ends up kind of creating a cycle in my opinion.

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    1. Ah, good point QD about not trying to go too fast! I've been guilty of that too and I suspect it's sort of a "cheat" anyway as I'm probably over-using the stronger part of the movement and letting momentum carry the weaker muscles along.

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  6. I've always had a really hard time with them. My older son has helped some of the female fellow military officers to ease into them by having them start at the bottom of a staircase and using whichever stair is most comfortable for them to achieve the correct form. Once that is accomplished, he has them move down one stair and to continue in that manner until they are doing horizontal push ups. I've still not had much success doing that but neither have I persisted all that much.

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    1. I love the idea of using the stairs to work my way down to a horizontal push up! I'm going to try it.

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    2. Hmmm. There isn't room at the bottom of the basement stairs (there's barely room to stand) and the stairs to the second floor don't have more than three feet at the bottom of them. I could use the stairs to the deck in better weather, but I'm not dedicated enough to do pushups outdoors in the winter. At least not regularly.

      Mary Anne in Kentucky

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    3. The stairway idea can work out great if you have one! Then you can work back up with hands at the bottom and FEET going higher and higher.

      Sorry Mary Anne, sounds like your stairs aren't exactly ideal!

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    4. Crabby! I laughed out loud at the very idea of taunting gravity that way. My feet on the stairs! WHAT?!?! I can’t WAIT until I’m fit enough to try it. Challenge accepted. ;)

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  7. This is all very good!

    I don't think this was mentioned, but doing only the negative part (downward direction) of the push up might be useful as a bridge to doing both the up and down part eventually.

    I've done push ups more way than I can remember :-) For me the hardest was the superman version. Lay flat on ground with arms extended straight out above the head and "just" bridge up, lol!

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    1. Holy cow, Dr. J., bridge up backwards with no arm help? Acccckkk!!!

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    2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVhgMzc22kI

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    3. Thanks for that video-- I had it pictured entirely wrong.

      You can do that??!?!!??? You are indeed Superman. How on earth did you work up to it?

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  8. You know I LOVE push-ups of all forms by some of those pics on my blog! :) It is great to hear from the trainers to help others do them. A few years ago I wanted to do clap push-ups & I just kept working at it - took me about 3 months but I got them. I really don't try them much anymore - it was a a things I wanted to accomplish in my 40's. ;) I love using the Smith machine to to work your way down to the floor for push-ups. Once you are strong, you can start on the floor & work up! :)

    It takes patience & time like anything else to work up to them so never get discouraged! :)

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    1. Dang Jody, I tried working on the clap thing and never got it. With your inspiration, perhaps it's time for another shot!

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  9. Love and hate them. Love that they are so good for me, hate having to do them. Yes, i do them anyway.

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    1. Good for you messymimi!

      I tend to try to alternate exercises when there's something I totally hate... but remembering to find less loathesome alternatives is hard if I don't think about it until I get to the gym.

      Walking planks? Those are awful too!

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  10. I like push-ups on an incline. A) They're easier, and B) my big ol' tummy is less likely to get in the way. AND ... they're still pretty cute.

    But I would still like to get down to actual horizontal pushups one day.

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    1. I bet you will Rachel, and using an incline in the meantime still counts and is kickass!

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  11. yay! my favorite workout i being discussed! im still on my knees :) but doing like 20 girl-pushups makes me feel like one of those hot ladies in the first picture. i get a real kick out of getting stronger!
    puja

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    1. god! so many i s in this comment... one of the,m actually means "is"

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    2. If you're getting up to 20 with kness Puja I bet you're almost there! Good luck & keep at it!

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  12. I'd better find time to follow the video links because I'm not getting a good visual out of the trainers' words of advice. I've always had trouble doing pushups, first because of wrist weakness after spraining them and getting no PT follow up, but now that I can (more than thirty years later) wrist curl seventeen pounds my shoulders are my problem. I was doing counter-top pushups before I moved, but there's very little space to stretch out in the new house and I've gotten out of the routine.

    Mary Anne in Kentucky

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    1. Oh shoot, how frustrating Mary Anne! Are there any counters or lower surfaces at work? Off the hood of a car or a couch or a bed? Good for you for wanting to get back to it.

      And wait, you can wrist curl 17 lbs!!!??? That's awesome!

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    2. I find it frustrating that after all these years I still can't go up to 20 without losing form.
      I get weird looks in the gym when I go from 17 pound wrist curls to 7 pound lateral raises. If my shoulder's in a good mood I can go up to 10.

      Mary Anne in Kentucky

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  13. I was glad to read that a lot of people have wrist issues - I've had wrist pain for many years and always felt like I was looked on as shirking push ups when I did my group workouts, but most of the time, it hurt! Of course nowadays I aggravate my wrist pain by knitting...I'm going to check out the videos linked and see if there's anything that might work for me.

    P.S. Your core must be made of steel to do push ups from a boulder like that - very impressive!

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    1. How frustrating about the wrists Shelley, but with your planks I bet you're building up the same muscles. Good luck finding a solution!

      And oooh, wish I DID have a core of steel, but thanks! I like that imagery and will use it the next time I'm tempted to wimp out on core work.

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  14. I have been doing pushups for a long time, but not exactly as this and now I think I’ll follow this method, it sounds very easy and also less stress.

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    1. That's great Sophie and thanks for stopping by. Good luck!

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  15. you had had had had me at NOT CALLING THE BENT KNEE girl puships.

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    1. You have totally inspired thousands of women on pushup variations, MizCurmudgeon, you are awesome! And yeah, I've SO always hated that girl/boy pushup nomenclature.

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  16. Crabby, I commented here yesterday, but I do not see my comment. Do you know why?

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    1. Hey Dr. J,
      Wow, thanks for letting me know, I just found you in my Spam folder! I can't check it anymore as I get dozens and dozens a day, but wonder why blogger suddenly decided to lump you in with the viagra peddlers?

      Hopefully the comments will be restored and you will be recognized again.

      Weird!!!!!

      Delete
  17. Basically I said that only doing the negative part of a push up might be helpful, and that the superman push up was the most difficult one that I can do.

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    1. Great advice to start with negatives! They can also be helpful when you get to the point where you can do one or two; you can add additional negatives to build up to more positives. Which seems to defy laws of mathematics but actually works!

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  18. I can get in a plank on a bench and do that exercise where it is one elbow down then the other elbow down on the bench then up on your hand on one side then plank on both hands and start over. As soon as you want me to work with both sides doing the same thing like a push up I start rolling that right shoulder trying to take over the work on my dominant side. I figure I'm getting the workout regardless so I'm sticking with my plank thing.
    I will look at some of the demos and see if that inspires me to conform.

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    1. Well, sounds like you have a great system Cindy for strenghtening the weak side by isolating it, and hopefully it will soon be able to stand up to that bossy strong side and they can work together!

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  19. I love pushups. And burpees. They really make me feel strong :)
    I'm proud to say that after some work last year on pushups strong enough now that I can do 10 manly ones in a row without a break... and then more again in a bit too. It was my goal last year to be able to do perfect form divebomber pushup cuz they're all cool and ninjalike so I worked on doing pushups and gaining shoulder strength. I really try and do good form and drop down to my knees when I have to. I like functional strength :)

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    1. That's fantastic Geosomin! And I'm impressed not only by the divebombers but by the fact it sounds like you're one of few people who actually pays close attention to form when doing pushups. Awesome!

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  20. My goal exercise! Yay! I am up to 8 good form on the floor and 12 on the last step (I've been working my way down the stairs). I will do 10 by the end of the month fer sher! Whoever above said that planks are a good entryway into floor pushups is spot on, especially for those of us with our weight in the hip area. My hips starting to drop is when "good form" is over, and stomach muscles are absolutely the key there.

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    1. That's so cool Trabb's Boy! Sure sounds like you're on track for 10 on the floor. Wonder what's next?? :)

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  21. Being healthy and fit is really important and for that you need proper diet and work out but make sure to consult with your dietician or fitness trainer first.

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  22. I've always thought of push ups as a really tiring exercise which causes a lot of pain, honestly I'm kinda afraid of trying it, for me its an exercise for big big men. This is the first time I've read that it can actually be made easy and painless. Thanks I've learned something new today.

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