subject: Home Fitness: Push-ups [print this page] Home Fitness - Push-Ups: Home Fitness - Push-Ups:
Drop and give me twenty. The words that induce panic in even the most hardened of individuals. Back in my youth, I was a budding martial artist and we would regularly be told to hit the floor and do 10, 20 or sometimes as many as 50 push-ups. And what was the reason for this.punishment for not having good form or for making simple mistakes. It would be fair to assume that now, some 15 years later I would have an inherent hatred for the push-up, but this couldnt be further from the truth. I learnt to love the push-up from a young age; I loved the burn, the aches and the accomplishment from performing them.
Push-ups are an incredibly simple way of building muscle mass or toning, they hit the chest, the shoulders, the triceps and can also assist with your core stability. Yes, they will not hit the chest as hard as the bench press or hit the triceps as hard as dips, but as an all-rounder they are unsurpassed in their simplicity.
There is lots of talk online about being able to do 100 push-ups. It is almost a rite of passage, if you can hit the big 100 then you are in a minority, it is similar to being able to do over 20 pull-ups or being able to bench over 100kg. These are realistic targets that anyone can reach with the correct approach and attitude.
A lot of people do not realize that you can vary your push-ups to target slightly different muscles. Here are a few examples:
Standard Push-Up: Lie on the floor with your hands at shoulder level. Push up so all your weight is on your hands and feet. Lower yourself down (keeping your body straight) and repeat. The wider you have your hands (beyond shoulder width) the more the push-up will target the chest. If your hands are narrower than your shoulders the triceps will be the primary muscle targeted.
Incline Push-Up: This is a push-up performed in a standing position leaning against a wall (standing about 3 feet from the wall). This will target the top of the chest and the shoulders.
Decline Push-Ups: This is the same as the standard push-up but performed with your feet elevated (on a bench or a chair). By elevating the legs the push-up targets the lower part of the chest.
The number of repetitions or sets is an open book, I would recommend starting with 3 sets of 10 and going from there. I currently perform 3 or 4 sets of 20 reps and I choose to mix up the type of push-up to keep my body guessing. I also use CrystalTec Push-Up Bars. I find these add an extra degree of difficulty and can help to push the exercise to the next level.
Good luck and a Happy New Year
Matt
My Home Fitness
The Trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score.......
