Push-Up Plus

Lower into a standard push-up, chest toward the floor, elbows at roughly forty-five degrees from your body, then press back up. At the very top, once your arms are straight, push a little further — round your upper back and let your shoulder blades spread apart and wrap around your ribs. That extra push at the top is the entire point of the exercise; the push-up itself is just there to get you to that position. Keep your core braced so the extra movement comes from your shoulder blades protracting, not from your lower back rounding or your hips sagging.