Push-Ups

[DarthAvarous]

One of my favorite exercises. Oftentimes the simplest exercises are the best. No need for a gym or any exercise equipment. Push-ups primarily work 3 major muscle groups: Pectoralis major and minor (Chest), triceps (Arm), anterior and medial deltoid (Shoulder). There are a host of other stabilizing muscle groups that it works as well. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Push-up#Muscles_worked

Here are step-by-step instructions for the proper push-up form.

1. Place your toes and hands on the floor, making sure your back and arms are straight. Keep your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart.

2. Inhale as you lower yourself to the floor, stopping as your elbows reach a 90° bend. Don't let your body touch the floor.

3. Exhale and push yourself away from the floor. Don't lock your elbows, and don't bend your back.

4. Your abdominal muscles should be tight and your back should be straight throughout each repetition.

5. Make sure you go down all the way and back up all the way. Building muscle is about time under tension, not how fast you can do each exercise.

Here is a video demonstration of a proper push-up for those who are more visual learners. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh00_rniF8E

Once you have the basic push-up mastered there are a host of variations. The wider your hand positioning, the more emphasis will be on your chest muscles. The narrower your hand position, the more emphasis will be on your triceps. Don't be discouraged if you have trouble. Las Pegasus wasn't built in a day. If you develop a routine and stick with it, you will be able to do these!

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[deathmineral]

Good post, the only thing I feel worth mentioning is head positioning. The video you linked shows good form though. I personally don't know of any injuries associated with head positioning but I've often times heard people say to look forward while doing pushups but proper form would be looking down so that your head and neck are straight with the rest of the spine.

[gymrat]

Please for the love of all that involves shoulder health, make sure that at the bottom of the pushup your scapula (shoulder blades) are pulled together and at the top they are spread apart.

This engages the serratus anterior muscle, which is critical at holding the scapula close to the ribcage, stabilizing the shoulder girdle and preventing injury.

If fact, if you ever have rotator cuff issues, then you almost certainly have scapular mobility/ position problems.

And if you are trying to look good, the serratus anterior is a small muscle that looks sexy. Here is a pic:

There are the little finger-like muscles beneath the chest. No, those aren't ribs. They just look like them so you look thinner than you are.

[DarthAvarous]

Dec 6, 2012 19:32:19 GMT -5 gymrat said:

Please for the love of all that involves shoulder health, make sure that at the bottom of the pushup your scapula (shoulder blades) are pulled together and at the top they are spread apart.

This engages the serratus anterior muscle, which is critical at holding the scapula close to the ribcage, stabilizing the shoulder girdle and preventing injury.

If fact, if you ever have rotator cuff issues, then you almost certainly have scapular mobility/ position problems.

Good tip, I can vouch for that. I had a partial tear of my right AC joint. I know my form is a little off when I feel a twinge there. When I do things right, no problems.

[Austin Yun]

If you're doing the, say, hundred pushup challenge, you could stop and start doing weighted dips or something (works a lot of the same muscles) if you're like me and get bored doing high rep stuff. Seriously I have like no patience or willpower when it comes to anything remotely endurance related, hahaha.

Being able to do 100 pushups is also a different goal from being able to dip your body weight + 100 or bench 315 in the endurance vs power sense too, so keep that in mind.

[marlon1]

Hello Guys i think that push up may just be the perfect total body work out that creates both breasts and primary strength. Done properly, it is a substance work out that uses muscles in stomach area, shoulder area, arms, back, abs and even the feet.Thanks a lot!!