Push-Up

Muscles worked

Effectiveness

★★★★☆ 4/5

An 8-week trial found push-ups produced similar pectoralis and triceps thickness gains as load-matched low-load bench press, with comparable strength gains in a second trial. Evidence is limited to load-matched comparisons rather than heavy pressing.

How to perform

The body is held in a rigid plank position while the arms press the torso away from the floor. The pectoralis major drives the movement, with the anterior deltoids and triceps brachii assisting elbow extension. Load is fixed to body weight unless the position is elevated or external load is added.

References

1. Kikuchi and Nakazato, J Exerc Sci Fit (2017) - push-up vs bench press hypertrophy trial
2. Calatayud et al., J Strength Cond Res (2015) - push-up vs bench press strength gains