Archive for December 6th, 2009
On my Fitnessfromthepro.com website, I have a great article on how to do push ups and the benefits of push ups. If you are first starting out and need to build up the upper body strength, feel free to start out on your knees. The feet are off the floor and your body is in a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Arms are directly below your shoulders and hands are shoulder width apart. If you have wrist issues like I do, I grab onto a pair of dumbbells which helps to alleviate some pressure off the wrists.
For those who want to learn how to do push ups and add intensity, allow me to add in a prop…the stability ball! Lay prone on the ball and walk your arms out on the floor till your thighs are on the ball. The less leg you have on the ball, the more difficult the push up will be. If it’s just the shins, your push up will be harder than if you had the thighs on the ball. Having just your toes on the ball is a very advanced push up.
Hands on the floor are shoulder width apart. Determine where you want your legs on the ball, then lower your upper body down and inhale, as you exhale you push yourself up. Be mindful,
that your butt doesn’t stick up in the air and you are keeping your body in a straight line. The tummy shouldn’t sag either. Keep your core tight otherwise you’ll roll all around. Again, feel free to use dumbbells for your wrists if you need.
Learning how to do push ups on the ball is more challenging and also requires more muscles to be involved. You are executing the push up and engaging your core for stability. If you are just beginning, start out on the floor and get the correct form of the push up. Then, as you progress and your upper body gets stronger, try adding the ball into your routine.
Another type of push up you could try on the ball is having your hands on the ball and your feet on the floor. As a modification, place the ball against a solid surface, against a wall or not. It’s best to have a wider grip with your hands, putting them at 9:00 and 3:00. Your body is fully extended and straight, as you are up on your toes. Engage the core, while inhaling and lowering your body to the ball. Exhale and push away from the ball. Learning how to do push ups this way on the ball is another challenge which requires core strength to correctly execute the push up. Be advised, that this particular exercise is not wrist friendly.
I hope you have successfully learned how to do push ups!