Everyone has heard about push-ups from the floor. After all, this is one of the simplest and most affordable exercises. Even non-athletic people can do push-ups at least a few times. The topic of the post is push-ups from the floor and the technique for their implementation.
Many push-up lovers are subject to delusions regarding this, it would seem. simple exercise. For example, this refers to how to correctly shift the emphasis to different parts of the muscles working in push-ups, how to place your hands correctly, how wide to put them, etc.
Often you can see the complete lack of imagination in those who train in push-ups. But meanwhile, only the types of push-ups known to me from the floor, there are more than fifty. And if you approach the matter creatively and with passion, then you can come up with up to a hundred!
There are especially many misconceptions regarding methods for increasing the number of push-ups. Well, we will talk about these techniques separately and even analyze some of them. And in this article, we will discuss some of the nuances of push-ups from the floor and talk about several useful varieties of this wonderful exercise. So, the nuances.
What muscles are developed by push-ups from the floor?
In general, push-ups from the floor maximize the development of the chest muscles, triceps, anterior deltoids and the muscles of the anterior core (abs, thighs). This is clearly shown in the diagram.
More strictly speaking, push-ups require the coordinated work of almost all the large and small muscles of the body. You need to keep your head, you need to keep your legs straight, do not let your pelvis sag, you need to rest your feet on the floor. Push-ups involve a large mass of stabilizing muscles that perform a supporting and stabilizing function. It is safe to say that push-ups develop all the muscles of the body, but especially the already mentioned triceps, pectoral muscles and deltoid muscles.
Changes in the position of the arms, body, legs, shifting to the side - all this leads to a change in the work of the muscles. Therefore, different push-ups give a different load on these muscles.
By the way, it is enough for an experienced trainer to see how a person is doing push-ups in order to understand which muscles he is lagging behind in development. Moreover, push-ups can be used to determine what kind of flexibility a person has (see below for a special test).
Pushups. Correct hand position.
In classic push-ups, the palms are positioned in such a way that the fingers point forward or at a slight angle inward or outward. A slight turn of the hands does not play a noticeable role and does not shift the emphasis in the exercise.
But if necessary, you can turn the brushes in the way you need to give the exercise the desired specifics. For example, you can, while pushing up with a narrow setting of your hands, turn your hands so that your fingers are pointing back. However, be careful! You can easily damage your wrist joints. This option is suitable for people with flexible wrists.
And with a wide setting of the hands, it will be most convenient to point the fingers to the sides. You can even stand on your toes!
In martial arts (boxing, karate), push-ups on fists are often used, on dorsal surface palms, on the edges of the palms, on the fingers (on all or even on one). I have even seen such a variation of push-ups, when after each push-up, the position of the hand is changed (from fist to palm, from palm to back of the hand, then to the edge of the palm, etc.) All these exercises are designed to increase the stability and strength of the hands, strengthen percussion surfaces. However, it must be borne in mind, so as not to regret later, that these exercises are very dangerous and must be introduced very carefully, gradually, so as not to lead to serious injuries that will remind you of yourself for the rest of your life.
In general, you should know that not everyone is naturally given plastic and flexible wrists. In many people, their mobility is not as developed as in some lucky ones. The author of this article cannot boast of remarkable mobility in the hands, which constantly led to painful sensations, until he reached the main rule: The position of the hands during push-ups should be comfortable.
It should be comfortable for you to do push-ups and there should be no discomfort in the carpal joints. These joints should not be excessively flexed or extended when exercising, they should not be excessively twisted, as this will quickly lead to injury, due to which you will be forced to abandon most exercises altogether. Find a hand position with which you feel comfortable doing push-ups.
When push-ups on one hand, a serious load is placed on the brush. And it made me discomfort. But only until I began to use special push-ups. In general, push-ups are a good solution for those with problematic hands.
I recommend developing the flexibility of the carpal joints with special exercises ( apply carefully and carefully, do not force stretching). And before push-ups, properly stretch your wrists. One of the exercises is to fold your hands with your palms facing each other in front of your chest. At the same time, try to keep your forearms horizontal.
Stretching the muscles of the forearms before push-ups You can feel the stretch in your forearm muscles in a dozen other ways. Various rotations with the hands are also good. Be careful and gradually increase the amplitude of stretch marks.
Another good way to prevent injuries and sprains of the carpal joints is the use of wristbands or elastic bandages. This is especially true if you practice push-ups on one arm, push-ups with an unusual position of the hands.
And, finishing this paragraph, I give one small hint: hands can be placed not only symmetrically, but also asymmetrically. For example, when doing push-ups, one hand can be turned forward with the fingers, and the other with the fingers back. Of course, the hands should be placed so as not to violate the main rule. Another option is to put one hand a little forward and the other a little back. The load will be distributed over the body asymmetrically. Dream up, and you will come up with insanely many options.
The width of the hands in push-ups from the floor
Conventionally, there are three options for setting hands in push-ups: narrow, medium and wide.
Narrow stance can vary from shoulder width to a position where the palms are placed one on top of the other. In general, a narrow stance is designed to develop the triceps and deltoid muscles, as well as draw parts of the pectoral muscles located closer to the middle of the body (medial). With developed muscle mass, such push-ups will help draw a furrow separating the pectoral muscles. Personally, with such push-ups, the upper (clavicular) section of the pectoral muscles develops well.
The medium stance engages the triceps, deltoids, and pecs in the most beneficial combination for their even development. The most common opinion about this position is as follows. The average position is when, with the arms bent to 90 degrees, the forearms are strictly vertical. This position is really very physiological and allows many to develop maximum efforts in push-ups, as well as set records in push-ups. But that doesn't apply to me. The average setting of my hands is somewhat narrower than described above. I came to this experimentally when I found out that I have very strong triceps. I discovered this fact by accident when it turned out that in training in the gym in the French bench press exercise, I can handle one and a half to two times more weight than other guys. For me, this weight sometimes reached 80-90 kg for eight repetitions. Thus, by doing push-ups with a narrower stance, I use my physical personality. For records, it’s just beneficial for me to shift the main load to the triceps. You may also find that the classic recommendations do not suit you.
The wide stance engages the pecs (especially hard on their outer parts), the anterior deltoids, the biceps (very hard) and, to a lesser extent, the triceps. With this setting of the hands, the muscles of the press are significantly tensed. Even just standing in this position is already a serious test of static strength and endurance. I'm not talking about this exercise, when the hands are extended forward by 20 cm or more. The amplitude of movements during push-ups is thus small.
The position of the elbows relative to the body during push-ups
If you look at a push-up person from above, from the side of the back, then the angle between shoulder hands and body. This angle can vary from 0 to 90 degrees. And for some extreme types of push-ups, it can be equal to 180 degrees.
If you press your elbows to the body (the angle is 0) during push-ups, then only muscle groups will receive the predominant load. Which ones depends not only on the width of the arms, but also on the position of the body relative to the horizon, the angle of the arms relative to the floor, and a number of other factors. But in general, the load on the pectoral muscles is reduced and transferred to the triceps and deltoids.
In general, the degree of involvement of a muscle in an exercise depends not only on the weight and biomechanical arrangement of the levers, but also on how much it is stretched. The more a muscle is stretched during exercise, the more it swings.
The position when the angle between the shoulder and the body is 45 degrees has its own peculiarity. This is a position that allows you to develop serious efforts, and, at the same time, safe for the shoulders.
The 90-degree position is considered by many to be the most beneficial when it comes to training the chest muscles. Here they show all their power! However, this provision also has a major drawback. It is quite traumatic, especially if you do push-ups with significant weight or at high speed. I recommend placing your hands in such a way that the angle described is slightly less than 90 degrees. In the diagram, this position is indicated on the left.
Putting your hands so that the angle exceeds 90 degrees is too risky. And if you use it to solve certain training problems, then be extremely careful.
By the way, you can practice push-ups in which the angle of one hand is different from the angle of the other.
The angle of the arms relative to the floor
In some varieties of push-ups, this angle has great importance. For example, in close-stance push-ups, moving the arms back (towards the legs) shifts the load from the triceps to the deltoids and chest. And moving the arms forward (toward the head) leads to a significant increase in the load on the triceps.
I have already mentioned extreme types of push-ups, which only seriously trained athletes and gymnasts can do. In these exercises, the arms are carried forward or retracted much more strongly than in the photo.
How fast to push
Do you want to know how fast you should do push-ups? And I have a counter question: What do you want to achieve from push-ups? How you answer this question depends on how fast you push up.
Fast, explosive (plyometric) push-ups will help build strength and speed. Remember to warm up properly before these push-ups. Explosive push-ups can be so explosive that your hands leave the floor and you can clap in front of you. My nephew is a boxer and can do a clap in front of him, then a clap behind his back and another clap in front of him before his hands touch the floor again!
Push-ups in slow motion will help to train significant endurance and muscle relief. I have a friend who does only THREE push-ups per workout. But if you saw how he makes them, you would not want to fall into his clutches! His push-up workout consists of three sets one at a time. But…. Each push-up lasts exactly two minutes. One minute is spent on lowering down, the second - on lifting up. To say that this man is damn hardy is to say nothing.
But push-ups from the floor at an average pace will allow you to do the largest number repetitions. It is the average pace that allows most people to wring out the most number of times. Although there are exceptions here, depending on the structure and composition of the athlete's muscles, on his experience and recovery abilities.
Keep in mind that not all push-up options can be done at a fast or very slow pace. Some of them are simply uncomfortable to do quickly, and for others to be done slowly, most people simply do not have enough stamina.
But you can change the speed of push-ups during one approach and even during one repetition!
Push-ups from the floor and the amplitude of the exercise
Push-ups from the floor, like all other exercises, are always characterized by such a parameter as amplitude. The amplitude of push-ups is the degree of flexion or extension of the arms, which determines the degree of stretching of the muscles involved in the exercise.
When solving some training problems, it makes no sense to do push-ups until your chest touches the floor. An example from practice: for many women, and sometimes for men, push-ups are very difficult. They can never back out. And in order to somehow move in this regard and train the necessary muscles, I recommend doing push-ups several times with slight bending of the arms. Gradually (for each this period is individual), we increase the amplitude of push-ups, falling lower and lower, until we achieve our goal - one full push-up. After that, things get easier.
By natural anatomical reasons many women cannot do full range push-ups. In this case, I recommend using special push-up stops that artificially increase the amplitude (I talked about them above). This is one of the best ways out in such a situation.
Another example: the task was to increase the record in the bench press. I have recommended a special variation of the triceps push-ups with the use of supports. We will talk about this type of push-ups in the continuation of the article. One of the requirements was to perform the exercise only in the lower third of the amplitude. The result - the bench press increased by 15 kg in a month!
Body position relative to the horizon
The position of the body relative to the vector of gravity (directed, as you know, to the center of the Earth) directly depends on which muscles and with what intensity they are worked out.
When pushing up from the floor, when the legs are on the floor, the load is already greater than in the first example.
If the legs are placed on an elevation (stool, bench, table or Swedish wall), then the load on the pressing muscles will increase even more. Moreover, the higher the legs, the more difficult it will be to do push-ups. In its extreme, such push-ups turn into push-ups upside down.
The higher the legs, the less the chest muscles are loaded and the greater the load falls on the triceps and deltoids.
If we multiply the number options body position by the number of possible options for setting the hands, and then multiply by various options for speed, amplitude, angle of inclination of the arms and the angle between the body and the shoulder, we get just a fantastic figure. And this, by the way, is far from all the push-up options that you can use in your workouts. There are all sorts of training principles, cycles, combinations from the arsenal of fitness and bodybuilding. Therefore, people who say that they can’t pump anything without iron make me smile 🙂 Good…
Almost all of us attended physical education classes at school, although few people liked them. But in vain! Although we are no longer threatened with deuces in the magazine, the rejection of physical activity has a bad effect on health and on the figure. And if the legs while walking receive at least a small daily portion of attention, then the hands are practically deprived of it. Flabby muscles do not adorn anyone, so today we will remember how to do push-ups from the floor correctly.
If your arms haven't experienced physical activity for a long time, you can strengthen the muscles with wall push-ups, and only after that start pushing up from the floor. For beginners, a gentle pose is recommended. Take a supine position, resting on your toes and palms. Hands are placed parallel to each other at a distance slightly greater than the width of the shoulders, legs together. Bend your knees, lower them to the floor. Don't lift your shins! From this position, inhale as you lower yourself down, bending your elbows to a right angle, as you exhale, return to the starting position. The body should be in a straight line, do not lift the pelvis. This exercise will help you strengthen your arm muscles and protect your lower back from overexertion. Having mastered, you can try the classic position. It is the technique described above, only without bending the knees. Legs can be slightly apart. The body must be straight. The exercise will help strengthen the triceps, pectoral and deltoid muscles. Push-ups that will help you pump your triceps ( back hands), tighten the skin and at the same time not pump over the shoulders, it looks a little different. You need to completely repeat the classic position, but put your hands at the width of the waist, and the feet at the width of the pelvis. As you inhale, bend your arms and pull your elbows back. As you exhale, take the starting position. A less well-known method is circular push-ups. Take a classic position, hands at heart level. As you inhale, transfer your body weight to one hand, go down, now transfer the weight to the other hand and, as you exhale, take the starting position. It should be a circle. Thus, you create an additional load on the triceps, deltoid and pectoral muscles, use your back and abs. If you have a good physical training, try push-ups from the floor with a jump. In this case, when you rise with an exhalation, you need to push off from the floor (some people clap in front of the chest, and only after that they lower their palms to the floor). This method is especially often practiced by those who are engaged in martial arts. Such push-ups help develop the speed of impact. You can do push-ups from the floor with a wide setting of the hands, at a distance from each other twice the width of the shoulders. The palms are turned outward. This is how the pectoral muscles are pumped.
Push-ups are one of the best exercises ever invented by mankind. They do not require equipment, develop the strength of several muscle groups at once, and have hundreds of options for lovers of novelty. Progress in push-ups is easy to track, and today there are many training systems based on push-ups. So let's say thank you to that ancient caveman who was the first to push up from the floor of his cave, and let's get to the point: how to do push-ups from the floor so that it's right, how to learn to do push-ups from scratch, and what are the types of push-ups?
What muscles work during push-ups?
Why are push-ups from the floor so famous and popular? As mentioned above, they are comfortable and involve several muscle groups at once. Such exercises are called basic. The main load during push-ups falls on the pectoral muscles and shoulder muscles (deltas and triceps). Part of the load goes to the biceps, back and press.
Push-ups are a convenient exercise for training the upper body. In combination with squats (legs) and pull-ups (back), push-ups are the basis of home workouts that require nothing but a small space and a pull-up bar.
How to do push-ups: preparation
As with any exercise, proper technique is important in push-ups. Doing push-ups correctly is a guarantee that you will properly load all the muscles, you won’t pull anything and won’t hurt yourself. Also, correct technique is important in order to correctly assess your progress. And if you did 30 “correct” push-ups yesterday, and today you did all 60, but at the same time lowering yourself halfway and sticking your soft spot into the air, this does not mean that you have become stronger. Most likely, you just relaxed.
Therefore, let's agree on this and consider it this way in the future: you do all push-ups with the correct technique, and if it doesn’t work out, then the load is too high, and it makes sense to do push-ups on a higher support and / or fewer times.
The main points and photos for this article are taken from the Nerdfitness blog of well-known US fitness enthusiast Steve Camb. Thanks Steve!
How to do push-ups correctly: a few theses
- As you lower towards the floor, your arms should be a little more than shoulder-width apart. Regardless of your strength and fitness, you should be comfortable during the exercise. Before the start of the training free time experiment in the lying position - which hand position is most convenient for you? It is worth noting that setting the arms shoulder-width apart is typical for classic push-ups, which load the chest to a greater extent and the triceps to a lesser extent. If you put your hands narrower, then the load is redistributed and more complex triceps push-ups are obtained. If you set it wide, you get push-ups with a maximum emphasis on the pectoral muscles, and the exercise from the basic one practically goes into an isolated one (for one or two muscles). These two options are much more difficult to perform, and I recommend trying them only when you have mastered regular push-ups.
- Your legs should be as comfortable as possible. It is convenient for someone when the legs, as well as hands, are shoulder-width apart, for someone - when they are brought together and touch. The position of the legs in this exercise is not particularly important, so do it in a way that makes you comfortable. Let me just say that the wider your legs are, the more difficult the exercise will be, but at the same time you will be in better balance.
- Your body should be in one straight line, from head to toes. This means that you should not lower or raise your head too much, as well as stick out the sirloin :) Remember, the more straight you do push-ups, the better the load will be perceived, and the safer the exercise will be.
- If for some reason you find it difficult to take the correct position, then try the following. Stand in an emphasis lying down in a way that is comfortable for you, and then tighten your buttocks and abs, pulling in your stomach. This will straighten your spine, pushing you into the correct position.
- During push-ups, the head should look forward, not down. The guy in the pictures is only looking down because he hasn't started doing push-ups. As soon as he starts, he will raise his head and look straight ahead, and his body will stretch into a straight line (as in the fourth picture).
- In the starting position, the arms are straightened and hold the weight of the whole body. Now you are ready for push-ups.
Correct push-up technique
So, you have taken a position in the lying position, followed all the recommendations, and are ready to start. Now push up once, trying to do it as technically as possible, albeit not without difficulty. Remember - proper technique is the key to your success, so don't chase quantity and try to hone every rep.
- Keeping your body straight, gradually lower your chest to the floor, bending your elbows to a 90-degree angle (or less). If you are more or less prepared physically, then it will be convenient to lower yourself until the moment when the chest barely touches the floor. Try to calculate this optimal moment, and in the future, focus on it.
- Keep your elbows close to your body. If they begin to diverge to the sides, this means that you are tired.
- As soon as you get down to the desired level, freeze for a moment, and then with an explosive movement of the hands, return to the starting position.
- Congratulations, you just completed one push-up from the floor. Now do a few more push-ups until you feel that it is difficult for you to maintain the correct position of the body. If your hands begin to tremble treacherously, and you feel that for the next push-up you need to rest on the floor or help with a jerk of the legs or back, then this is your maximum for today. You shouldn't cheat, ten correct and five "cheating" push-ups are much less than eleven correct ones. Only doing push-ups with the correct technique will allow you to evaluate your progress with regular exercises.
How to do push-ups: safety precautions
Push-ups, like most bodyweight exercises, are relatively safe. This means that if more or less correct technique is observed and if the practitioner has common sense and the instinct of self-preservation, push-ups will not lead to any injuries. An arched spine (when you lift your head or butt) can lead to pinching of the nerves by the vertebrae or other minor troubles in terms of neurology, and if you place your hands in an uncomfortable position, you can pull your joints or even fall to the floor at the most crucial moment. Therefore, as always, approach the exercises with responsibility, and sooner or later push-ups will become your favorite exercise.
I would like to mention two questions that often concern beginners.
- Question: why does my lower back hurt, although the main load falls on my hands?
- Answer: most likely this is caused by weak muscles of the lower back and abs, which do not fix the spine well. Over time, the lower back will get used to it, but it makes sense during training to pay more attention to these lagging muscles.
- Q: Why do I have headache and neck pain?
- Answer: Most likely, this is caused by some problems in cervical region spine (eg. muscle spasm) or weak vessels. Contact your doctor and he will help you adjust your program for your case. Check if you are holding your head correctly during the exercise.
How to learn push-ups from scratch
You will say: “But I can’t do push-ups even once, how can I learn?” Ok, anything can happen, and here's a hint that will allow you to learn push-ups. Since the classic push-up is a complex and to some extent complex movement, it should be simplified as much as possible, and gradually return to the original, correct version.
Start with Wall Pushups. Just like in standard push-ups, place your hands shoulder-width apart (even wider) on the wall and straighten your body. Take one or two steps back until you feel that the main body weight is on your hands. Now gently lower yourself towards the wall, bending your elbows until your nose is almost touching the wall. Freeze for a split second and straighten up with a jerk.
Do 4 sets of wall pushups with 2 minutes rest between sets, note your progress, and once you reach 20 reps in each set, move on to the next step. The fact that these 80 push-ups should be technically correct, I don’t even remind you.
The next step is push-ups from the support.
A support is a table, a chest of drawers, a bench, or something like that, that is, it is no longer a wall, but not yet a floor. In my opinion, the optimal support at this stage will be a standard desk or kitchen table 75 cm high. The technique for doing push-ups from the support is exactly the same as before, except that due to the changed angle, it will be more difficult for you to lower your body to the support than to walls.
As soon as you reach the coveted number of 4x20 repetitions, go even lower. A low bench, a box, a log, or steps of a ladder may be suitable for you. In general, the ladder allows you to live evaluate the progress in push-ups and the growth of your strength when you start 4x20 push-ups from the fifth step, and finish 4x20 from the first. The last level will be the floor.
How to accelerate your progress in push-ups
So, now you know what push-ups are, how to do push-ups correctly, and how to learn push-ups from scratch. Now I want to tell you what can be done in order to achieve better results in push-ups.
- Lead and. The less your weight becomes, the more and better you can do push-ups.
- Don't cheat on the last rep. This is called “cheating”, and in many training methods it is appropriate, but not in the case of push-ups. If you can’t technically complete the last rep, then it’s better to leave it and try to “take” it next time. Trying to deceive the right muscles will not lead to the growth of these very muscles, remember that our goal is to gain strength, and not write a beautiful number in your diary.
- Don't push up two days in a row. Muscles need up to 48 hours to recover.
- Half an hour to an hour after training, take a serving of protein food, this will give your muscles the energy they need to grow.
- You need strong abs and core muscles to do push-ups, so add static bodyweight exercises like planks to your workout.
Types of push-ups
If you can do 4 sets of 20-25 push-ups without much effort, then you might like to diversify your workout with several variations of this exercise. Above, I talked about push-ups for beginners, and also mentioned push-ups in the rack with narrow or wide arms. Now I want to elaborate on various options push-ups for those who are bored with the classic push-ups from the floor.
I think you will like a video about a guy who came up with a challenge for himself - for a whole month to do push-ups 500 times a day, and what he got in the end:
Even a successful and varied 100 push-ups program can get boring sooner or later due to the fact that most people do not like monotony and stagnation, because it is rather boring to perform the same movement for months. Vlad from the video above also felt this and began to add variety to his workouts.
There are options for doing push-ups in an unusual way:
- Push-ups on one leg. In principle, nothing complicated, only you have to pay more attention to balance.
- Push-ups on one hand. The second is given behind the back, and the legs are placed as wide as possible.
- Push-ups with cotton (or plyometric push-ups). Instead of returning to the starting position, you make a strong jerk, literally jump into the air, while managing to make a clap with your hands, and then land in the starting position and lower yourself again without a break.
- Triceps push-ups. Hands are placed not shoulder-width apart, but already, approximately in front of the chest. Fingers point forward. This exercise specifically develops the muscles of the shoulders, in particular, the triceps.
- Push-ups on fists/fingers. Popular among people involved in martial arts, because they additionally develop the strength of the hand.
- Deep push ups. If in regular push-ups you go down almost to the floor, then here you have to go even lower. How to do it? For example, push-ups while standing on two parallel benches or push-ups with your hands on two chairs.
So, summary: push-ups from the floor are a simple and effective exercise that can be performed in any environment and without special equipment. With its apparent simplicity, it first-class develops the muscles of the upper body and is indispensable in home training complexes. I hope now you know how to do push-ups correctly, and you will go push-ups at least a couple of dozen times after reading this article;)
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Push-ups from the floor is one of the basic physical exercises, which is aimed at developing a whole group of muscles, such as triceps, pectoralis major, deltoid muscles and the overall development of the shoulder girdle. How to properly use this basic tool to create a body sculpture for both men and women, we will understand in detail.
What are the benefits of push-ups?
In general, with the right approach to the execution technique, push-ups from the floor are extremely beneficial. During push-ups, not only muscles work, but also other important systems of the body. Understanding the benefits of push-ups in detail, we can highlight the following:
Strengthening the cardiovascular system.
Pushing up, a person receives physical activity, makes the body work, accelerates blood throughout the body, trains the heart, improves metabolism and raises the overall tone of the body.
Acquisition of muscle mass.
Push-ups contribute to the development and strengthening of the muscles of the chest, triceps, and shoulder girdle. People who want to gain weight and muscle mass include push-ups overall plan training, or use it as the main exercise for general physical fitness.
Getting rid of excess weight.
On the one hand, push-ups help to gain mass, on the other hand, they can save you from excess weight. As we have already noted, during push-ups, the body receives a load and the overall tone of the body rises, metabolism is established, which undoubtedly contributes to weight loss.
Formation of correct breathing.
During push-ups, you need to breathe properly. With regular training, a person develops the habit of breathing correctly, which has a positive effect on overall well-being.
Maintaining a beautiful shape of the breast.
Push-ups are very popular not only among men, but also among women. With the help of push-ups, girls maintain their breasts in a beautiful, toned shape. Large breasts become more toned, and small breasts increase in volume.
Body endurance training.
Summarizing all the advantages, you can be sure that thanks to push-ups, a person receives not only beautiful body, but also strengthens health in general, increasing the endurance of the body.
How often do you need to push up?
First and most main principle- You need to exercise regularly, but in moderation. Even if you feel a lot of strength in yourself, you should not overdo it. There will be no benefit from push-ups that you spent all your strength on and then could not do for a week.
For beginners, while the muscles are still weak, you can start by doing 3 sets of 5-15 times in one set, taking a break between sets of 1-2 minutes. At the initial level, it is enough to practice 2-3 times a week.
For a more trained person, you can increase the load to 5 sets of 15-20 times in one set, taking a break between sets of 1 minute. adapted to physical activity muscles can be stressed daily.
How to do push-ups from the floor?
To achieve results, not only the frequency of training is necessary, but also the correct implementation of the push-up technique. There are many ways to do push-ups, but they must all follow some general principles.
1 principle - the correct position of the body.
While doing push-ups from the floor, your back must be flat and straight. You can not "spare" and raise the hips above the level of the body and somehow arch the back. By making such mistakes, you deprive yourself of the opportunity to train the muscles of the back, buttocks and abs. In this case, they just won't work.
Principle 2 - correct breathing.
Everything is simpler here: while lowering the body we take a breath, while lifting - exhale. We breathe calmly, without tension.
3 principle - the correct distribution of the load.
As we noted earlier, it is necessary to find a golden mean in the number of loads, in order to avoid injuries and to achieve positive result. This is a very important principle that is worth mentioning twice.
Classic push-ups
Classic full push-ups from the floor — kneel down, rest your hands on the floor at shoulder level, straighten your legs and the whole body in one line. Bend your arms to a distance from the floor about the size of a fist. Return to starting position.
Classic incomplete push-ups from the floor - The technique for performing incomplete push-ups differs from full ones only in that the arms must be bent until an angle of 90 degrees is formed at the elbow. Such push-ups are good for training the muscles of the press and back.
Push-ups from the floor with a wide grip — in the initial position “emphasis on straight arms”, spread your arms so that they are 30-40 cm away from your shoulders. Bend your arms until 90 degrees are formed at the elbow, bringing your chest closer to the floor at a distance of 3-5 cm. Such push-ups are good for training internal pectoral muscle.
Push-ups from the floor with a narrow grip —similar to the previous method, only place your hands on the contrary, very close to each other so that thumbs touched each other. Bend your arms until your chest touches your arms. Pause briefly and return to the starting position.
Other Push Up Methods
To diversify the classic methods of push-ups from the floor and increase the load, there are other interesting methods of push-ups that are based on the classic ones. Note that you should switch to other methods of push-ups when the body has already adapted to the classic loads.
Push-ups with a lift off the floor — the essence of the execution is to push off the floor when performing the classic types of push-ups. After you have bent your arms, jerk your body up, pushing your hands off the floor. This method of push-ups trains all the muscles of the body well.
Push-ups with hands on the bench — each of the classic types of push-ups can be performed with the emphasis on the hands of the bench. This type push-ups transfer the load mainly to the legs and lower chest.
Push-ups when feet are on the bench - you can also place your feet above head level on the bench, thus giving great attention upper chest.
Push-ups on fists — it is worth changing the emphasis of the palms to the fists, and the load will become more serious.
Push-ups with an emphasis on dumbbells — resting your hands on dumbbells, you can better work out the muscles of the hands and upper section chest.
Push-ups with emphasis on the knees — a simplified way of classic push-ups for those who, for objective reasons, find it difficult to do push-ups, resting on their socks.
Push-ups with an emphasis on one leg - bend one leg, focusing only on the second. This method significantly increases the load on that side of the chest, which coincides with the supporting one. Alternate supporting legs to evenly load each side.
Push-ups with emphasis on one hand — the same as with the emphasis on one leg, only on the arm. Also, do not forget to evenly distribute the load on each hand.
Push-ups with the transfer of hands to a hill — performing one of the classic types of push-ups, you can significantly increase the load if, during lifting, take your hands off the floor and rest on a hill, combining two types of push-ups at once - from the floor and from a hill.
How to do push-ups for girls?
As we noted earlier, it is also very useful for girls to do push-ups. With the help of push-ups, girls strengthen the muscles of the chest and back, adjust weight and maintain general state body in good shape.
First of all, you need to prepare the body and warm up a little. Perform a set of exercises to warm up and stretch the muscles before proceeding to more serious physical exertion.
To achieve a “female” result, classic full and incomplete push-ups from the floor are suitable. You need to start with a minimum load, observing all the principles of push-ups - technique, breathing, moderation and regularity.
You should start with 3 sets of 5-10 times, taking breaks of 1-2 minutes between sets. Over time, you can increase the load and the number of approaches, as well as slightly diversify the load with push-ups with wide or narrow arms.
Choose suitable clothes for training that will not hinder your movements. Remove your jewelry and tie your hair up so it doesn't get in your way. If you feel pain while doing push-ups, stop exercising immediately.
And most importantly - do not get carried away too much, because your goal is a beautiful back, chest, toned muscles and general body tone, and let men show off mountains of muscles.
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Push-ups from the floor are one of the key exercises for home chest training. In their mechanics, push-ups repeat the bench press with a barbell, which is one of the most important for muscle growth. As in the case of the barbell, in push-ups you can train different bundles of pectoral muscles, using stands under the arms or under the legs when doing the exercise.
However, it is important to learn how to do push-ups technically correctly and with the conscious involvement of the muscles in the work, and not just chase the maximum number of repetitions. This is necessary for both beginners and advanced trainees - not everyone knows how to do push-ups correctly, which ultimately affects the bench press technique and the plank exercise technique.
What muscles work during push-ups?
The key working muscles during push-ups are, first of all, the chest muscles, however, the muscles of the arms (especially the triceps), the muscles of the shoulder girdle and back, as well as numerous muscles of the body receive an indirect load. Since push-ups are largely repeated, they also develop the press quite strongly.
The advantage is that push-ups are an extremely variable exercise. When using a bench or other footrest (in this case, the head is below the level of the body), you train the upper chest, while in the opposite position, when the stand is located under the arms and the head is higher than the body, the main load of push-ups falls on the bottom of the pectoral muscles.
Types of push-ups - which one is better?
In addition to the use of a footrest or armrest described above, which allows you to use the lower or upper bundles of the pectoral muscles in the work, you can also vary the width of the palms on the floor. With a wide arrangement of hands, the additional load falls on, and with a narrow one, when the elbows almost touch the body, on the muscles of the triceps.
The most effective (and at the same time the most difficult) variation of push-ups from the floor is the one in which the legs are elevated and the arms are slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. At the same time, the trajectory of movement is maximum, which allows not only to involve the shoulders and back in the work, but also to stretch the pectoral muscles. And this, in turn, has a positive effect on their shape.
Is it possible to pump up the chest with push-ups?
Despite the fact that with push-ups from the floor you will not be able to use a serious extra weight(as in training with a barbell) the correct technique for performing the exercise and the use of complicated variations is quite capable of giving a tangible result. It is also important that combining push-ups with the bar will allow you to train and.
The first thing to remember when compiling is that you should not train daily. Muscle fibers grow and increase their strength solely during the recovery process, which requires up to 36 hours - so only two to three workouts per week are enough. In addition, keep in mind that the triceps also need time to rest.
How to learn to push up correctly?
To learn how to do push-ups correctly, you must first learn how to hold the bar on outstretched arms at least 40-50 seconds. After you achieve this result, move on to kneeling push-ups, trying to do the exercise as slowly as possible and trying to feel the work of the pecs, shoulders and triceps while tensioning the abs.
Let us remind you once again that there is no need to chase a constant increase in the number of repetitions at all - several sets of 15-20 push-ups in each (performed with perfect technique and in slow mode) will give a greater result than 100 push-ups performed "somehow" . When you realize that 20 push-ups are easy for you, move on to.
Most effective exercises with a barbell and with dumbbells for the pectoral muscles.
Push-ups: a description of the correct technique
Starting position - plank on outstretched arms. The shoulders are pressed to the body, the shoulder blades are slightly drawn together, the chest is slightly forward, the gaze is straight down, the neck is in a neutral position. At the same time, the body should be as if stretched out in a straight line, and the socks and tailbone should “stretch” back and down. Don't lift your pelvis too high up or drop it too low.
While inhaling, slowly lower the body down, trying to feel the work of the muscles of the chest and arms. Hold for one to two seconds at the bottom point, and make sure that the body is still extended in a straight line. Then, as you exhale, push yourself off the floor with your hands and slowly (in 2-5 seconds) lift the body up as much as possible.
Common Mistakes
Most typical mistake when doing push-ups from the floor, there is an incorrect distribution of the load on the palms - the weight should be evenly distributed over its entire surface, and not just on the wrist. This is especially important for those who work a lot at the computer - overloading the wrists can easily cause aching pain in them (the so-called "tunnel syndrome").
When doing push-ups, it is also necessary to monitor the position of the shoulders - an excessively wide setting of the arms without the ability to strain the muscles of the back and shoulder girdle will create a dangerous load, which can cause injury. Beginners are advised to do push-ups with a narrow arm position, while pressing their elbows to the body.
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Push-ups from the floor are one of the key exercises for developing not only the pectoral muscles, but also the entire muscles of the body, as well as the muscles of the back and shoulder girdle. Proper push-ups start with a plank on outstretched arms, and the main secret of the technique is to perform the exercise as slowly and consciously as possible with, and not just chase after 100 repetitions.
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