How can I fix push-up form to target core and avoid shoulder and back pain?

[Avery55]

I’ve been doing a standard push-up for a while now, but I’m not sure if my form is actually correct for building strength effectively. I feel it mostly in my shoulders and my lower back sometimes aches afterwards, which makes me wonder if my core is sagging.

[RyanNM]

I’ve been there. I used to feel it mostly in my shoulders and lower back after a set. In the mirror I could see my hips drop a bit as I pressed, which never felt good on the lower back. I tried just pushing through, but the ache wouldn’t quit until I slowed down a bit.

[MadisonT]

For me the change came when I started thinking about bracing the core and lightly squeezing the glutes as I pressed up. It didn’t fix everything overnight, and I still feel it in the shoulders if I rush.

[AnthonyRH]

Sometimes I wonder if the problem isn’t the movement itself but shoulder mobility. If I’m stiff up top, I end up compensating and the lower back takes the hit. I did a short spell with lighter incline work and some basic mobility, and I wasn’t sure if it helped. Do you think the real issue is mobility or core?

[BenjaminP]

I kept at it with a looser goal: if I could finish a set without wincing, I counted it as progress. The pain faded slowly, and I found the shoulders still felt tight after heavy effort, so I backed off to do more reps with what felt like cleaner form rather than chasing hard numbers.