Can’t Do A Push-Up? These Four Moves Will Help You Build The Strength You Need

Close-up of woman's smiling face as she attempts an incline push-up on a bench outside.

The push-up is one of the most common bodyweight exercises programmed into full-body and upper-body workouts, but it’s not a movement most people can do without building up strength first.

Thankfully, this is relatively straightforward to do once you know how. “Building up the muscles necessary for a push-up involves targeting the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core,” says Amanda Place, personal trainer and founder of Sculptrition.