Can't Do a Push Up? Here's How to Get Started

They may look easy, but push-ups can be tough, even for those who love working out.

Push-ups are a great bodyweight exercise that targets several muscles in the upper body. In particular, push-ups work your chest (pectoralis major and minor), triceps brachii (triceps), and anterior deltoids.

If you’re struggling to perform full push-ups, don’t be disheartened! Try starting with an easier modified version first and working your way up to a full push-up over time. Get into the normal push-up position but instead of keeping your legs straight, drop your knees down to the floor.

Perform the push-up as normal but keep your knees on the floor throughout. This takes some weight off your upper body and shifts it onto your lower body. Since the lower body muscles are usually stronger than those in your arms and chest, a push-up is much easier.

Practice performing push-ups this way until you can achieve three complete sets of 10-15 reps. You can then progress onto full push-ups.