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pushups

The traditional squat is a widely practiced fitness exercise for your training plan. Here you will receive more information about the target muscles and the execution of the movement.

Engaged muscles in the traditional squat In the classic form of the squat, you strengthen your quadriceps muscles (musculus quadriceps femoris). Additionally, other muscles can be strengthened through the squat. Supportive muscles include your calf muscle (musculus gastrocnemius) and the front part of the gluteus maximus muscle.

Execution of the traditional squat The execution of the traditional squat is comparatively straightforward. However, there are some aspects you should consider.

Body position

Begin by standing upright. Place your feet approximately shoulder-width apart. You can extend your arms to the sides or keep them in front of your body. Lower your body by bending your knees. Ensure that your knees do not extend beyond your toes. Keep your back straight and your gaze forward. Tighten your abdominal muscles to provide stability.

Movement execution

Lower your entire body by bending your knees. It is crucial to maintain tension in the quadriceps. Your muscles in the thighs take on the primary workload. Inhale as you bend your knees. The knees stay above the feet, and you lower them slowly while inhaling. Then exhale and push yourself back up to return to the starting position.

The body posture should adopt a straight-line form. Avoid the typical arch in the back. The starting position also plays a significant role. Steer clear of any unnatural curvature in the body. Simultaneously, there should be no angle between the legs and the upper body. The body takes on a diagonal position. The arms are nearly fully extended.

Stressed muscles and common mistakes

Additional information regarding the targeted muscles and frequently occurring errors in performing push-ups can be found on the Push-Ups page.

Alternative variants to push-ups

To make your training more diverse, you can also try similar exercises or additional variations of push-ups.

Wide push-ups with a focus on the chest

As the hand distance increases during push-ups, the pressure on the chest muscles intensifies. Consequently, wide push-ups primarily target the chest and involve the triceps to a lesser extent compared to other variations of the exercise.

Positive push-ups with slight elevation

Push-ups with a slight elevation under the hands are less demanding than traditional push-ups because the range of motion is limited. When executed correctly, they result in enhanced activation of the lower chest muscles.

Easy push-ups for beginners (women's push-ups)

A common classic exercise for home workouts is the push-up. When thinking about training the chest muscles, push-ups often come to mind. After all, you can perform them without any equipment in nearly any location. Furthermore, there are numerous variations that target different parts of your chest. However, there are only a few exercises in sports that are as frequently performed incorrectly. If you don't execute the movement correctly, you're wasting your body's full potential and risking painful injuries. Push-ups promote the strengthening of your chest and triceps. The traditional push-up technique primarily focuses on the middle chest area, while also engaging the front part of the deltoid muscle.

Negative push-ups

The downward-facing push-up is a suitable chest muscle exercise, particularly suitable for beginners in the field of strength training. Despite its straightforward execution, the downward-facing push-up proves to be highly effective. This fitness exercise primarily targets the upper chest area and the triceps. Beginners may find the downward-facing push-up somewhat challenging at times. Nonetheless, especially when performed with elevated feet, it represents an extremely efficient variation for home workouts.

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