You don't have to be in the army to enjoy the many benefits of doing push ups properly. Basic push-ups are an effective way to strengthen your chest and arm muscles, and their benefits can easily be increased as you get stronger. Simple push ups require no equipment other than your own body weight and arms, and this exercise can be done anywhere as long as there is a firm surface with enough room for you to lie flat.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Push Up Basics
Step 1. Start in a prone position on the floor
Keep your feet close together. Your weight should be on your chest.
- Place your palms on the floor, about shoulder width apart. Both should be next to your shoulders, with your elbows pointing toward your toes.
- If you're on a less hard surface, such as a carpeted floor, you can also support your knuckles by clenching your fists, creating a more difficult challenge. If you are on a very hard surface, consider using some type of push-up handle (which is shaped like a doorknob lever and rests on the floor).
- Bend your toes up (towards your head). The base of your toes should touch the floor.
Step 2. Lift your body using your arms
At this point, your weight will be supported by your hands and the base of your toes. Your body position should form a straight line from your head to your heels. This position is called the "plank" ("plank"), and is used in many other types of exercise. This is the starting position and the end position of one push up movement.
Step 3. Choose the type of push up that is most appropriate for you
There are actually three basic types of push-up variations, each of which uses different muscles. The difference is the position of your hands when in the plank position. The closer your hands are, the more you engage your triceps. The wider your arms are, the more you engage your chest muscles.
- Regular push ups: your hands should be slightly wider than your shoulders. This type of push up works your arm and chest muscles.
- "Diamond" push ups: place your hands close together in a diamond shape, and place both hands directly under your chest. This type of push up will engage your arm muscles more than regular push ups.
- Arms spread: spread your arms well beyond your shoulder width. This type of push up really works the chest muscles and requires very little arm strength.
Method 2 of 4: Doing Basic Push Ups
Step 1. Lower your body to the floor, until your elbows form a 90-degree angle
Keep your elbows close to your body for greater resistance. Turn your head forward. Try to keep the tip of your nose pointing forward. Keep your body in a flat plank position, and don't lower your hips. Inhale while lowering your body.
The distance between your body and the floor may vary depending on your strength and shape. However, a good distance between your body and the floor is fist-height
Step 2. Lift your body in a pushing motion on the floor away from you
Exhale as you push. The power to push will come from your shoulder and chest muscles. The triceps (the muscle on the back of your upper arm) are also contracted, but not the main muscle group used. Don't be tempted to use your butt or stomach. Continue pushing until your arms are almost straight again (but not locked).
Step 3. Repeat lowering and lifting your body at a steady pace
Each up and down movement counts as one push up. Do this until you finish your set or you reach maximum ability.
Method 3 of 4: Performing Advanced Push Ups
Step 1. Do push ups while clapping
Push yourself off the floor with enough force so that you can clap when your body is in the air. This can be done as a plyometric exercise.
Step 2. Do diamond push ups
In the plank position, place your hands under your body in a diamond shape. Now, do push ups with your hands still in a diamond position. This variation requires significantly greater arm strength.
Step 3. Do the scorpion push up
Start by doing regular push ups or variations of basic push ups. After lowering your body, lift one leg off the floor and bend your knee toward your back and side. Do several sets for each leg, or alternate with both legs.
Step 4. Do "spiderman" push ups
Do regular push ups or variations of basic push ups. When you're done lowering yourself, lift one leg off the floor and pull your knee out to the side toward your shoulder. Do several sets for each leg, alternating between your legs. If done correctly, this variation will involve the muscles of the midsection in addition to the upper body.
Step 5. Do one-handed push ups
Keep your feet wider than normal (for balance), place one arm on your back, and continue to do push ups using one hand.
Step 6. Do push ups with your knuckles
Instead of using your palms, place your weight on your fists, using the first two knuckles of each hand. This variation requires greater strength in the arms and wrists, and is a good way to train your knuckles for boxing or martial arts.
Step 7. Do push ups with fingers
If you are very strong, you can try doing push ups using only your fingers, not your entire palm.
Step 8. Do push ups with legs raised
You can increase the difficulty of the push up by placing your feet slightly higher.
Method 4 of 4: Performing Easier Push Up Variations
Step 1. Do push ups with your knees
If you haven't been able to do a full push-up, try starting by placing your weight on your knees, not on the bases of your toes. Do push ups as usual, and once you are able to do this movement easily, start trying regular push ups.
Step 2. Do oblique push ups
You can make push ups easier by placing your hands slightly higher than your feet. Find a slope or ramp, or use a piece of furniture to initiate the push-up until you're ready to do the push-up on a flat surface.
Tips
- If you have a wall mirror, use it to check your appearance.
- Concentrate on engaging your chest muscles, squeezing them when you're up in the push-up process. This will build muscle faster. If you can't squeeze your chest muscles, do easier push-ups wherever you can. Consider doing oblique push-ups in front of a mirror so you can see your chest muscles and make sure they're engaged. Try to eat a little food first.
- Warm up before you start. Do some simple stretches and arm movements to relax the muscles. Warming up reduces the risk of injury, and gets your muscles ready for other activities. You can actually be much stronger in lifting/pushing/pulling/etc if you have a proper warm-up routine, than if you jump right into the workout without warming up. Be sure to stretch your arms and wrists, as the joints are very important in push-ups. When you're done, do a few stretches and cooldowns as well.
- If you're just starting out with push-ups, you can use a slightly soft surface (like a light rug or yoga mat) to make the push-ups feel more comfortable on your wrists.
- One of the main advantages of the push-up exercise is that it can be done almost anywhere. Look for a floor that is just enough to lie on, without obstructions. The floor surface must be hard and cannot move. Even better if the surface is a material that is comfortable in your hand, for example, not gravel.
- Normal push ups are quite difficult to do with good form and proper control, especially for a beginner. If your body shakes slightly when you do the push ups slowly and correctly, then you're doing a variation of the push up that's too difficult for you (or you haven't warmed up enough!).
- Start by lowering the body little by little gradually. This way, you will soon find it easier to lose weight.
- Use a chair to raise your legs higher.
- Start in a higher torso position, using the help of a table. Gradually lower the maximum point of the body position as you lower it, lower than the one you previously reached.
Warning
- As with any strength training, if you feel sudden unexpected tension and/or pain in your chest and/or shoulders, stop immediately! If you have chest and/or shoulder pain, it means you've been doing too much push-ups, or you're not ready to do the exercise. You may want to start with lighter exercises that target your chest muscles before trying push ups. If the pain is elsewhere, you are doing something wrong. If the pain persists, contact your doctor.
- Stop doing push ups if your lower back is tired. Don't slack off in the middle of a workout, because you could get injured.
- Bringing your hands closer together for your push ups will make it difficult for you to return to the starting position. If your hands are too close together, you may find it difficult to balance when lifted, and place unnecessary extended stress on the arm and shoulder bones. This can cause pain in the bone after exercise, or cause problems with the shoulder joint in the long run. Dangerous areas are not the same for each person and type of body shape. However, a general rule of thumb to follow is this: when you place your hand on the floor, point your thumb inward towards the opposite side. If your thumbs touch each other, that's your max. If you want to bring your hands closer together, consider the other methods mentioned above to make your push ups more difficult. Trying to clap as your body rises with your arms straight is another great variation of push ups. However, when doing so, make sure that you are in a tight, straight position.
