09/15/2026
At Jenny’s Gym, we think a modified pushup should be on the bar and on your toes, rather than on the floor and on your knees. Elevating it off the ground, as demonstrated here, better establishes core strength than "knee pushups" do. Think of the pushup as a moving plank, which, when done correctly engages the entire core, including the glutes which help stabilize the spine, also fully engaged. Dropping to the knees largely takes the lower body out of the movement and reduces the hip stabilizers (which stabilize the spine....all a part of the "core"). The core should be considered the pillar of strength and if it isn't strong, the other big lifts will be compromised, including the pushup.
Notice her full range of motion. If she were on the floor, her chest would be touching the floor before she comes up. The bar is likened to the floor in this modification and she purposely touches it before forcefully locking out at the top. And, her elbow placement is well-positioned: 45° angle with forearms vertical to the bar, using her chest and less of her shoulders. Her feet are together, her glutes are engaged, there is no sagging in her back and her body cohesively moves through the entire pushup.
Can you do pushups on the ground? If not, we know how to appropriately modify and correctly teach them, as Patty is demonstrating here. Get off your knees, come see us, and get onto a bar; we have plenty of them at Jenny's Gym.
Patty Woods
