Perfect Push Up Techniques
- Perfect push-up technique improves muscle tone and strength.Design Pics/Valueline/Getty Images
The push-up is an important element of a body-building routine as it tones and strengthens the arms, chest and abdominal muscles. Get them wrong and they can be excessively difficult and could lead to injury. With the right techniques, push-ups can return impressive results in a reasonably short space of time without the need for weights or gym equipment. - When doing standard push-ups, your hands should be shoulder-width apart and should be placed on the floor with your shoulders in a vertical line above them. The body line should be straight with no curve to the spine. Your feet should be slightly apart, no more than shoulder width and you should be on your toes. As you perform the push-up, keep your head still and look at a central point slightly above the level of your fingertips. Breathe in as you move down and exhale as you push upward, performing as many repetitions as you can comfortably achieve. This is your repetition count. Perform three sets of repetitions to maximize the effectiveness of the exercise.
- A more advanced push-up technique is the raised leg variation of the standard push-up. The aim is to increase the work that the arms have to do in an attempt to enhance muscle mass. The feet should be raised and supported by something firm and stable. Start by raising the feet around 6 inches and perform the exercise in the same manner as the standard push-up. As you become more comfortable with the raised push-up, increase the height until your body line is horizontal to the floor.
- The dip push-up technique allows the shoulders to pass slightly below the hands and should only be attempted once you have mastered the basic push-up and built up strength in your arms and chest. Place two chairs so that they are shoulder-width apart and place your hands on each one. Keep your arms straight and move onto your toes ensuring your back is held straight. Lower yourself until your chest moves below the seat of the chairs before pushing up to the starting position.
- This technique improves endurance and stamina and should only be attempted once you have mastered push-ups and are confident in your upper body strength. Assume the position of the standard push-up and lower yourself before pushing up quickly. Apply enough force to the upward push so that your hands come away from the floor. Once you can do this you can try to clap between each push-up.
