A Critical Push-Up Mistake You're Probably Making

The One Pushup Mistake You Need to Stop Making Today

Table of Contents

- Importance of the Proper Form in Push-Ups

- The Mistake and Its Consequences

- Why Do People Make This Mistake

- How to Fix this

Push-ups are widely acknowledged as among the most efficient exercises for boosting upper body strength and endurance, while also building muscle in the chest, shoulders, and arms. Unlike other upper-body exercises such as bench press, this exercise holds a distinct advantage: it requires no gym membership, not even a single equipment; only your body weight and a suitable space are required. Because of this reason, this exercise has always been a popular chest exercise and an integral part of the daily workout routine of many fitness enthusiasts.

Importance of the Proper Form in Push-Ups

But, unfortunately, many people, especially beginners, struggle with the correct push-up technique. Having the proper form is essential for reaping the rewards of any exercise, including push-ups.

If you don’t perform an exercise with its natural form, you are at a very high risk of workout-related injuries. Such injuries can result in being sidelined from workouts for extended periods, potentially requiring days or even months of bed rest. This risk is particularly heightened when incorrect form is repeated across multiple repetitions, as the strain accumulates over time.

The Mistake and Its Consequences

One of the most widespread mistakes in performing push-ups is the engagement of back muscles, particularly lower back, during the lifting phase of this movement, i.e., when pushing up from the floor.

This is a serious mistake, which is completely against the natural execution of this fundamental exercise, as well as against its spirit. Utilizing back muscles in this manner can impose abnormal pressure on the spine, which may lead to back injuries.

The lifting phase is the core part of push-ups during which your upper-body muscles, primarily pectoral muscles, work hard to lift your massive body against the force of gravity. This is when these muscles undergo micro-tears, which, with adequate nutrition, promote the development of a larger and stronger chest.

Hence, precise coordination between your brain and major muscles is essential to navigate through this critical push-up phase effectively, achievable only when your energy levels are sufficiently high prior to commencing the exercise.

The most optimum, and natural, way of doing push-ups is to utilize pectoral muscles to move your body against gravity, and rely on legs and glutes, i.e., lower body, and NOT your back muscles, to stabilize this challenging movement.

Why Do People Make This Mistake

One primary reason for this mistake is not learning the correct technique before embarking on push-ups, especially if you are new to strength training. Another contributing factor is that many individuals perform push-ups when they are fatigued and in need of rest, which can compromise form and lead to improper execution.

Attempting push-ups when you're already fatigued with sore muscles increases the likelihood of engaging muscles that shouldn't be naturally involved in the exercise. This fatigue often stems from inadequate rest between exercises or between sets of the same exercise. You need some rest not just between two workout sessions but also within a workout.

Additionally, executing push-ups towards the end of an intense workout can hinder your body's ability to perform this exercise optimally with the correct muscles. This is because your body's glycogen reserves are depleted by that point, which can impair brain function and impact muscle coordination.

Furthermore, exceeding your body's capabilities can also contribute to this mistake.

How to Fix this

If you observe during push-ups that your body isn't prepared for the exercise at that moment, or if you can't execute any more repetitions properly, or if you notice any spontaneous lapses in form due to fatigue, it's crucial to stop immediately. Your body requires rest and replenishment of energy through food before you can safely resume your workout.

If you still want to safely do push-ups even though your body is extremely exhausted, use your leg muscles and glutes to safely push up from the floor. Be careful that your spine keeps its natural curvature throughout the exercise, so that you don’t put this extra burden on those sensitive and relatively weak muscles. Rather, put this burden on your lower body, which are the strongest and largest muscle group in the body.