Push-Ups and You! The All-American Exercise
We’ve all seen marines do them in movies. We’ve seen Rocky bang out tons of em. But we all wonder, what exactly do they do?
The Push Up; what is it and what does it do?
The push up is a common exercise performed by laying face-down horizontally and raising and lowering the body using one’s arms. The push-up primarily works the pectorals (chest) and triceps (outside of arms). The secondary muscles it strengthens are the deltoids (shoulders), abs, and obliques.
How do I do one?
Though everyone has probably done a push-up in their life, not everyone has stellar push-up form.
To start, the body must be completely horizontal; if the butt is pointing upward or legs are bent during the push-up process, you are simply undercutting yourself and will not receive the full push-up benefit. Now use your arms and push off the floor, and slowly bring yourself back down. When down, the head should be looking forward and the arms should be at approximately a 90° angle.rinse and repeat.
Variations to the push-up
Arm placement is what makes variations in the push-up. In order to work the pectorals more, bring the arms more inside the body, so that they are closer to being next to the chest or midsection. For more of a triceps workout, bring the arms in closer to each other.
~Boxer Push-up~
Basically the same thing as the generic push-up, except that instead of using an open hand to push off, one uses the knuckles in a fist to push off. These are important for boxers; in order to do these correctly the wrist must not bend at all.
~Diamond Push-Up~
The diamond push-up may be harder or easier than the generic push-up for some people depending on tricep strength. As shown in the picture above, you must bring your arms together and with your hands, form a \\"diamond\\’ shape (rhombus to be exact). If balance is a problem, you can spread your legs out more.
~One-Arm Push-Up~
One of the hardest push-ups to successfully do, the one-arm push-up is a true challenge. It strengthens different muscles than the two-arm push up, primarily the forearms. To start, get in push-up position, but spread the legs to about shoulder width. Slowly lower yourself down until your chin is about 4 inches from the ground. Then, bring yourself up but be sure to not lock your elbows. Once again, this is not for beginners.
The push-up is a fantastic upper body exercise, but be sure to mix up your exercises if you want more muscle growth. Remember, body straight, head forward!
-Note; These pictures are not mine, I do not take any credit for them.
