Technique is just as important in a push up as it is in any other exercise. The last time I increased the number of push ups I was doing, I wasn't strong enough and did too many with incorrect form which resulted in elbow pain. I almost started doing that again during this month's push up challenge. Bad habits/form are hard to break! I have to remember to keep my elbows in slightly, not out like a chicken!! See number one below and the fantastic image above!
Here are some common things that might be holding back your push up progress. 1. Watch your elbow angle. Don't let your elbows drift out to a 90 degree angle. Instead, pull your elbows in, resting them at a 20 or 40 degree angle to create a mechanical angle that allows for greater range and power. Pay close attention that your elbows stay above your wrists during your push-up. 2. Don't ignore the down part of the push up. Don't rush as you lower your body to the floor and don't let gravity take you there. Pretend to dig your hands into the floor by grabbing it with your fingers to activate muscles in your back and help you SLOWLY lower your body. 3. Where are your hands? Hand placement is important during a push up and can change the muscles that are working the hardest. In general, keep your hands in line with your shoulders or just outside of shoulder width. Keep your elbows tucked close to your sides, focusing on your chest and triceps. If your hands are too wide, your elbows will tend to splay out (see #1). 4. Is your neck moving? (It shouldn't) Is your body in a straight line? (It should be) Your head should stay in line with your spine throughout the exercise. If you are moving your head up and/or down (which happens as you get tired) your spine is out of alignment and could cause an injury. Concentrate on keeping your head still and in line with your body. If a broomstick were placed on your back, it should make contact with your head, upper back, and butt. Keep your body in that alignment the entire time. Image Source It takes time to build strength. The only way to get stronger and more efficient at a move is to work the muscles needed and be consistent. I've been focusing on improving my push up ability this year, but really want to be able to do more before my birthday at the end of the month...so let's do a push up challenge!
The Challenge Complete 40 push ups three days a week; Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the month of August. The 40 push ups can be done in 4 sets of 10 reps with a minute rest in between sets. If you are a beginner, start with 20 push ups and with variation 1 or 2 or 3 listed below. Shoot to increase the number of push ups you can complete by the end of the month. A great goal would be to complete 10 push ups then rest one minute then do another 10 during weeks 1 and 2, then add another 10 push ups for a total of 30 for the third week and then add another set of 10 for the fourth week of August. If you are a push up beginner, or returning from a push up hiatus, it's OK to perform these push-ups with your knees resting on the floor (variation #2 below) if straight legs is too difficult. But keep in mind that unless you practice doing push-ups on your toes with your legs straight, you'll never be able to do them. So do as many reps as you can with proper form with your knees lifted, and lower them when your arms start to fatigue. I recommend variation #1 and #3 below to get started rather than #2, the knee push up variation. The Move Variation #1 - Incline Push Up Start in plank position, placing your palms on a stable surface like a wall, chair, kitchen counter, back of couch, or bench. Keep your arms and legs straight with weight on your toes, shoulders above the wrists, and abs tight. Take a breath in, and as you exhale, bend your elbows out to the sides and lower your torso in one piece (don't stick your butt out!) toward your hands. Inhale and straighten your arms to return to your starting position. Variation #2 - Knee Push Up Come into plank position with your arms and legs straight, shoulders above the wrists. Drop your knees to the floor keeping your body straight from your head to your knees (don't stick your butt up!). Take a breath in, and as you exhale, bend your elbows out to the sides and lower your chest toward the ground. Inhale to straighten the arms. Variation #3 - Negative Push Up Focusing on the negative, or lowering, portion of the push-up is a trick to building more strength. Start as you would a regular push up but go as slow as possible lowering your body down. When you push yourself up you can drop to your knees for assistance. Pop back up on your toes to lower for your next push up. Variation #4 - Classic Push Up Come into plank position with your arms and legs straight, shoulders above the wrists. Take a breath in, and as you exhale, bend your elbows out to the sides and lower your chest toward the ground. Inhale to straighten the arms. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, make sure you are incorporating other strength work (not push ups) to help strengthen your supporting muscles. I'll give you some ideas in a future post! Please don't be discouraged if you can't do many push ups at first! This is a hard move that requires A LOT of strength! Do as many as you can, take breaks in between sets and keep track of how you feel at the beginning of the month so you can see the difference by August 30! I'll be posting about the challenge on Facebook too so follow me there! |
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