How to do a push up...

A push up is a great bodyweight movement and a gateway to many other strength training exercises. It may seem like a basic exercise but it’s challenging to do at first and often done incorrectly. Here is a step by step guide as well as some common mistakes for you to be aware of.

Place both hands on the ground directly underneath your shoulders and just outside of your chest. Extend your legs straight out behind you with your weight resting on the balls of your feet. I prefer to set my feet close together but you may prefer hip-width to ensure a stable base.

Keep your body in a nice straight line from your head to your toes through the entire exercise. Your hips should not stick up in the air (pike shape) or sink down to the floor (banana shape). Squeeze your glutes and brace your abdominals (draw belly button into spine) to maintain the rigid alignment.

Lower your body as one unit until your chest is an inch or two above the floor. Tuck your elbows so that your upper arms create an arrowhead shape with your body (45-degree angle). As opposed to letting your elbows flare out (t shape) which will place strain on your shoulders.

Pause at the bottom of the movement and then push yourself back to the starting position. Press your hands into the ground and away from each other (like tearing a piece of paper between them). As with all exercises it’s important to control the tempo to increase muscle stimulation and avoid injury.

If you are unable to do a full push up don't worry you can do an incline push up instead. The higher your head is in relation to your feet… the easier the exercise becomes (support less body weight). You can do this on a staircase and move to a lower step as your strength improves.