3 Common Push-up Mistakes (And 3 Ways to Improve Them)

Push-ups are a great overall shoulder, chest, arm exercise. Additionally, when done with good form it is an excellent “core” exercise. 

Here are 3 common pushup faults and where performance may be left on the table in terms of longevity for your shoulder and back health. This can improve your overall efficiency and endurance when doing high volume pushups and preserve your shoulder and back health into the later years of your active life.  

Common Pushup Mistakes

  1. Hip Sinks
  2. Head Drops
  3. Elbows are Out

1) Mistake #1: Hip Sinks

In this picture, this athletes hips are lower than his chest. This could be due to lack of midline stability.  We look for the head, neck, lower back, and hips to be in line as if we put a dowel on his back. The more muscles engaged during the pushup, the more we can spread the load of the abdominal stabilizers, allowing for the shoulders to generate a good force. 

How to improve your push-up: Squeeze your glutes and brace your core. 

Having trouble bracing your core? Check out this video to find out how to brace your core.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Mistake #2: Head Drops

In the above photo, this athletes head and neck is in front of the rest of her body. This will activate the muscles in the front of your neck and create tension on your upper traps.

How to improve your push-up: Do a slight chin tuck and put your tongue to the roof of your mouth to create a neutral neck position.

3) Mistake #3: Elbows are Out

Outward rotation of the elbows can create a problem for the front of your shoulder. Shoulders should move into external rotation during push ups.

How to improve your push-up: Keep your elbows in tucked toward your body for a more stable position.

If you are having pain in the front of your shoulder during pushups. We ask, how is your shoulder extension, your ability to bring your arm back? Check out this video to improve your shoulder extension. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haven’t been able to do a full pushup?

There are plenty of scalable options for building up to the full pushup. Use the same principles to improve the pushup when doing any type of scaling.

  • Pushup on the wall or an elevated surface, such as a bench or box. 
  • Eccentric pushup. Complete the lowering of the whole body until the chest hits the floor. To come back up, do a press up and then lift the hips up. 

Note: We don’t tend to recommend the knee pushup because it takes away the use of the abdominal and glute muscles that can assist in the movement of lowering the body to the ground.