Editing Push-up (section)

==Muscles worked==
[[File: Marines do pushups.jpg|thumb|Military recruits will often perform push-ups as part of their physical training. Here, U.S. Marine recruits at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego perform push-ups in May 2005, as a part of their basic recruit training.]]

The primary muscle groups targeted by push-ups include chest, front and medial deltoids, as well as triceps and forearm muscles. While the push-up primarily targets the muscles of the chest, arms, and shoulders, support required from other muscles results in a wider range of muscles integrated into the exercise.<ref name="ACE">{{cite web |url=http://www.acefitness.org/exerciselibrary/41/push-up/ |title=Push-up |work=acefitness.org |publisher=[[American Council on Exercise]] |access-date=24 March 2011}}</ref>

=== Abdominals ===
The [[Rectus abdominis muscle|rectus abdominis]] and [[Transversus abdominis muscle|transversus abdominis]] contract continually while performing push-ups to hold the body off the floor and keep the legs and [[torso]] aligned. The rectus abdominis spans the front of the abdomen and is the most prominent of the abdominal muscles. The transversus abdominis lies deep within the abdomen, wrapping around the entire abdominal area. Both muscles compress the abdomen, and the rectus abdominis also flexes the spine forward, although it does not execute this function when performing push-ups.

=== Deltoid ===
The anterior portion of the [[deltoid muscle]] is one of the major shoulder-joint horizontal adductors, moving the upper arms toward the chest during the upward phase of a push-up. It also helps control the speed of movement during the downward phase. The deltoid attaches to parts of the [[clavicle]] and [[scapula]], just above the [[Glenohumeral joint|shoulder joint]] on one end, and to the outside of the [[humerus bone]] on the other. Along with horizontal adduction, the anterior deltoid assists with flexion and internal rotation of the humerus within the shoulder socket.

=== Chest muscles ===
The push-up requires the work of many muscle groups, with one of the primary muscle groups being the chest muscles, the [[Pectoralis major muscle|pectoralis major]] and the [[Pectoralis minor muscle|minor]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.md-health.com/What-Muscles-Do-Push-Ups-Work.html|title=What Muscles Do Push-Ups Work?|work=MDhealth.com|date=11 September 2018}}</ref> These are the two large chest muscles and the main pushing muscle group of the upper body. When pushing and lowering the body during a push-up, the pectoralis major is doing most of the work. As a result, these muscles become very strong and can become defined as lean muscle after doing push-ups regularly{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}.

=== Stabilizers: back body ===
The push-up depends on stabilizer muscles as the body is pushed and lowered. The [[Erector spinae muscles|erector spinae]] is the main stabilizer muscle in the back. Made up of three muscles including the spinal, longissimus, and iliocostalis. The spinal runs adjacent to the spine, the longissimus runs adjacent to the spinal and the iliocostalis runs adjacent to the longissimus and over the ribs. Two muscles called the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus stabilize the upper leg. The medius and minimus sit under the largest butt muscle, the gluteus maximus.

=== Triceps brachii ===
While the anterior deltoids and pectoralis major muscles work to horizontally adduct the upper arms during the upward phase of a push-up, the [[triceps brachii]] muscles, or triceps for short, are also hard at work extending the elbow joints so the arms can be fully extended. The triceps also control the speed of elbow-joint flexion during the downward phase of the exercise. The closer together the hands are placed during a push-up, the harder the triceps work. The muscle is divided into three heads — the lateral head, long head, and medial head. The lateral and medial heads attach to the back of the humerus bone, and the long head attaches just behind the shoulder socket on one end; all three heads combine and attach to the back of the elbow on the other.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.livestrong.com/article/341958-which-muscles-does-a-push-up-work/|title=Which Muscles Does a Push-Up Work?|author=Schirm, Matthew |work=Live Well - Jillian Michaels}}</ref>

=== Forearms ===
Stabilizers include wrist and forearm muscles, the knee extensors, and the hip/spine flexors, which all work isometrically to maintain a proper plank position in the standard prone push-up.

=== Biceps ===
During the push-up exercise, the short head of the [[biceps brachii]] muscle acts as a dynamic stabilizer. This means the muscle activates at both ends—the elbow and the shoulder—to help stabilize the joints.

=== Joints and tendons ===
Inner muscles that support the operation of the fingers, wrists, forearms, and elbows are also worked isometrically. Some push-up modifications that require to have the arms at different heights effectively engage the rotator cuff.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thehealthsciencejournal.com/10-level-push-ups-series-building-ultimate-strength/|title=10 Level Push-ups Series for Building Ultimate Strength|author=Bell, Melissa|work=www.thehealthsciencejournal.com |publisher=[[The Health Science Journal]] |access-date=21 August 2017}}</ref>