{"id":199166,"date":"2023-10-27T15:17:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-27T20:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/?p=199166"},"modified":"2023-10-27T15:17:11","modified_gmt":"2023-10-27T20:17:11","slug":"what-muscles-do-push-ups-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/what-muscles-do-push-ups-work\/","title":{"rendered":"What Muscles Do Push-Ups Work? Get More Out of This Timeless Exercise"},"content":{"rendered":"

As one of the foundational movements of any workout program, the push-up<\/a> is more than just a means to increase your upper body strength<\/a> and endurance. Depending on your hand position, tempo, and body angle, this seemingly straightforward exercise can provide a sufficient stimulus to not only build a bigger chest but also increase your core stability and overall fitness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, studies show that a higher baseline push-up capacity is associated with lower incidence of cardiovascular disease events. (1<\/a>) Plus, perfecting your technique and expanding your push-up repertoire can put you in a more advantageous position to crush compound lifts like the bench press<\/a> and overhead press<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Credit: Gorodenkoff \/ Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While it may seem like second nature to drop to the ground and start pumping out reps like you did in middle school gym class, the first step to maximizing your strength- and muscle-building<\/a> efforts is to make sure you understand the biomechanics of the good ole’ push-up. Once you’ve really mastered the basics, you can level-up your training by swapping out the standard form of this time-tested exercise with unique push-up variations<\/a> that target specific muscles more directly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Muscles Do Push-Ups Work? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n