hand plank


How do you practice if you can’ t do a push up?

First, remove word "can’t" form your vocab, follow this guide and don’t give up. Now, let’s take something that seems impossible for some and break it down into manageable bite-sized pieces of success. In order to master a real push up, you need to adjust to the challenging movement pattern.

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That’s where we start. One of the most common reason, why it is so hard to perform a push up is lack of core strength. Basically, the goal is to hold the body in a facedown straight plank position with help of abdominal and hip muscles.


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Elbows and feet are the only points of contact. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. Brace your core and hold for 30 seconds. Elbow plank, in other words low plank places more emphasis on your core strength and stability, while hand plank will gather the shoulder stability, tricep endurance and strength to help you at the top of the push up.


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Have your hands directly underneath your shoulders and keep your body super flat. Your body should come up and stabilize naturally, but you also shouldn’t forget about keeping the straight line. 


From standing tall with your legs straight bend over and touch the floor. Keeping your legs straight, walk your hands forward. If you can’ t reach the floor with your legs straight, bend your knees just enough, so you can. Keep your core braced, walk your hands out as far as you can without allowing your hips to sag. Then, take tiny steps, to walk your feet back to your hands. That’ s one rep. Do 5 reps and then add one more rep each day or each time you train.


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Start with placing your hands on the wall at shoulder width apart and arms length. If you need, step back and lean into the wall, keeping the straight line, just like in plank position. Then, slowly lower yourself towards the wall by bending your arms, keeping your elbows in your body. Hinge on the balls of your feet. Straighten your arm and you’ve successfully completed a wall push up.


An incline push up imitates the movements associated with the actual push up without the full-blown strength requirement. Starting from plank position, place your hands on the edge of bench, slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Feel free to use heavy table or plyo box. Then lower yourself down until your chest touches the surface. Push yourself back, keeping that plank position.

Congrats! You’ve completed an incline push up.

Tip: simple physics - the higher surface, the less strength is required!


Tip: Save your knees. Don’t forget to place mat, blanket or towel underneath your knees.&nbsp;  You will need them.

Tip: Save your knees. Don’t forget to place mat, blanket or towel underneath your knees. You will need them.

Place your knees on the floor and keep the rest of your body straight in the plank position. Your back shouldn’t arch and you shouldn’t be bent at the hips. Bend your knees and wrap your ankles together. Okay, you’re ready now, so lower yourself to the ground keeping your elbows in close to your body. Push yourself back up, keeping that plank

Congrats! You’ve completed knees push up.


Most important, remember all you’ve learned leading up to this point. Start in plank position. Lower yourself down until your chest touches the ground. Push yourself up keeping that plank. Easy, isn’t it?

Congratulate and thank to yourself for all that hard work that paid off!

This plan includes three phases, week 1-2, week 2-4 , week 4-6. I recommend to add the moves to the beginning of your regularly scheduled workout. It is crucial to do it when your body is fresh and strong.

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