How to Do a Perfect Pushup: Complete Form Guide

The pushup is one of the most effective bodyweight exercises ever invented. It works your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core all at once — no equipment needed. But most people do them wrong, which limits results and can even lead to injury.

This guide breaks down exactly how to do a perfect pushup, with the form cues that matter most. Whether you're a beginner or trying to fix a stubborn plateau, start here.

The Setup

Start in a high plank position with your hands placed slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Your fingers should point forward, and your palms should be flat on the floor.

Your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels. Engage your core and squeeze your glutes — this prevents your hips from sagging or piking up.

The Descent

Lower your body in a controlled motion. Aim for about 2 seconds on the way down. Your elbows should bend at roughly a 45-degree angle to your torso — not flared out to 90 degrees, which stresses the shoulder joint.

Keep your gaze slightly ahead of you to maintain a neutral neck. Lower until your chest is about an inch off the ground, or until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.

The Push

Drive through your palms and push the ground away from you. Fully extend your arms at the top without locking your elbows. This is one complete rep.

Don't rush. Quality beats quantity every time — five perfect pushups build more strength than twenty sloppy ones.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

These are the biggest form breakdowns we see:

• Sagging hips — engage your core and squeeze your glutes to keep your body in a straight line
• Flared elbows — keep them at about 45 degrees, not straight out sideways
• Half-reps — go all the way down, chest to floor
• Head dropping — keep your neck neutral, eyes looking slightly ahead
• Holding your breath — exhale as you push up, inhale as you lower

How DROP Helps

Checking your own form is hard — you can't see yourself while you're doing pushups. DROP uses your phone camera and AI pose detection to count every rep and analyze your form in real time. If your hips start sagging or you're not going deep enough, you'll know immediately.

It's free to try and works in your browser on any phone.