The push-up is the most trained and most poorly executed movement in all of bodyweight fitness. Most people learned it in gym class, have done thousands of them, and have never been taught the mechanics that make it actually work. This post fixes that.
The full push-up is T2 in the OG2 push progression — Load Introduction. You’re applying real bodyweight load to the scapular control, wrist integrity, and body tension you built at T1. If T1 work was thorough, this is the payoff. If T1 was skipped, this is where the compensation patterns appear.
The Pre-Requisites
Before working full floor push-ups: you should be able to do the scapular push-up with clear blade control and the incline push-up for 3×12 on a low surface. If those aren’t there, build them first. The push-up will feel harder than it should if the foundation is incomplete.
Full Form Breakdown
Starting position (high plank). Hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, fingers spread, index fingers pointing forward or slightly turned out. Wrists stacked under shoulders. Arms extended but not locked. Body in a straight line — the “hollow body” position: abs braced, glutes squeezed, quads engaged, ribs pulled down (not flared), hips level with shoulders.
The lowering phase. Bend your elbows, tracking them at 45 degrees from your torso. Not 90 degrees out (chest fly position — wrong), not zero degrees (tricep dip position — also wrong). 45 degrees. Lower until your chest makes contact with the floor. Your whole body descends as a unit — hips don’t sag, hips don’t pike. Chest touches, not nose.
The push phase. Press the floor away, keeping the same 45-degree elbow path on the way up. At full extension, actively push through — feel your scapulae protract as your arms lock out. Exhale during the push. This protraction at the top is what the scapular push-up trained: own it here.
The full range requirement. Chest to floor, full arm extension. Every rep. Half reps are half training. If you can’t do a full rep, drop to the incline and come back when you can.
Common Mistakes
Hips sagging. The most common error. Squeeze your glutes. If the hips still sag, your core and glute activation is the weak point — address it with plank holds and hollow body work alongside push-up practice.
Head forward / neck hyperextension. Your head is part of the straight line. Neutral neck, eyes looking at the floor slightly ahead of your hands.
Elbows at 90 degrees. This is the “T-position” push-up that injures shoulders over time. Track your elbows inward to 45 degrees.
Short range of motion. If your chest doesn’t touch the floor, you’re not doing a push-up — you’re doing a partial. Build the range progressively with incline work until the floor is accessible.
Progressions From Here
The full push-up unlocks three T2 variations: Diamond Push-Up (tricep and midline focus), Pike Push-Up (shoulder and handstand prep), and Decline Push-Up (upper chest and anterior delt emphasis). After T2 variants: Pseudo Planche Push-Up and Archer Push-Up at T3.
The OG2 Standard
3 sets × 12 reps, full range, no compensation, consistent across multiple sessions → ready to progress. Not once, not on a good day — consistently.
Move. Groove. Repeat. Smooth.
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Move. Groove. Repeat. Smooth.
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