tips for mastering push-ups?

[tiffanywu]

I just started attending physical therapy for my knee problems, but lucky me got a prescription to a *superb* therapist who also happens to be a personal trainer and sports medicine expert all-in-one.

I asked him for form pointers on all the free weights moves that I do, and with the chest and back, never extend your arms beyond the body plane. This simply means that if you're doing a push-up, you're not suppose to go till your chest is two inches off the ground. You're suppose to keep your arms at that ninety-degree angle where the backs of your arms are (at a maximum) level with your back muscles. Anything more than that and you're courting shoulder injuries (this rule of thumb also applies to chest presses and flies).