How to perform proper Push-Ups for Men and Women's.
Perfectly performed push-ups are one of the most powerful exercises you can do. Forget the "I want to work a single muscle" approach; this movement can strengthen your abdominal muscles, triceps, deltoids, serratus anterior, pecs, lats, and more. They're also great for your upper back and are about the most shoulder-safe push you can do.
In addition to helping you build muscle mass, push-ups can help you build a sustainable approach to fitness by setting goals. After all, you can do push-ups anytime and anywhere! And if one version is too easy, well, I've got plenty of ideas about how to make them harder.
Being able to do more push-ups with proper form than you can now is a worthy goal, and I've got just the approach to help you achieve it.
So loosen up your muscles and get ready; it's going to be push-ups and more push-ups for the next 21 days straight!
Learn Push-Up Basics And Protect Your Body
Before you start the challenge, make sure you know the difference between a "yikes" push-up and a "wow" push-up. One is an injury waiting to happen; the other is an exercise worth doing every day.
Here's what's wrong with most people's push-ups—in a word, everything.
- Hands are too wide
- Lower back sags
- Elbows flare out
- Zero lat engagement
- Neck and shoulders take over
- Abs completely shut off and not functioning
- Leading with the head and neck
- Glutes not engaged
Week 1: "Easy" Push-Up Progression Week
Example: Use higher surface or thick band
- Day 1: 4/3/3/2=12
- Day 2: 5/4/3/2=14
- Day 3: 5/5/4/2=16
- Day 4: Rest
- Day 5: 6/5/5/3=19
- Day 6: 7/6/5/3=21
- Day 7: Rest
Week 2: Intermediate Push-Up Progression Week
Example: Use lower surface, thinner band, or more difficult advanced variation
- Day 8: 4/3/3/2=12
- Day 9: 5/4/3/2=14
- Day 10: 5/5/4/2=16
- Day 11: Rest
- Day 12: 5/5/5/4=19
- Day 13: 6/5/5/4=20
- Day 14: Rest
Week 3: Challenging Progression Push-Up Week
Example: Use flat surface, no band, or most difficult variation
- Day 15: 4/3/2/1=10
- Day 16: 4/3/2/2=11
- Day 17: 4/3/3/2=12
- Day 18: Rest
- Day 19: 5/4/3/2=14
- Day 20: Rest
- Day 21: Test your push-up rep goal against what you started with, or see if you can hit your progression goal. For example: 30 push-ups in a row, or 1-2 single-arm push-ups per side.
Get your reps in, and get them in perfectly, and this approach will make it second nature for you to perform rock-solid push-ups time and time again. Let me know how you do or if you have any questions!
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