Push Ups - Chest to floor?

Apologies if this is in the wrong thread... still fumbling my way through the site. 

Question about push ups and touching chest to the floor.  I feel like the only way to do this is to relax my back otherwise my face gets in the way. 

Should I only come down to as low as my forehead?  Does this make sense, anyone else have this problem? 

What are the cues for going as low as is necessary in the bottom of a push up? 

If your head is touching first that just means you're letting your head droop down. Lift your head up during your pushups so that your face reaches the floor at the same time as your chest.

As far as cues for going as low as necessary. You don't need any, just keep your head up where it should be. Start your pushups from the floor. Lie down flat on your face, then get your hands and feet into position. Once you have that, just push straight up and lower back down to the starting position. By starting on the floor you'll feel the position your head should be in anyways.

Cues? I have been recently playing with thinking "pelvic bones to floor" first (while trying to maintain PPT), then chest follows keeping the chin out of the way.

If I think "Chest to floor", I tend to pike at the hips a bit or loose PPT, not keeping a decent line. 

Start at the bottom... derp why didn't I think of that... Thanks Ronnicky!

Pelvic bone does not lie   I think I have the same problem I tend to round to much, will try this too.  Thanks Ryan!

I understand your question Michael, actually I prefer not to touch the floor with my chest in the bottom of the pushup because I lose form in the last couple of inches when I do so. Your face is touching the floor first because youre focusing on protraction - you are headed in the right direction. I will leave this decision to you.

Your face is reaching the floor first because you are extending the neck and chin forward.  Maintain a neutral head position at all times.

This is a completely separate issue from scapula position and has no bearing on protraction.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Thank you Coach

Thank you Coach and thank you Luke.  Appreciate your feedback very much. 

I do like the cue of starting at the bottom from Ronnicky have been experimenting with that.  I think previously I would have to much scapular protraction and not enough rotation forward in the shoulder.  This seems like a bad habit that I am trying to untrain. 

Also, not sure if this is a by-product of my form but no matter my endurance ( how good it used to be) I always seemed to 'gas out' after 2 sets... set 1. - 20 reps, set 2.- 20 reps, set 3. - 5 (ugly:) reps.  Hoping this change in form will improve endurance response. 

Thanks you again. 

6 hours ago, Michael LeGrice said:

I always seemed to 'gas out' after 2 sets... set 1. - 20 reps, set 2.- 20 reps, set 3. - 5 (ugly:) reps.

Are you able to do step 6: 5x9r with the new form? I tend to go back in the steps when there is a new discovery or improvement in form, (plus the benefit of extra mobility work) then progress from there. You'll probably progress through quickly. 

^ What Ryan said. The moment you make a change towards perfecting your form, generally your reps should go down in your individual sets until your body adapts. You trained poor form, so you're good at poor form. When using good form it's a different animal and has to be treated as such.

I hit all my reps pretty quick on HBP/PE2 and moved on to PE3.  When I was doing PE3 I found it hard to get scapula protraction. 

I moved back to PE2 (Pushups) and I video recorded myself focusing on scapula position.  After watching the video I noticed I had horrible PPT.  I ended up having two issues to fix - scapula protraction and PPT.  Really hammering away on technique I went all the way back to Step 5 and it was a rude awakening.

My advice would be to video yourself and take a look at your technique. 

19 minutes ago, Kevin Easton said:

I hit all my reps pretty quick on HBP/PE2 and moved on to PE3.  When I was doing PE3 I found it hard to get scapula protraction. 

I moved back to PE2 (Pushups) and I video recorded myself focusing on scapula position.  After watching the video I noticed I had horrible PPT.  I ended up having two issues to fix - scapula protraction and PPT.  Really hammering away on technique I went all the way back to Step 5 and it was a rude awakening.

My advice would be to video yourself and take a look at your technique. 

now thats awesome. learning from your own mistakes means caring. my experience also lead me back... back to PE1  fixing PPT and protraction in HBP PE1 makes life easier in the later progressions.

Kevin that advice is definitely some great advice indeed. (looking at yourself and your own form).

Just wanted to thank everyone profusely for their replies... I didn't realize anyone had added anything after August 2nd so apologies for my late response (still getting used to the UI and where everything is). 

I took your advice @Kevin Easton and video'd myself: https://youtu.be/GedDmw9W1Yc?t=559 from my own self diagnoses, looks like you nailed it, I think my scapular protraction is pretty terrible.

Taking @Ronnicky Roy, @Kevin Easton and @Leo Trinidad's advice going back it up a few steps. 

Thank you again. 

Sincerely,

mike 

Hi @Michael LeGrice, your video is set to private.

thanks @Leo Trinidad I have updated the video to "unlisted" hopefully that works. 

thanks again!