So which push-up modification is best? There’s no definitive ranking. What’s most important is finding a variation (or several!) that works to “challenge you but not overwhelm you,” Janet Hamilton, CSCS, founder of Running Strong in Georgia, tells SELF, tells SELF.
That way, you’ll encourage your muscles to grow bigger and stronger while minimizing injury risk. Keep in mind the right mods for you can (and should) change with time as your pushing abilities improve. For example, maybe you start with a wall push-up (the easiest variation of the hands-elevated mod, since you’re bearing a lot of your weight through your feet), then move to a knee push-up (which should feel more challenging), then progress to a low box elevated push-up (which, if you use a low enough box, should be even more intense). The most important thing is to focus on good form and level up the intensity of the move once it starts to feel easy.
What muscles do push-up modifications work?
With a modified push-up—whether you’re on your knees or elevating your hands—you’re essentially doing the same movement pattern as a traditional one, Dr. Reiner says. That means you’re engaging all the same muscles too.
This includes the ones in your chest (pectoralis major and minor), front part of your shoulders (anterior deltoids), and backs of your arms (triceps), Dr. Reiner says. Muscles in your hands and forearms are also working to stabilize your arms, Hamilton adds. And your core fires up too, since that’s what stabilizes your body and keeps it in that straight line as you crank out reps, Dr. Reiner adds.
The difference? The traditional push-up delivers more of a challenge to all these muscles, since you’re moving more load. Case-in-point: A small 2011 study involving 28 men, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, found that in a traditional push-up, people supported 69% of their bodyweight in the up position and 75% in the down position. In a knee push-up, that load dropped to 54% of bodyweight in the up position and 62% in the down position. With a hands elevated push-up, the amount of load varies based on how high you place your palms. The higher they go, the less bodyweight your upper body has to move, since more weight is being supported through your feet, Hamilton explains.
Long story short, push-up modifications engage all the same muscles as the traditional version, just to a lesser degree. And doing mods—especially ones that feel challenging yet doable for you—is smart if your goal is to one day crush a full push-up. That’s because they are effective for building the specific upper-body strength you need.
But that’s not their only benefit. Push-up modifications can help you more easily and safely crush everyday life tasks that rely on a strong upper body, say, like carrying groceries, hauling small children, pushing a lawn mower, stacking dishes onto a high shelf, and toting a sack of dog food, Hamilton says. Plus, they can improve your ability to get up and down from the ground, Dr. Reiner says, since they allow you to comfortably put more weight into your hands to help you.
How can you use push-up modifications to do a full push-up?
Push-up modifications can absolutely help you crush the full thing, but the process isn’t overnight—it takes time and consistency. Dr. Reiner likens it to doing a marathon: You wouldn’t lace up for the first time and then attempt 26.2 miles the next day. “The same goes for mastering a push-up,” she says.
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