Are you ready to practice proper push-up formation? There are the push-ups most people do and then proper push-ups, the latter of which are more nuanced and effective by comparison. Thankfully, making the transition requires just a few tweaks. Here’s how to do push-ups the right way:

Before you even perform that first rep, you’ll need to put your body in the proper position. Here’s how:

You’ve assumed the starting position and now it’s time to crank out some reps. Here’s how to do a proper push-up:

By executing correct push-up formation each and every time, you’ll be building actual strength in your triceps, pectorals, deltoids, glutes, and core (amongst other areas). What’s most important is that you focus on quality over quantity. That means cranking out as many proper push-ups as you can and not wasting any time on a single improper push-up. If you perform just five or six correct push-ups before giving up, so be it. The number will climb as you progress.

A push-up in pretty much any form (i.e. improper or not) doesn’t look like it should be all that hard to pull off, and yet many people struggle to execute them. Even those of us who both feel and look relatively strong might occasionally fail to perform more than say five or ten push-ups at a time. Does this mean we aren’t as strong as we thought?

Once you’ve mastered traditional push-up formation and built strength where it counts, you might want to branch out into more advanced territory. Should you make this journey, you’ll soon discover that there are various types of push-ups, a number of which will truly put your muscles to the test. Only when you’re right and ready should you consider the following variants:

This one works your arms and chest far more than the standard push-up. Naturally, it will change the direction of your elbows. Here’s how to execute:

This one is not for the faint of heart…or wrist, for that matter. Nevertheless, here’s how to do it:

Like virtually every variant, this one’s not for beginners. What remains crucial is that you maintain a proper straight-line formation when you perform it. Here we go:

This one’s as brutal as it sounds and commonly practiced by professional fighters. Bring out your inner MMA warrior by doing the following:

Like the knuckle push-up, this one is fairly self-explanatory. Remember to maintain the proper push-up formation at the core and elbows. Here we go:

So you’ve absolutely mastered the proper push-up, have you? You must have if you’re ready for this one. Here’s how to do it:

Odds are you already practice some sort of workout routine, which begs the question: when and how should you bring push-ups into the fold? The answer depends on your level of experience. For instance, if you’re in the early stages of strength building, then bodyweight exercises will help improve upon muscle growth and balance alike. In that scenario, you should incorporate push-ups into your regimen.