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The perfect push-up
Are push-ups really good for developing the upper body? And do you get the same benefits with ‘cheater’ push-ups?
Here are some tips for the perfect technique:
- Always keep your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with your fingers together and pointing straight ahead.
- Start in the ‘up’ position with your arms straight.
- Inhale as you lower yourself toward the floor.
- Stop when your elbows form a 90-degree bend. There is no need to touch your chest or chin to the floor.
- Exhale as you push yourself up from the floor
- Don't lock your elbows at the top of the move.
- Your back should be straight. Don't let it sag and don't stick your bottom in the air.
You can work up from modified push-ups to regular ones. After you can do 25-30 push-ups without stopping, or if you can do three sets of 15 with minimal rest between sets, it's time to make the exercise more challenging. Do this by placing your feet on top of a step. Raising the surface your feet are on, will force you to work harder against gravity. Eventually, put your feet on an even higher platform like a coffee table, bench or a chair.
Push-ups work the muscles of your chest, shoulders and triceps. You still need an exercise for your back muscles and biceps. You can do pull-ups, if you have a doorway high enough to install a bar in, or you can use dumbbells to do one-arm rows for your back and curls for your biceps.
Why not chat to other iVillagers about exercise on the Shaping Up message board. Take a look at some of the LIVE discussions happening now on the board:
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