I’m going to tell you something embarrassing: I did pushups with bad form for three years before anyone corrected me.
Not a trainer. Not a YouTube video. My mom, of all people, watched me do a set and said, “Why are your elbows sticking out like that?” I looked it up. She was right. I’d been doing them wrong the entire time.
So if you’re reading a form guide, you’re already ahead of where I was.
The Short Version (If You’re Impatient)
If you only remember three things:
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Elbows at 45 degrees, not 90. Your arms should make an arrow shape, not a T. This is the most common mistake and it’s murder on your shoulders.
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Straight line from head to heels. No sagging hips, no piking your butt up. Squeeze your glutes—it fixes most alignment problems automatically.
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Go all the way down. Chest should get within a few inches of the floor. Half-reps are half-results.
That’s it. That’s 80% of good form. If you do those three things, you’re ahead of most people.
The rest of this post is for people who want the details, or who have specific problems they’re trying to fix.
The Elbow Thing (Seriously, This Matters)
Let me explain why I’m harping on elbow position, because it’s not obvious.
When your elbows flare out to 90 degrees—making a T-shape with your body—you’re putting most of the stress on your shoulder joint instead of your chest and triceps. Your shoulders aren’t designed for that. Do it enough times and you’ll end up with impingement, rotator cuff issues, or just chronic pain.
At 45 degrees—making an arrow shape—the stress is distributed across your chest, shoulders, and triceps the way it’s supposed to be. It also lets you go deeper and engage more muscle.
Here’s the cue that worked for me: pretend you’re trying to bend the floor outward with your hands. You won’t actually bend anything, obviously, but the intention creates external rotation in your shoulders and naturally tucks your elbows to about 45 degrees.
Some trainers will tell you the exact angle doesn’t matter as long as it’s not 90. That’s probably true. Anywhere from 30 to 60 degrees is fine. Just not that T-shape.
The Hip Sag Problem
This is the second most common issue I see. People’s hips drop toward the floor, creating a banana shape instead of a straight line.
Usually this means your core isn’t engaged, or it’s fatigued. The fix is simple: squeeze your glutes. Hard. Like you’re trying to crack a walnut back there.
This sounds stupid but it works. When you squeeze your glutes, your pelvis tucks under slightly and your lower back flattens out. Your whole body becomes rigid. Try it right now, even sitting in your chair—squeeze your glutes and notice how your posture changes.
If your hips still sag even with glute engagement, you’ve probably done too many reps and your core is giving out. Stop the set. Rest. Quality over quantity.
How Low Should You Go?
This is one of those things fitness people argue about endlessly.
The traditional answer is: lower until your chest is 2-3 inches from the floor, or until your elbows hit 90 degrees.
The practical answer is: as low as you can go while maintaining good form.
Some people have the mobility to touch their chest to the floor. Some people don’t. If going super deep makes your shoulders scream or causes your form to collapse, don’t do it. Go to the depth where you feel a stretch in your chest but can still push back up with control.
I’ll say this, though: most people don’t go low enough. They do these little half-pumps where their elbows barely bend. If you’re doing that, you’re leaving results on the table. Challenge yourself to go deeper.
The Stuff That Matters Less Than You Think
Hand position width: Shoulder-width is standard. Wider hits more chest, narrower hits more triceps. But honestly, the difference is marginal for most people. Pick what feels comfortable and stick with it.
Hand angle: Fingers forward is standard. Some people angle their hands out slightly. Unless it hurts, don’t overthink it.
Speed: Slow and controlled is generally better than fast, because it eliminates momentum and makes your muscles do the work. But you don’t need to count seconds. Just don’t bounce.
Breathing: The standard advice is inhale on the way down, exhale on the way up. This is fine. But I’ve also seen people do the opposite and be totally fine. Just don’t hold your breath.
I’m telling you this because form guides often present every detail as equally critical, and that’s overwhelming. Some things matter a lot (elbow angle, hip position, depth). Some things are preference.
If You Can’t Do a Standard Pushup Yet
This isn’t a failure. It’s a starting point.
Wall pushups: Stand a few feet from a wall, put your hands on it, and push. This is pushup training with less resistance. All the same form cues apply—elbows at 45 degrees, body straight, full range of motion.
Incline pushups: Hands on a counter, bench, or sturdy chair. The higher the surface, the easier it is. As you get stronger, find lower surfaces.
Knee pushups: The classic modification. Keep your body straight from knees to head (not from feet to head). Same form rules otherwise.
I’d suggest starting at whatever level lets you do 8-10 reps with good form. If you can only do 3 wall pushups before your form collapses, start there. If you can bang out 15 knee pushups easily, try incline or move to standard.
My mom—yes, the same one who corrected my form—started with wall pushups at 63. Ten months later she did her first real pushup. She texted me a video and I’m not too proud to admit I got a little emotional.
A Few Things I’ve Learned the Hard Way
If your wrists hurt, try different hand positions. Pushup handles, dumbbells as handles, or making fists can all reduce wrist strain. Some people also benefit from placing their hands slightly forward of their shoulders rather than directly beneath.
If your shoulders hurt, check your elbow angle first. Flared elbows are the culprit 90% of the time. If fixing that doesn’t help, see a professional—you might have an underlying issue.
If you feel it only in your arms, you’re probably not going deep enough. The chest engages most in the bottom portion of the movement. Shallow reps are tricep-dominant.
Filming yourself is humbling but useful. I thought my form was great until I watched a video. My hips were sagging, my head was craned up, and my depth was embarrassing. Sometimes you need an outside perspective.
The One Cue to Rule Them All
If you only internalize one thing from this post, make it this:
Squeeze your glutes and push through your whole palm.
That’s it. Glute squeeze fixes hip sag and creates full-body tension. Pushing through your whole palm (not just the heel of your hand) distributes force evenly and protects your wrists.
Every other cue I’ve mentioned is helpful, but these two fix most problems automatically. Try your next set with just these in mind.
When to Stop Worrying About Form
Here’s something no form guide will tell you: at some point, you need to stop overthinking and just do pushups.
Perfect form is a goal, not a prerequisite. If you’re doing pushups every day, you’ll naturally refine your technique over time. You’ll notice what feels right and what doesn’t. You’ll make adjustments.
Don’t let form paralysis stop you from starting. Do your best, check in on the basics every few weeks, and trust the process.
Your form in month six will be better than your form in month one. That’s how this works.
Questions about form? Drop them in the comments or the Discord. I’m not a certified trainer, but I’ve done a lot of pushups and made a lot of mistakes, which might be more useful.