At SSP, we love push ups as a fundamental body weight exercise. We often hear people say they “can’t do a push up”? Let’s reframe that: Everyone can do a push up. It’s just a matter of finding which variation is the right starting point for you to build from!
We tend to favor push up variations that keep you in a full plank position. Why?
Because more often than not, the hardest part of a push up isn’t the arms; it’s the core stability. And we don’t train that nearly as well in a kneeling variation.
Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with kneeling push ups. But if your goal is to build strength toward a full push up from the ground, we recommend trying these instead:
Eccentric only push ups
Band-assisted push ups
Hands-elevated push ups
These options build strength, stability, and confidence, and we’ll coach you through each step.
Watch the team take you through these variations in this video!
As always, we’ll meet you where you’re at, support your goals, and help you move smarter, not just harder.