Push-Up Cueing: Setup, Execution, and Correcting Faults

How Do You Cue Push Ups?

Effective cueing for push-ups involves a blend of precise verbal instructions, visual demonstrations, and sometimes tactile guidance, focusing on proper body alignment, muscle engagement, and movement mechanics throughout all phases of the exercise to optimize performance and minimize injury risk.

Introduction to Effective Cueing

Cueing is the art and science of guiding an individual through an exercise, ensuring they perform it safely and effectively. For an exercise as fundamental as the push-up, precise cueing is paramount. It helps individuals understand complex biomechanical principles, activate the correct musculature, and correct common faults. Effective cues are clear, concise, actionable, and tailored to the individual's learning style and current ability level. They can be broadly categorized as external (focusing on the environment or outcome) or internal (focusing on muscle activation or body position).

Foundational Cues for Push-Up Setup

The quality of a push-up begins with its setup. Establishing a strong, stable base is crucial before any movement occurs.

• Hand Placement:
  • "Place your hands directly under your shoulders."
  • "Spread your fingers wide, gripping the floor."
  • "Rotate your hands slightly outwards, so your middle finger points straight ahead."
• Body Alignment (Plank Position):
  • "Form a straight line from the crown of your head through your shoulders, hips, and heels."
  • "Engage your core as if bracing for a punch – pull your navel towards your spine."
  • "Squeeze your glutes to prevent your hips from sagging."
  • "Avoid piking your hips up; keep them in line with your shoulders."
• Gaze and Neck Position:
  • "Look slightly ahead of your hands, keeping your neck neutral and in line with your spine."
  • "Imagine a tennis ball tucked under your chin."

Cues for the Eccentric (Lowering) Phase

The eccentric phase, or the controlled descent, is often overlooked but critical for building strength and control.

• Controlled Descent:
  • "Lower your body slowly and with control."
  • "Resist gravity on the way down."
• Elbow Path:
  • "Tuck your elbows back and slightly in, aiming for a 45-degree angle relative to your torso."
  • "Avoid flaring your elbows straight out to the sides."
  • "Imagine you're trying to break a stick between your elbows."
• Chest Depth:
  • "Lower until your chest is about an inch from the floor, or your upper arms are parallel to the floor."
  • "Aim to touch your nose or sternum to the floor."
• Shoulder Stability:
  • "Keep your shoulders packed down and away from your ears."
  • "Maintain tension in your lats, as if pulling the floor towards you."

Cues for the Concentric (Pushing) Phase

The concentric phase is the powerful upward movement, requiring coordinated effort from multiple muscle groups.

• Initiation and Power:
  • "Push the floor away from you forcefully."
  • "Drive through the palms of your hands."
  • "Imagine pushing the earth away from you."
• Full Extension:
  • "Push all the way up until your arms are straight."
  • "Lock out your elbows at the top, but don't hyperextend."
• Scapular Protraction:
  • "At the very top, push through your shoulder blades, allowing them to protract slightly."
  • "Think about rounding your upper back just a little bit at the peak of the movement." (This ensures full range of motion for the scapula and serratus anterior activation).
• Core and Glute Engagement:
  • "Maintain a tight core and squeezed glutes throughout the entire movement."
  • "Keep that straight line from head to heels."

Common Push-Up Faults and Corrective Cues

Identifying and correcting common errors is a hallmark of expert cueing.

• Sagging Hips (Losing Core/Glute Tension):
  • "Squeeze your glutes harder."
  • "Brace your core like you're about to be punched."
  • "Imagine pulling your belly button towards your spine."
• Piked Hips (Hips Too High):
  • "Bring your hips down in line with your shoulders."
  • "Lengthen your body, imagine someone pulling your heels back."
• Flared Elbows (Elbows Out to Sides):
  • "Tuck your elbows in towards your ribs."
  • "Point your elbow pits forward."
  • "Think about forming an 'arrow' shape with your body, not a 'T'."
• Shrugged Shoulders (Shoulders Elevating Towards Ears):
  • "Press your shoulders down and back."
  • "Create space between your ears and shoulders."
  • "Engage your lats."
• Neck Hyperextension (Looking Up or Down Too Much):
  • "Keep your neck neutral, in line with your spine."
  • "Gaze slightly forward, about 6-12 inches ahead of your hands."
  • "Maintain that tennis ball under your chin."
• Incomplete Range of Motion:
  • "Go deeper, touch your chest to the floor."
  • "Push all the way up, fully extend your arms."

Adapting Cues for Different Learners

Effective cueing is personalized. What works for one individual might not work for another.

• For Beginners: Start with external, simple cues focusing on safety and basic alignment. Use analogies.
  • "Push the floor away like you're trying to make a dent in it."
  • "Keep your body stiff like a plank of wood."
• For Advanced Individuals: Introduce more internal cues, focusing on muscle activation, subtle refinements, and mind-muscle connection.
  • "Feel your serratus anterior activate as you protract your scapulae."
  • "Initiate the push from your chest, not just your triceps."
• Tactile Cues: Lightly touch the area you want the individual to focus on (e.g., core for engagement, shoulder blade for retraction/protraction). Always ask for permission first.
• Demonstration: Show correct form, and sometimes, demonstrate common errors to highlight what to avoid. Use a mirror or video feedback.

The Role of Progressive Overload and Regression in Cueing

Cueing also plays a vital role when modifying the push-up's difficulty. When regressing (e.g., incline push-ups, knee push-ups), cues should emphasize maintaining the same foundational form and muscle engagement, albeit with less resistance. For progressions (e.g., weighted push-ups, deficit push-ups), cues might focus on maintaining control under increased load or through an extended range of motion, reinforcing the advanced biomechanical demands.

Conclusion: The Art and Science of Cueing

Cueing push-ups is more than just barking orders; it's an intricate process that combines anatomical knowledge, biomechanical understanding, and pedagogical skill. By employing clear, concise, and adaptable cues that address both the setup and execution phases, fitness professionals can empower individuals to perform push-ups with optimal form, maximizing their benefits, preventing injury, and fostering a deeper understanding of their own body mechanics. Masterful cueing transforms an exercise from a mere movement into a powerful tool for strength, stability, and body awareness.