Is it necessary for push up to touch floor with chest & fully extend?

[wilberbear]

I don't get what you mean by using core. How much more straight can the body get? Thought that was pretty straight. Also, my video seems to be bending the elbows 90 degrees. I don't get it. Although I am switching to dips anyway, I just would like to know just for the record. That body is not straight enough? Should I bend a little downward or upward? Also, are you saying I should bend the elbows more than 90 degrees? Or are you saying that I stopped bending 90 degrees after the beginning?

[Mr.MojoRisin']

I don't get what you mean by using core. How much more straight can the body get? Thought that was pretty straight. Also, my video seems to be bending the elbows 90 degrees. I don't get it. Although I am switching to dips anyway, I just would like to know just for the record. That body is not straight enough? Should I bend a little downward or upward? Also, are you saying I should bend the elbows more than 90 degrees? Or are you saying that I stopped bending 90 degrees after the beginning?

You're elbows weren't 90 degrees and your body was sure as hell not straight.

[Facade]

The core could be better, but is not that bad. The biggest problems are that you do not do full range of motion, that you use momentum and that you flare out your elbows. The flaring out of your elbows makes it more an unhealthy shoulder exercise than a chest exercise.

The reason you need full range of motion is simply cause you will stress the muscle more. You do partial repetitions. That would be less of a problem if your motion was controlled, but it's not. You use gravity to go down and simply bounce back up. When you use momentum you are not using your muscles and you will not benefit as much. There is a reason people go so fast: it's because it's easier and they can't hit their target if they do it correctly. Furthermore, your elbows should be directed inwards. This focuses the chest. Hopefully going all the way to the ground makes sense now as you will perhaps feel some stretch in your chest.

If you take anything away from this post, it is that you should not ever use momentum as it takes over a majority of the load. So if you switch to dips, don't go as fast as with the push ups. Make the movement controlled. You will notice that even partial repetitions like the ones you are doing now, will become harder when you perform the exercise controlled. Try to make some form of routine: 3 seconds to go down (allowing your muscles to work against gravity in stead of with like you are doing now) and then, when you are down, push yourself up as hard as you can. Finally, there is no need to go beyond 15 reps per set. Once you feel you have mastered it, you can switch up to a progression of the calisthenic exercise. For push ups you can consider pseudo planche push ups for example.

[wilberbear]

I think my biggest question would be straightening out my body with core because I thought I was straight. Do you want me to lower my hip (I would guess higher if any change at all) or higher my hip (I was focusing on hip being right beside the waist to make the body "straight")? Or are you referring to something else? Are you saying I should kind of arch up my lower back so that it evens out with my protruding butt somewhat? I was letting my lower back natural. Also, my elbow doesn't have to go below 90 degrees, right? Full range of motion is good, but the beginning of my push ups (before my push ups became partial push ups apparently) was acceptable?

I am switching to dips anyway to avoid the push up fusses. I just want to know for the record, get my push up posture fixed just for the sake of getting it perfected.