Beginner Push Ups Part 2 – The Best Way to Build Upper Body Strength for Beginners

This article breaks down how to perform modified Push Ups for those who cannot do Push Ups with their knees off the floor.

BUILDING BLOCKS

In Part 2 of my Push Up Series, we take away the bench and get all the way on the floor! Don’t worry, we still have our knees on the floor to lessen the load. This is step 2 in getting closer to a Push Up with your knees off the floor!

If you can’t do this Modified Push Up with your hands on the floor, take a look at Part 1 of this series HERE.

HERE’S THE BREAKDOWN…

Start on all fours, with both hands and both knees on the floor. Keep your hips as straight as possible and place your hands directly under your shoulders. This is your starting position.

Slowly, with control, lower your torso all the way down until your chest touches the floor. Once your chest touches the floor, immediately press away from floor until your arms are fully locked out. Do your best to keep your stomach and glutes (butt muscles) flexed.

Avoid pushing your butt up towards the ceiling, or allowing your hips to sag towards the floor. To make these easier, simply reduce the range of motion that your chest travels. Start by going half way down, then working towards full range of motion.

Perform 5 sets of 10 repetitions, with 2 minutes of rest in between sets. As a beginner, I recommend doing this 3 times per week. Once these feel easy, you can start performing them with your knees off the floor. Stay tuned for that tutorial!

Here is a video demonstration from my YouTube Channel…