Possibly the most well-known strengthening and toning exercise — the push-up — is also the most forgotten of them all.

"People don't do push-ups anymore," says Brad Bugado, personal trainer at The Center Club downtown.

With the prevalence of weights in gyms, Bugado says, most people go straight for hand weights or machines, even when they don't have the strength to perform the tried-and-true exercises learned as kids in P.E. class.

"You have to be able to move your own body weight before you graduate to external weights," says Bugado, a former University of Hawai'i volleyball player.

From the handstand push-up of capoeira (the Brazilian fight-dance and martial art) to the Chaturanga Dandasana of India's hatha yoga, almost every culture has some form of the exercise, making it one of the most universal movements to train the chest, shoulders and arms.

Yet, push-ups seem to have gone the way of jumping jacks, sit-ups, jump rope and other schoolyard exercises.

In push-ups, every part of the body is working to create stability — legs, core, chest and arms.

KEY ALIGNMENT POINTS

Maintain the natural curve in your neck. People tend to hyperflex the neck, by looking forward instead of down at the floor.

Hands are generally placed directly under shoulders. Don't be afraid to play with hand variations to increase the complexity of your workout.

Pull in the stomach muscles. This helps protect the lower back and also creates stability.

Feet may be placed wider than hips for more stability. The closer the feet, the more work. For a more complex workout, lift one leg off the floor at a time. For an easier workout, lower the knees to the ground.

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.