# Push ups - chin to the ground or not? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 22, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984 "2010-02-22T16:47:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/1 "2010-02-22T16:47:24Z")
When I was in school, they taught us to do push ups by lowering your body until your chin touched the floor, then back up, but when I see people doing push ups now, they don’t go down far enough for that to happen - they lower themselves down enough to bend their elbows but that’s it. So, has the first way been deemed unsafe, the way full sit ups have been phased out in favor of crunches, or are these people doing a different variation of push ups, like diamond push ups, or knuckle push ups? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/2 "2010-02-22T16:53:18Z")
I don’t do push-ups but I do bench presses and lower the bar to my chest (or an inch above), which is equivalent to a push-up all the way to the ground, and I think that’s pretty much the textbook form. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/3 "2010-02-22T16:54:33Z")
People are lazy hence the short range pushups. Crunches are done as they target the abs while full sit ups work the hip extensors more. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/4 "2010-02-22T17:01:19Z")
Chest to the ground or within a hands width is fine, my chin would only touch if I bent my neck way over or there was a rock in front of me. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/5 "2010-02-22T17:03:00Z")
I usually do them so that my elbows make right angles when I’m at the bottom. I guess that’s pretty close to putting my chin to the floor, or would be if I didn’t turn my face to the side. ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/6 "2010-02-22T17:31:52Z")
In Marine Boot Camp a push up drops the chest onto someone’s fist. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/7 "2010-02-22T17:33:41Z")
After taking a neck spasm home from the gym, I was told not to get my neck involved in upper body work. I guess the same would apply to push-ups. If you use the momentum of raising your head to help start your upward motion, some would call that “cheating.” ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/8 "2010-02-22T17:51:23Z")
Since there’s variability possible in the position of your head, using the chin as a reference doesn’t sound as consistent as using your chest. Don’t bounce, just let it touch lightly. Something I learned in my youth was once you’re at the low in your push-up, slowly sway your body using your arms once in each direction (left & right) out further over your hands, then back to the center and up. You’re making sure more of the muscle benefits from the work, plus adding some flexibility. Yes, it’s harder… that’s the point. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/9 "2010-02-22T18:39:53Z")
I was taught to do pushups by a group fo Navy SEALs (which I am NOT one of), so I’ve always assumed that is the only right and proper way to do them. Chest touches the ground, head is up and looking forward at all times. All the way down and all the way up. Of course there are a thousand variations but the thing where a person just bends their arms a tiny bit is plain ol’ slacking off. ---
**Author:** ![AmunRa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AmunRa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmunRa)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/10 "2010-02-22T19:18:34Z")
To add another data point: The standard for a push-up in the US Army is upper arms parallel to the ground with the body kept in a straight line, chest or chin touching the ground has nothing to do with it. As another poster already said it seems to me that there would be too much variation in chin position for that to be a reliable measurement; also the push-up is used to increase arm strength, so it makes more sense to focus on the arms for correct form. ---
**Author:** ![Iggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/11 "2010-02-22T19:34:58Z")
> [@AmunRa](#): > > To add another data point: > > The standard for a push-up in the US Army is upper arms parallel to the ground with the body kept in a straight line, chest or chin touching the ground has nothing to do with it. As another poster already said it seems to me that there would be too much variation in chin position for that to be a reliable measurement; also the push-up is used to increase arm strength, so it makes more sense to focus on the arms for correct form. My Air Force brother in law said the same thing, upper arms parallel to ground. ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kearsen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/12 "2010-02-22T20:17:54Z")
Push ups go through full range of motion by bending the elbows 90 degrees. It actually makes the push up harder. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/13 "2010-02-22T20:36:50Z")
As a somewhat heavy-chested female, I can’t go all the way to my chin. Military style push-ups are done with your hands tucked right under your shoulders (Tri-cep) style push-ups. For our fitness test, we are expected to come down until our elbows are at a 90 degree angle. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/14 "2010-02-22T21:23:06Z")
Yep, 90 degrees. “I should be able to lay a board across your elbows,” they’d say. I always did them shoulder-width, then slid them wide to get my chest to pump out as many extra as I could before time ran out. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/15 "2010-02-22T21:34:27Z")
Think of how little work Jay Leno would have to do versus someone with no chin. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/16 "2010-02-23T00:54:11Z")
Thanks for the replies, all. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/17 "2010-02-23T02:05:38Z")
> [@Iggins](#): > > My Air Force brother in law said the same thing, upper arms parallel to ground. Might as well go for the trifeca and confirm that the navy requires you to bring your shoulderblades on the same horizon as your elbows. ..and then stop and hold it, and make your locker key on the chain around your neck stand with its tip touching the deck, then laying down, then up and down again, or swiveling to the right, then to the left. That’ll teach you to fold your towell with the catch-edge in, shithead! ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/18 "2010-02-23T15:13:26Z")
Was anyone else taught to touch their nose to the ground? ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/19 "2010-02-23T22:41:10Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > Was anyone else taught to touch their nose to the ground? That is not correct. As others have posted, the head should be looking forward (not down, although I don’t believe it should be looking up either, but that’s of little consequence) and the elbows bent parallel to the ground (90°). ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984/20 "2010-02-23T22:50:51Z")
Military folks: how many pushups did you have to do at a time? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/push-ups-chin-to-the-ground-or-not/529984.md?page=2)