Movement Practice WOD
exercise wod
AMRAP 12
8 controlled reps
10 bodyweight reps
200m easy run or 60 sec cardio
Bodyweight
Push-Up — CrossFit Technique Guide
BB
By Borja Bes — CrossFit Athlete & Hyrox Finisher
The push-up is the foundational horizontal pressing movement in CrossFit and the most accessible upper-body exercise that exists — it requires no equipment and scales to any fitness level. In Hero WODs, push-ups appear in enormous volume: Murph alone prescribes 200. The CrossFit standard is strict: chest must contact the floor, arms must reach full lockout at the top, and the body must remain in a rigid plank throughout. This is harder than it sounds at rep 150. Developing push-up capacity is not about one max set — it is about building the endurance to hold mechanics across hundreds of reps under fatigue.
Quick answer
Push-Up is best used when the workout goal matches its main demand: bodyweight capacity, clean mechanics, and scalable intensity.
Muscles Worked
PectoralsTricepsAnterior deltoidsCore
Equipment
None
Best For, Avoid If, and Scaling
| Best for | Bodyweight WODs, skill practice, and athletes who can keep push-up mechanics consistent under fatigue. |
|---|---|
| Avoid if | Pain changes your movement pattern, fatigue makes reps sloppy, or the workout asks for a standard you cannot repeat safely. |
| Scaling | Knee push-ups, incline push-ups (hands elevated on a box or bench). |
How to Do the Push-Up
1
Set up in a plank position: hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, arms straight.
2
Engage the core, glutes, and quads — body forms a straight line from head to heel.
3
Lower the body as a single unit until the chest (not stomach) touches the floor.
4
Press back to full lockout, elbows extending completely at the top.
5
Maintain the rigid plank throughout — no sagging hips, no snaking up.
Common Mistakes
✕
Hips sagging — usually core fatigue. Break into smaller sets rather than compromising position.
✕
Chest never touching the floor — common shortcut in high-rep WODs; judges will no-rep it.
✕
Elbows flaring to 90° — increases shoulder impingement risk. Aim for 45° flare.
✕
Head dropping forward rather than staying neutral with the spine.
Coaching Tips
✓
For Murph, sub-partition push-ups into sets of 4-6 from round one — never go to failure early.
✓
Wrist pain during push-ups often resolves with proper warm-up and pushing through the full hand (not just the heel).
✓
Knee push-ups are a legitimate scaling option that maintains the pressing stimulus without compromising spinal position.
✓
Hand-release push-ups (lifting hands off floor each rep) ensure full range of motion and are used in competition.
Scaling Options
Easier / Beginner
Knee push-ups, incline push-ups (hands elevated on a box or bench).
Harder / Advanced
Deficit push-ups (hands on plates), weighted push-ups (plate on back), ring push-ups.
Related WODs
Use Push-Up in a Real Workout
Create a similar WOD
Technique + Conditioning
scaled workout
4 rounds for quality
10 technique reps
30 sec core hold
12 low-skill conditioning reps
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CrossFit push-up standard?
Chest must make contact with the floor at the bottom, and arms must reach full lockout at the top. The body stays rigid throughout — no worming, no sagging hips. Any rep that does not meet both standards is a no-rep in competition.
How do I build push-up endurance for Murph?
Train with sub-maximal sets far from failure. If your max is 20, train in sets of 8-10. Accumulate total volume across the week (e.g. 200 push-ups across 5 sessions) rather than grinding max-effort sets. Murph is an endurance test, not a strength test.
Build It Into a Workout
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Next Training Tools
Hero WODs with Push-Up
Related Exercises
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