Per-Fect Your Push Ups

THE BEST exercise you could possibly make part of your regular exercise routine is without doubt, the body weight exercise, the Push Up.
It is NOT just an upper body or arm workout, it’s actually a very good core exercise.
They also work shoulders, balance and stability and can also boost metabolism due to the amount of effort required and oxygen burned during the exercise.
You don’t need any machines or equipment to perform them, so they are FREE of cost! So you can do them anytime, anywhere and have pretty much zero excuse, other than injury, to practice them.
They are one of the most basic and common exercises around, and have been for a very long time.
The TOP reason though why I believe that the Push Up is so good, is that they are RELATIVE!
If you need to move something, like a heavy box, or a fridge, or if you fall over and need to get up, or for all you parents who love lifting their kids above them while lying down..
ALL these movements require you to PUSH out in front. It is one of the most used movements next to the SQUAT and any exercises that mimic the movements you perform daily are always a good thing to have in your workout.
FIRST THE TECHNIQUE :
SO, you want (or shall we say NEED) to practice your push ups, FIRST, you must have the right technique.
1) HAND PLACEMENT.
Start by laying down flat, place your hands just slightly under, but mainly next to your shoulders.
2) BODY POSITION.
Whether a novice, doing them from your knees, or more experienced doing them on your toes, make sure to keep your knees or toes where they are resting as you prop yourself up from the ground.
3) BRACING YOUR CORE.
It’s vital, but don’t hold your breath and simply squeeze tight, it can actually cause damage. Learn to breathe out strong as you push up, as breathing out helps to contract your muscles and try to simply focus on using all the right muscles and not just arms.
4) RANGE OF MOTION
Distance is important, learn to go all the way down to your chest and back up, and only if you are struggling to hit desired numbers should you shorten the distance.
SO many people claim “oh, i can do 100!”, but really, they might struggle doing just 10-20 where they use their FULL RANGE of MOTION and actually find it tough to get their chest to the floor each time.
It’s better to do 10 quality push ups, where you’re nice and straight, breathing well, and keeping form, than doing 100 of what look like they should be called sex downs, as the person’s hips are just dropping and lifting 😉 It’s also important as if you shorten the range of motion you can tighten and shorten the muscle, and depending on what you active exercise you do, losing flexibility might not be good for your activities.
SECOND IS PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT :
Don’t ever get the idea Push Ups will be easy, as there are always ways to make things more challenging.
BUT also don’t GIVE UP simply because you think you SUCK at them.
Everything in life takes practice, and ONLY the things you do on a regular basis, can you be good at!
Those who really hate push ups are usually just the ones who never practice.
SO, every day if it takes it, practice 5 on your feet trying to get chest to the floor.
IF YOU ARE REALLY BAD, start even by doing them on such an angle, that most of your weight is in your legs, such as against the KITCHEN BENCH, it will definitely make you lighter and easier to perform. As you get better, drop the height, down to a SEATED BENCH, then maybe on the floor on your knees, then you finally have progressed to on your toes on the floor!!
SO, SIMON SAYS : Get Pushing!
And make those push ups one of your most common workout exercises, and not one you simply ignore because you think you can’t do them.
Once you can, you’ll see AND FEEL the benefits. I can guarantee that!
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