Hands-only CPR for adults

For an adult or teen who collapses, two steps: call 911, then push hard and fast in the center of the chest.

Video lessons don't replace hands-on training. Practice these skills in a supervised class with a qualified instructor before you rely on them at work.

Two steps

The American Heart Association's Hands-Only CPR is for adults and teens: call 911, then push hard and fast in the center of the chest. The guidelines say compressions alone are the right approach if you are untrained or unwilling to give breaths.

How to do it

• Position: the person on their back on a firm surface, such as the floor. You kneel beside their chest. The 2025 guidelines add that their torso should be at about the level of your knees, so you can push down hard. Do CPR where they are, unless the spot is unsafe.
• Hands: heel of one hand on the center of the chest (the lower half of the breastbone), the other hand on top, fingers laced and off the chest.
• Body: shoulders straight over your hands, elbows locked. Push with your body weight, not your arms.
• Depth: at least 2 inches (5 cm) for an average adult, but not more than about 2.4 inches (6 cm).
• Rate: 100 to 120 compressions a minute. The AHA's "Don't Drop the Beat" playlist is all songs at that beat.
• Recoil: let the chest come all the way back up between compressions. Don't lean on it.
• Keep going. Keep pauses as short as you can. The technique is the same for people of any body size.

Switching and stopping

Compressions get shallower after a minute or two as you tire. If someone else can help, switch about every 2 minutes with as little pause as possible. Keep going until:

• the person shows obvious signs of life, such as moving or breathing normally;
• an AED is ready to use (then follow its prompts);
• EMS or another trained responder takes over;
• the scene becomes unsafe, or you are too exhausted to continue.