Practicing Push-ups – Interesting Techniques And Sets
You may not feel that push-ups are not suitable for beginners. But the truth is, you can start push-ups on your first day at the gym!
All you need to do is learn the appropriate technique. Today we will explain the basic issues related to this type of physical activity and present interesting alternative techniques that will help you practice push-ups !
How to do push-ups correctly?
Of course, there are different ways to practice push-ups. However, you should learn the basic rules that apply to any variation of this exercise and master the classic version well.
1. Lie on the mat on your stomach, stretch out your arms, support yourself with your palms, and raise your arms straight up. At this stage, support yourself with your knees. Your hands should be shoulder width apart and your shoulders should be above your wrists. In other words, don’t lean forward or backward. Also, be careful not to put your weight on your wrists. Transfer it to your fingers and palm.
2. Stretch and straighten your legs as you shift your weight from your knees to your feet. Keep your arms and hands unchanged.
3. Tighten your abdominal and gluteal muscles and keep them tense at all times.
4. Lower your body so that your chest is close to the floor (but not touching it).
5. Stay in this position for a while. Then lift yourself back to the starting position.
Remember that the quality of each series of exercises is more important than the number of repetitions. So do each repetition carefully.
Practicing push-ups for beginners
If you are just starting to exercise regularly in the gym and you are not able to do two hundred push-ups like everyone else – don’t worry. Others have been practicing for a long time and put a lot of work into it to be able to enjoy the results.
When you start out, be sure to focus on quality, not quantity. Thanks to this, you will develop the correct technique and posture.
Here is a set of several pushup versions. Their combination will help you at the beginning of the way to strengthen the muscles of the arms and the whole body!
1. Push-ups against the wall
Practicing push-ups against the wall will allow you to easily master the basics of the technique. At the same time, you will start to strengthen all the most important muscle groups!
Stand facing the wall. Extend your arms and lean back against the wall. Stand on your toes, then bend your elbows and bend forward. You should be leaning slightly towards the wall. Remember to keep your back straight at all times.
Push off the wall to return to the starting position.
Repeat the exercise 20 times.
2. Push-ups at the bench or table
After push-ups against the wall, it’s time for another change. You will need a bench, a chair or a low table. Support yourself on the bench with your hands, keeping them at a distance equal to the width of your shoulders. Extend your legs back so that they form a diagonal line.
Your weight should be based mainly on the tips of your toes. Bend your arms and lower yourself so that your chest is as close to the bench as possible without touching it. Hold the position for a few seconds and then go back to the starting layout.
Repeat the exercise 20 times.
3. Push-ups with knee support
This step will bring you significantly closer to performing classic push-ups. The difference is that in this variation of the exercise, the legs are not stretched out and the weight of the body is based on the knees and not the feet.
Lie face down on the mat. Then, support yourself with your hands, placing them at a distance corresponding to the width of your shoulders. Lift yourself up with the weight of your lower body on your knees. Lift your feet up. You can also cross your ankles.
Bend your knees and lower yourself down. Try to lower your face and chest as low as possible without leaning on the floor. Then come back to the starting position.
Repeat the exercise 20 times.
4. Classic push-ups
When you repeat the previously described push-up exercise several times, you will feel ready to perform the classic version.
Classic push-ups do not require a huge number of repetitions.
Support your feet and hands on the mat. Bend your elbows and lower yourself as far as possible without touching the floor. Hold the position for a few seconds, then lift yourself by straightening your arms and returning to the starting position.
Remember to put your hands shoulder-width apart and relieve your wrists!
5. Push-ups with the touch of a hand
Once you have mastered the classic version of the exercise, you will be ready to experiment with alternative and more difficult variations. For example, try a push-up exercise with changing hands.
When you rise from the lowered position back to the starting position, touch the left hand of your right hand. Then place your left hand in the correct position and lower yourself down again. At the next repetition, after standing up, touch the left hand with the right hand.
6. Push-ups with touching the shoulders
This type of exercise is similar to the hand-touching version, but this time we’re touching the deficiencies. While rising from the lowered position, touch the tip of the right arm with your left hand. At the next repetition, change the page.
7. Push-ups with a twist of the hips
This type of exercise is great for shaping the abdominal muscles. It also helps to develop motor coordination and a sense of balance.
After you do the push-up and return to your starting position, leaning on your arms outstretched, raise your right hand and raise your arm as if you were to touch the ceiling with your fingers. Reaching up, you will automatically have to twist your torso and hips, and twist your feet.
Then come back to the starting position, lower yourself with another push-up and make a turn by reaching up with your left hand. You can also make left and right turns without dropping between them.
8. Push-ups with raised arms
Doing push-ups in this version will also have a positive effect on your sense of balance and coordination. When you are in the starting position, raise your right arm.
Your shoulder should be close to your ear and your arm should be straight and pointing forward, as if you were to shake hands with someone.
Hold the position for a few seconds and then return to the starting position. Then do the classic push-up, and when you are back in the starting position, raise your left arm.
Do 10 repetitions on each side.
