PUSH-UPS
CORRECT FORM
1) Lying in the
position shown, place your hands apart about 8-12 inches away from
your body, depending on what is most comfortable. Your back should
be straight.
2) Begin to
lower yourself. Keep your back straight the entire time.
3)
Touch the floor with your chin and chest. Hold for 1-2 seconds,
then push upward. You should feel this entirely in your pectorals,
and maybe slightly in your abdominals trying to keep your back straight.
4)
Inhale as you lower yourself, exhale as you push up.
5) Do not lock
your elbows completely at the top. Stop just barely short of locking
the elbows.
MUSCLES
USED
SAFETY
CONSIDERATIONS/PRECAUTIONS
The main safety
precaution is the effect push-ups might have on your wrists and neck.
If you develop
any pain in the wrists, there are grip handles that can be placed
on the floor to hold onto so that your hand does not have to be bent
backward so much. You can also place dumbbells on the floor and grip
them. This will also have the effect of strengthening your wrist/forearm
muscles.
Neck pain is
not as common. It may sometimes occur from attempting to hold the
neck up with the neck extensors in the back. If this occurs, try
tucking your chin in and relaxing your neck muscles as much as possible.
You will not be able to go all the way down to the floor (since
your head is now in the way), but you should still get a lot out
of the exercise.
You should feel
all of the fatigue in the pectoral muscles, not in the shoulders.
Try adjusting your hands in or out if this is occurring. If you
feel it more in the shoulders, something is wrong there and you
need the advice of a physician.
EFFECTIVENESS
The push-up tends
to be forgotten about in the grand scheme of workouts probably because
it seems so elementary, and also because often, people can do too
many of them and it makes them ineffective at developing size and
strength.
It can be
used effectively after the chest has been trained. At
this point, you will fatigue with less reps and therefore make it
a more effective exercise.
Because of all
the stabilization you have to do (keeping your back straight), the
push-up is a great total body exercise. In some of the weightless
workouts, the push-up is the cornerstone.
HELPFUL
WITH TRAINING FOR
Football, Basketball,
Baseball, Hockey, Track and Field, Throwing sports, Tennis, Boxing,
Wrestling, Martial arts.
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