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Push-Up Chest Workout, Upper-body

Push-ups are a fast and effective exercise for building strength. They can be done from virtually anywhere and usually don’t require any equipment. Doing push-ups every day can be effective if you’re looking for a consistent exercise routine to follow. You will likely notice gains in upper body strength if you do push-ups regularly. Traditional push-ups are beneficial for building Upper Body Strength. They work the the pectoral muscles of the chest, the triceps and biceps of the upper arm, and the erector spine of the back.

In daily life, you will often need to push against objects, from doors to shopping carts. The functional fitness you develop with push-ups will serve you well. Working the stabilizer muscles around the shoulders can help protect you from rotator cuff injuries. Push-ups are also a measure of overall fitness, allowing you to assess whether you need to be doing more to keep your body in good working condition.

"The key to fitness is modification, whether that modification is used to facilitate an exercise or to make it harder,” Jackie Stalzer, a trainer at New York Sports Club in Queens, New York, tells SELF. “Knowing when and how to challenge yourself can help you reach your fitness goals faster. Knowing your body, paying attention to form, and being aware of why you're actually performing an exercise will make your efforts worthwhile."

When it comes to push-ups, Stalzer says that typically performing them on an incline, or in any other way that shortens your range of motion (a.k.a., how much you need to bend your elbows to reach the bottom of the movement), makes them easier. Adding components that challenge stability, work other muscle groups, or have your arms in a declined position makes the movement more challenging