Push-Up
Upper strength for lifts + partner work
How to do it well
The set-up and the rep in full, then the cues the app shows on the exercise card — the short version, for the moment you are standing in front of the bar.
Set-up
Hands on the floor slightly wider than the shoulders, fingers forward, arms straight. Feet together or hip width. Squeeze the glutes and brace so the body forms a straight line from heels to head.
The rep
Lower for two seconds until the chest is just above the floor, elbows travelling back at about 45°. Press the floor away to straight arms, spreading the shoulder blades apart at the top. Keep the body in one straight line throughout; the hips move with the shoulders, not after them.
On the exercise card
- Elbows ~45°
- Body in a straight line
- Tempo
- 2s down
What goes wrong, and the fix
| What goes wrong | The fix |
|---|---|
| Hips sagging | Squeeze the glutes and brace. If they still sag, raise the hands. |
| Elbows flared straight out | Bring them in to about 45°. |
| Half reps | Chest to just above the floor, arms straight at the top. |
Make it easier, or harder
- Easier
- Hands raised on a bench or a wall: the higher the hands, the easier it gets. Knee push-ups work too, but the incline keeps the body line.
- Harder
- Feet raised, a pause at the bottom, a loaded backpack, or a slower lowering.
How Train Smart prescribes it
The sets and reps below are the authored starting point. The actual weight you see is calculated from your own last top set and the week you are in within your four-week block.
In the dance program it is upper-body strength for lifts and partner work; in the bodyweight program it is the main horizontal push, at twelve reps a set. It needs no kit, which is the point of both.
| Program | Session | Sets × reps | Load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dance | Core, Full Body + Mobility | 3 × 10 | BW |
| Bodyweight Athlete | Upper Push + Pull | 4 × 12 | BW |
What it trains, and who trains it
- Region
- Upper body
- Prescribed in
- dance · bodyweight training
If you cannot do this one
Rack taken, kit missing, or it does not suit you. These are the swaps the app offers, matched by movement pattern and body region — each with the reason it is a fair substitute.
| Alternative | Why it works as a swap |
|---|---|
| Bench Press | Max horizontal pressing strength |
| DB Bench Press | Bigger range, even sides |
| Incline DB Press | Upper-chest + front-delt bias |
| Decline Bench Press | Lower-chest emphasis, shoulder-friendly |
| Floor Press | Shoulder-friendly, lockout strength |
| Spoto Press | Pause 1 inch above chest — tightness + control |
This exercise, in a program that knows why it is there
Train Smart puts this movement in the right session, at the right point in your block, at a weight calculated for you — and swaps it automatically if you do not have the kit.
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