push-up tips

Push-Up Tips
Strength Training

5 Things to Remember When Doing Push-Ups

I've been doing push-ups before hopping into bed for a few months now, and I find it both tones my arms and gets me tuckered and ready to snooze.
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I've been doing push-ups before hopping into bed for a few months now, and I find it both tones my arms and gets me tuckered and ready to snooze. Push-ups are my all-time favorite upper-body exercise because they are so darn effective. It doesn't take many reps before you feel them, and boy will you feel it in your triceps, shoulders, upper back, and core. Here are some tips to keep in mind when doing this exercise.

  1. Check your alignment. Shoulders should be over your wrists and your body in one straight line. If it's too difficult to keep your spine straight doing classic push-ups, lower your knees to the floor — knee push-ups still work your arms.
  2. Check your hands. Spread your palms and activate fingertips to protect your wrists. Turn your fingertips slightly inward to help target your triceps. Or widen your hands slightly to target your pecs.
  3. Check your abs. Pull your navel in toward your spine to engage your core. It not only tones your abs, but will prevent lower back pain.
  4. Connect your breath with your movements to make it easier. Inhale as you bend your elbows out to the sides and lower your torso down, and exhale as you straighten your arms and lift your torso back to the starting position.
  5. Push-up variations beat boredom and target your body in different ways. Give these variations a try:
Tips For Perfecting Your Push-Ups
Fitness

7 Tips For Perfecting Your Push-Ups

When it comes to push-ups, I'm a total fanatic.
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When it comes to push-ups, I'm a total fanatic. You can do them anywhere and they work so many parts of your body at once. The only gripe I have with one of my favorite exercises is that it's easy to get it wrong if nobody is watching your form. That can lead to lower back strain or shoulder injuries, and it pains me when I notice people doing push-ups incorrectly at the gym. Here are the tips I'd give most often if I didn't have restraint.

  1. Angle your elbows toward your waist. Your elbows should be on a diagonal toward your waist to avoid shoulder strain. Do your push-ups facing or parallel to a mirror so you're able to see the angle of your arms.
  2. Pull in your abs. Engage your abs and tuck your hips forward to protect your lower back. Turn horizontally to the mirror — if your abs are sagging, there will be a sway in your lower back. You want to avoid that.
  3. Lift your chin: Whether you're doing push-ups on your toes or on your knees, there should be a straight line from the top of your head through your lower back. Achieve the straightness by lifting your chin away from your chest and looking slightly forward.

To see four more tips, read more

ABS

Push Your Push-Ups

Now that you've got the push-up under control, how about making it a little bit more challenging?
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Now that you've got the push-up under control, how about making it a little bit more challenging?

All you have to do is add a little decline to the push-up. Adding decline is a great way to target your upper body (chest) muscles more than just a regular push up and the best part is that you use your own body weight for resistance. Start easy with your feet on a low step or small bosu. Work your way up to putting your feet on something higher like a stacked step, a bench or even an exercise ball to really challenge yourself.

Fit's Tip: Do not compromise form. If you find that it is too challenging to put your feet on an incline and still keep good form, then work on building strength before trying this variation.

Source

Push-Ups: A Bride-to-Be's Best Friend
Wedding

Push-Ups: A Bride-to-Be's Best Friend

When I say push-ups, I am not talking about the bra.
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When I say push-ups, I am not talking about the bra. Nope. I am talking about the classic exercise, as in "Drop and give me 50." Now nobody is saying you need to start your day out with 50 push-ups just because you are now engaged, or because it is tank top season. Let's face it every bride and every tank top wearer wants toned arms and to get them the push-up is your best friend.

When I taught Pilates, I trained many a bride-to-be and doing the Method, lifting weights or taking a yoga class once a week is not going to give you the arms you want. So on your days off from your bootcamp you need to add some push-ups into your daily routine every other day. Just knowing that push-ups work five major muscle groups at once might just be motivation enough.

Here are a few tips to ensure that you and push-ups become fast friends:

  • Spread your fingers wide and spread the weight evenly between your finger tips and your palms. This helps keep the strain out of your wrists.
  • Inhale as you bend your elbows, and exhale as you straighten your elbows.
  • Let your core help you. Pull your navel to your spine and imagine the action is helping you push the floor away.
  • Imagine you are one long board, from your heels to the crown of your head. Don't stick your booty in the air (breaking at your hip crease) and don't sag in your low back that will hurt your spine.
  • You will work your triceps more if your hands are right under your shoulders keeping your elbows close to your sides as they bend.
  • To work your pecs more, place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. When you bend your arms your elbows should move directly out to the sides.

Now if doing a "classic" push-up seems completely out of the question, there are some variations for you to try as you work your way up to the full press. To see them read more