How to Do Push-Ups the Right Way to Improve Your Level of Physical Fitness
Push-ups are one of the most basic and important exercises that you can do.
However, too many people don't do them the right way and therefore either can't or don't want to do them.
There's no need to be afraid of the push-up! The push-up is your friend and will help you to get into great shape.
From my training sessions, I find the push-up, along with the pull-up, to be the bane of most people's fitness existence.
From the time these exercises were introduced to us back in grade school, many of us have struggled to perform them, and way too many people - adults and kids alike - can't or don't do them.
In this article I will share with you proper technique for a correct push up as well as some techniques if you can not complete a push up to help you get there.
The proper starting position is critical to perform push-ups properly.
The position should look like this: Starting from a prone position - belly to the floor, but not resting on the floor - with your hands just outside your shoulder width, fingers facing forward and arms fully extended.
Your feet can be as much as a foot apart, or together.
Keep your core tight to ensure your hips do not sag towards the ground at any point during the exercise.
There should be an ever so slight decrease in height from the shoulders to the hips, keeping a straight line though.
Weight is forward on the hands so that the arms form a straight line from the wrists to the shoulders, and keep the shoulders in front of the wrists.
From the starting position, bend the elbows and lower the body until your upper arms are parallel to the ground - the chest does not have to touch the ground - then push up with your arms to return to the starting position.
Remember to hold your core tight so that the hips don't rise and fall separately from the rest of the body.
Your goal is to keep your body as rigid as a board throughout the movement.
Breathing Tips: Inhale on the way down and exhale on the way up.
If you are looking for tips to be able to do a push up for the first time and need a plan to build your strength read on.
I don't recommend starting with "modified" or "girl's" push-ups that are done with knees on the floor.
This exercise is a waste of time for preparing the body to perform "real" push-ups, despite conventional wisdom, although it does provide some strength benefits.
The first step to prepare your body to do push-ups is to work on maintaining the proper start position.
What seems like an easy enough position can actually be difficult.
So the first drill for those who can't do a push-up is to get into the starting position I described above and hold it for 30 seconds.
Remember to breathe steadily the entire time.
Maintaining this push-up start position for 30 seconds at a time is the best way to strengthen the body and prepare for doing real push-ups.
The "modified" push does not develop the core strength and balance that's required to do proper push-ups.
If you haven't tried this "static hold" exercise, you'll be amazed at how difficult it can be.
Your goal should be to do 3 to 4 sets of 30 second holds.
Once you meet this goal, progress from the start position static hold to a "bottom position" static hold.
Your body will be in a position where your elbows are bent, arms are parallel to the ground and your body is hovering over the ground in a straight and tight position.
Your chest does not have to touch the ground and should be a few inches off of the floor.
This is a more difficult drill, so set a goal of 3 to 4 sets of 10-15 seconds in duration.
The next step, once the two variations of "static hold" push-ups have been mastered, is to progress to "negative" push-ups.
The term "negative" is used to describe what is technically known as an eccentric contraction.
During the down phase of the push-up the chest and the triceps muscles, or primary movers, are lengthening, which describes what occurs during an eccentric contraction.
There is the belief that strength is built during the eccentric, or negative phase of an exercise.
Negative push-ups will help to build the strength needed to do full push-ups.
To do a negative push-up get into the starting position and slowly lower your body until your chest touches the floor, maintaining strict control or your form during the movement.
When doing "negatives" there's no concern for the push phase of the exercise.
Once your chest touches the floor get back to the staring position by going to your knees and resetting.
So don't ignore push-ups, as this body-weight exercise can help you get into, and stay, in great shape.
© Sal Marinello 2009
However, too many people don't do them the right way and therefore either can't or don't want to do them.
There's no need to be afraid of the push-up! The push-up is your friend and will help you to get into great shape.
From my training sessions, I find the push-up, along with the pull-up, to be the bane of most people's fitness existence.
From the time these exercises were introduced to us back in grade school, many of us have struggled to perform them, and way too many people - adults and kids alike - can't or don't do them.
In this article I will share with you proper technique for a correct push up as well as some techniques if you can not complete a push up to help you get there.
The proper starting position is critical to perform push-ups properly.
The position should look like this: Starting from a prone position - belly to the floor, but not resting on the floor - with your hands just outside your shoulder width, fingers facing forward and arms fully extended.
Your feet can be as much as a foot apart, or together.
Keep your core tight to ensure your hips do not sag towards the ground at any point during the exercise.
There should be an ever so slight decrease in height from the shoulders to the hips, keeping a straight line though.
Weight is forward on the hands so that the arms form a straight line from the wrists to the shoulders, and keep the shoulders in front of the wrists.
From the starting position, bend the elbows and lower the body until your upper arms are parallel to the ground - the chest does not have to touch the ground - then push up with your arms to return to the starting position.
Remember to hold your core tight so that the hips don't rise and fall separately from the rest of the body.
Your goal is to keep your body as rigid as a board throughout the movement.
Breathing Tips: Inhale on the way down and exhale on the way up.
If you are looking for tips to be able to do a push up for the first time and need a plan to build your strength read on.
I don't recommend starting with "modified" or "girl's" push-ups that are done with knees on the floor.
This exercise is a waste of time for preparing the body to perform "real" push-ups, despite conventional wisdom, although it does provide some strength benefits.
The first step to prepare your body to do push-ups is to work on maintaining the proper start position.
What seems like an easy enough position can actually be difficult.
So the first drill for those who can't do a push-up is to get into the starting position I described above and hold it for 30 seconds.
Remember to breathe steadily the entire time.
Maintaining this push-up start position for 30 seconds at a time is the best way to strengthen the body and prepare for doing real push-ups.
The "modified" push does not develop the core strength and balance that's required to do proper push-ups.
If you haven't tried this "static hold" exercise, you'll be amazed at how difficult it can be.
Your goal should be to do 3 to 4 sets of 30 second holds.
Once you meet this goal, progress from the start position static hold to a "bottom position" static hold.
Your body will be in a position where your elbows are bent, arms are parallel to the ground and your body is hovering over the ground in a straight and tight position.
Your chest does not have to touch the ground and should be a few inches off of the floor.
This is a more difficult drill, so set a goal of 3 to 4 sets of 10-15 seconds in duration.
The next step, once the two variations of "static hold" push-ups have been mastered, is to progress to "negative" push-ups.
The term "negative" is used to describe what is technically known as an eccentric contraction.
During the down phase of the push-up the chest and the triceps muscles, or primary movers, are lengthening, which describes what occurs during an eccentric contraction.
There is the belief that strength is built during the eccentric, or negative phase of an exercise.
Negative push-ups will help to build the strength needed to do full push-ups.
To do a negative push-up get into the starting position and slowly lower your body until your chest touches the floor, maintaining strict control or your form during the movement.
When doing "negatives" there's no concern for the push phase of the exercise.
Once your chest touches the floor get back to the staring position by going to your knees and resetting.
So don't ignore push-ups, as this body-weight exercise can help you get into, and stay, in great shape.
© Sal Marinello 2009
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