Do you want to know how to do a push up? Find out why your push ups feel strange or weak. If you think it’s an arm exercise, this might be why…
The push up is one of the most common exercises in any exercise program. Go to a bootcamp and you’re bound to see them crop up. Go to your Personal Training session and there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be doing a push up or a variant of the push up in your session.
The fact is, the push up does work your arms (triceps), chest (pectorals) and shoulders (deltoids). The problem with thinking of it as a predominantly arm exercise though, is that the “core” muscles are forgotten and the push up becomes something like this:
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][PHOTO]
I often tell my clients what the truth really is: The Push Up is a “core” exercise, first and foremost. With soft abdominals and glutes, your arms will be working overtime, wondering how other people (like me) make the Push Up look so easy. By positioning your ribcage & hips correctly, squeezing your abdominals and glutes, and keeping your shoulders down away from your ears – you too can begin making the Push Up look easy, like this:
[VIDEO OR PHOTO]
Tips for More Effective Push Ups:
- Ideal hand position is where your palm is in line with your nipple line at the bottom of the Push Up and just wider than your torso.
- Upper arm should create a 45 degree angle with your torso – “T-shaped” arms are a modified, less effective and more risky version of the Push Up. Elbows in close to your sides are a modified, more difficult Push Up that will work the Triceps harder.
- Your abdominals will stay switched on throughout the whole movement, but squeeze them harder on the way up, especially when your arms are fatiguing.
- Keep looking down, not forward. The ideal position keeps your neck in a long, neutral position, following the line of the spine.
- If you can’t do Push Ups on your toes, the next best thing is to do an incline-Push Up. You might hear that knee push ups are not worth it – but they are if you get the posture right. But don’t look at pictures or people at the gym for technique – you’ll be led astray.
Nezfit Personal Training specialises in technique and posture, so if you’ve ever wanted to correct your movements and postures for everyday life or for your workouts and sports, please get in contact with us! We are located in Ascot Vale, VIC but can come to you for workshops, presentations and group exercise.
Enjoy trying out your new core exercise! :)[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Recent Comments