Avoid These Common Push-Up Mistakes

Push-ups are one the easiest bodyweight exercises and they’re great for building strength and muscle. But, many people make small mistakes in their technique, which can lead to problems like slowing progress, pain, and injury. Whether you’re new or a pro at push-ups, steer clear of these common mistakes.

Elbow Angle

The most common mistake people make when doing push-ups is flaring their elbows out when their hand position is too wide. Your elbows should line up with your chest fibers for maximum muscle activation. Your grip should be just outside shoulder width or narrower and you should tuck your elbows into your body instead of flaring them out.

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Hand Orientation

Many people do push-ups with their hands turned in slightly, but you should be keeping your hands in a neutral position, facing forward.

Shrugging

When you start to get tired, it’s easy to let the shoulders hunch towards the ears, which causes the traps to work harder. Activate your lats and pull your shoulders down and away from your ears in a locked position. You’ll get more stability, improve your pushing strength, and ensuring that the tension goes to the targeted muscle.

Speed

When push-ups are easy for you, it’s common to speed through them, but a slowed down movement makes for a better workout, requires more control, and increases activation in the chest, rear delts, and triceps.