Push-ups - benefits and principles. What are the benefits and harms of push-ups, simple exercises familiar from school?

A powerful and sculpted torso is an indicator of strength and excellent health. Every young man at least once in his life imagined himself as the owner of such a torso. At first glance, it may seem that achieving this is very difficult. However, it is not. To achieve this goal, there is one great exercise - push-ups. Today we will talk about it. Go!

Push-ups are a good old-fashioned exercise. It is carried out everything, ranging from schoolchildren in physical education classes and soldiers to professional bodybuilders. When you do push-ups, you can say that you are pushing the ground. What muscles work when performing this exercise? That's right, pushing ones, namely:

1. Breast.
2. Triceps.
3. Front delts.

In addition, the following muscles receive static load:

1. Press.
2. Small of the back.
3. Legs.
4. Latissimus dorsi muscles.
5. Stabilizing.

This exercise has about a hundred variations. In addition to ordinary ones, there are sophisticated and even extreme ones. Naturally, they work in each of the options different muscle groups. They will depend on the following factors:

1. Hand position width.
2. The position of your body.
3. Presence of pops.

So, the wider we spread our arms, the more actively the pectoral muscles will be involved in the work. And the narrower it is, the more the triceps will work. The front delts are always included in the work, regardless of the width of the arms.

There are three options for positioning your body:

1. The whole body is on the floor - this is a classic version of push-ups. When performing it, all areas of the pectoral muscles are worked evenly.
2. Feet are placed on an elevated surface, such as on a sofa or bench. With this option, the load shifts to the upper part of your chest. The front deltoids are also more actively involved in the work.
3. Hands are placed on a height, for example, on special supports. This allows you to perform deep push-ups. This implementation option is very effective. First, it develops the bottom of your chest. And thanks to this, it will appear barrel-shaped. Secondly, with this option, your chest moves over a longer amplitude, which increases the productivity of your training process.

The presence of pops in push-ups allows you to work on the explosiveness of your body. With such work, the triceps and anterior deltoids become very tired.

There is also an option for one-arm push-ups. However, not everyone can do it. To do this, the level of physical fitness must be higher than amateur. After about 4-5 months of regular training, you will be able to complete it. It is as effective as deep push-ups.

Are you unsure whether to do push-ups? Of course it's worth it. Benefit push-ups for men:

1. Your striking power will increase - you will be able to stand up for yourself.
2. You will no longer be bothered by the heavy bags you carry from the store.
3. When you do push-ups, your muscle corset is actively working. You will have very strong psoas and abs. And they are very important when having sex.
4. You will look more masculine. Believe me, if a girl sees a broad-shouldered guy with a pumped chest, she subconsciously begins to feel sympathy for him.
5. Push-ups are a basic exercise. What is the essence of basic exercises? The fact is that all the muscles of your body are involved in the movement. Due to this, anabolism is accelerated - a process that stimulates muscle growth and weight loss. That is, you will not only work your pushing muscles, but also improve your health.

Execution technique

In order for push-ups to bring the desired effect, you must follow the technique of performing them:

1. Starting position: arms approximately 80 cm wide, back straight, and buttocks should not be raised. The body must describe a straight line.
2. Get down.
3. At the bottom point, pause for a second. Your task is to feel the tension in the pectoral muscles as much as possible.
4. Rise up with a powerful movement.
5. At the top point, also pause for a second.
6. Complete the required number of repetitions.

Any training is a risk. If you perform the exercises incorrectly, you can not only fail to achieve results, but also get injured. To prevent this situation from happening, you must avoid the following mistakes:

1. Don't arch or lift your buttocks. First, it will reduce the load on the stabilizing muscles, and the effectiveness of this approach will also be reduced. Secondly, if you are just starting to exercise, such a mistake is a risk of getting a spinal injury.
2. The head should not be pointing down. Your gaze should be directed forward. A lowered head will prevent you from lowering yourself to the end.
3. Elbows should be spread to the sides, not pulled back. If you pull your elbows back, your triceps will take most of the load. And when you spread your elbows to the sides, all pushing muscles will work evenly.
4. There is no need to touch the floor with your chest, because this will reduce the effectiveness of your approach.
5. Do not straighten your arms completely. At the top point, your arms should be slightly bent. This is necessary so that the triceps do not take the entire load.
6. Don't do this exercise too quickly. Firstly, it will reduce the effectiveness of the training process. Secondly, it can lead to injury. It is better to do the exercise at a slow pace. A small number of repetitions will not reduce the effectiveness of the workout.
7. Do not reduce the range of motion under any circumstances. It is better to perform 5 correct push-ups with full amplitude than 30 incorrect movements. When you want to cheat, remember that incomplete amplitude gives incomplete results.

To work out the pectoral muscles, the following training complex is ideal for you:

1. Classic push-ups - 2 sets.
2. Deep push-ups - 2 sets.
3. Push-ups with legs on a bench - 2 sets.

The number of repetitions should be chosen depending on your fitness level and your goals.

If you are just starting to practice, perform the maximum number of times. Eventually, when you can complete at least 30 repetitions, think about your goals.

To gain muscle mass, you need to use additional weight. It should be such that you can perform no more than 12 times per approach. And to increase endurance and definition of your chest, continue to increase the number of repetitions per set. And also gradually reduce the break time between them.

To properly work out the triceps, you need to perform push-ups with a narrow and medium hand position. This is necessary in order to work out the various triceps bundles.

In addition to push-ups, you can also do push-ups behind the bench. This is a very good exercise for the triceps and it is very fits for combination with the proposed types of push-ups.

The number of repetitions is selected according to the same principle as when training the chest. However, there is a slight difference. Triceps are muscles that love intense work. The main sign that you are doing everything right is a strong burning sensation in the muscles. And it is achieved precisely by a large number of repetitions.

General training program

Of course, you can train your chest and triceps separately. But it's best to train them together. To do this, the following training complex will suit you:

1. Deep push-ups - 3 sets.
2. Push-ups with narrow arms - 3 sets.
3. Push-ups with legs on a chair - 3 sets.

The quantity should be chosen based on your goal. The optimal rest time between approaches is 2-3 minutes.

If you are an advanced athlete, we recommend introducing supersets into your training. What it is? This is a multi-exercise approach. For example, first you do 15 deep push-ups, and immediately after that you do 15 push-ups with a narrow hand position. This training principle will pump a lot of blood into your muscles. And this is exactly what you need.

To develop explosive strength, perform push-ups with clapping. Of course, not every person will be able to immediately complete this exercise the first time. But if you train regularly, you can achieve incredible heights.

To develop explosive strength, we want to offer you a training program by difficulty level. You will start with the simplest exercise and move on to the following over time:

• Level one- jumping push-ups.
• Level two- push-ups with clap near the floor.
• Level three- push-ups with clap at head level.
• Level four- overhead clapping push-ups.
• Level five- push-ups with a clap behind your back.

You can move on to the next exercise after you have done more than 20 repetitions per set. After you pass the fifth level, you can start working on the number of repetitions in a certain time or increase the number of claps.

And also to develop speed, push-ups with a ball are suitable for you. Your task is to push off and roll the ball to your other hand after completing the repetition.

If you are into striking techniques, you will find push-ups on your fingers, fists, and wrists helpful. When performing these exercises, you need to be careful, because they are very dangerous.

• Regardless of your goal, follow your diet. If you want to lose weight, eat foods that are low in calories. To gain muscle mass, eat protein foods.
• You can train 2 hours after your last meal. If you want to gain weight, you need to eat immediately after your workout. And if your goal is to lose weight, then you need to wait 2 hours.
• To increase your results in push-ups, perform the plank exercise. Most often, while doing push-ups, it is the abs that reach failure and the person falls to the ground. By doing planks, you will be able to perform many more push-ups per set.
• If you are a very busy person and have absolutely no time to exercise, the ideal time for your workouts is the morning. Make push-ups your morning habit. This will also help you wake up faster.
• The norm for push-ups for men is 30−40 repetitions. It doesn’t matter how old you are, 15 or 35. If you are able to do 30-40 push-ups, you can be considered physically fit.
• The training process should be varied. This has a positive effect not only on your muscles, but also on your psychological state.
• Push-ups are an exercise that is very beneficial for both men and women. After all, with its help you can not only pump up, but also maintain your figure in good shape. Agree, this is very important for the opposite sex.
• Before training, watch motivational videos. They will help you create the right mood for your workout. And - most importantly! - don't skip training. The main condition for success in this matter is regularity.
• Don't expect quick results. Achieving success quickly is physically impossible. You can count on the first results in about one and a half to two months.
• There is no need to get hung up on the idea that you want to get pumped up. Have you ever seen people who have been practicing for many years, but have no results? For what reason does this happen? It's simple - they are fixated on the result and do not enjoy the training process. If training doesn't bring you joy, think about whether you need it?

Now you know how to do push-ups correctly. With this exercise you can transform your figure and surprise your friends with its beauty. I wish you success!

Attention, TODAY only!

Push-ups are perhaps one of the most effective and common functional exercises among athletes. It has gained well-deserved popularity in fitness, bodybuilding, martial arts and, of course, crossfit. What can I say - in absolutely every sports discipline there is more than one effective push-up program, thanks to which you can quickly and without extreme effort achieve serious progress in the development of your own body. Considering what muscles work when pushing up from the floor, it is fair to note that this exercise not only strengthens the elbow ligaments, tendons, loads the chest and triceps, but also has a positive effect on the development of strength and speed of punching and elbowing.

Push-up program for a month

Once you have mastered the correct push-up technique, you should begin to gradually try to increase your result. Not a single athlete in the world is able to perform a hundred push-ups in one approach in the first training session. The program presented below is designed for 30 days, with one day of rest between workouts. This training method will help beginning athletes quickly achieve decent results.

You can also download this program from .

GTO standards for push-ups

Push-ups are a mandatory part of the state GTO program. For men and women, the number of push-ups is, of course, different. The difference in the number of repetitions also varies depending on the age group of the athlete. Each badge has different standards. The lower table contains the current GTO standards for push-ups.

Men

Women

Age	Number of repetitions per:
	Bronze badge	Silver badge	Gold badge
6-8	4	5	11
9-10	5	7	12
11-12	7	8	14
13-15	7	9	15
16-17	9	10	16
18-24	10	12	14
25-29	10	12	14
30-34	6	8	12
35-39	6	8	12
For women over 40 years of age, there is a single standard; there is no differentiation by level of training.
40-44	12
45-49	10
50-54	8
55-59	6
60-69	6 (with emphasis on the gymnastic bench)
70+	5 (with emphasis on the chair seat)

Crossfit complexes with push-ups

Push-ups are the basis of many functional complexes aimed at developing the speed and strength qualities of the muscles of the shoulder girdle. CrossFit was originally closely associated with push-ups, as many basic movements and elements, such as burpees, are built on the basis of this exercise.

The table below shows 4 functional training programs containing push-ups, with which you can work large muscle groups in your body and improve skills such as endurance and explosiveness.

If you liked working in this mode, you can independently develop several more similar programs for yourself. For example, you can combine push-ups with and other exercises. Such a complex load will help to work out all muscle groups at once in a short time, which makes the training program extremely intense and effective.

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What are the benefits of push-ups and how great are they? How to do push-ups so that the benefits of push-ups manifest themselves as quickly as possible, but without harming your body.

All this will be discussed in today's article.

Briefly about push-ups, we can say that this is a very useful exercise and when performed correctly, a person receives exceptional benefits. And if you expand the topic a little, you will find the following:

1. Push-ups are useful because they help strengthen the human heart and circulatory system as a whole, forcing them to work a little and raising the overall tone of your body. This is especially important for those people whose work does not involve physical activity or simply walking from office to office.
2. People who want to gain general weight or muscle mass in particular will notice the benefits of push-ups. After all, when doing push-ups from the floor, the muscles of the chest, triceps, and shoulders develop.
3. For those who want to lose weight, push-ups will help with this too.
4. When performing push-ups correctly, as when running, the habit of breathing correctly is formed. And proper breathing is one of the reasons why some people are always healthy and happy.
5. Thanks to push-ups, the body's endurance increases.
6. Push-ups, like other physical activities, improve metabolism. In combination with proper nutrition, push-ups and running will pleasantly surprise you in just one, maximum two months.
7. The benefit of push-ups for girls also lies in the fact that by developing the pectoral muscles, they thereby improve the appearance of their breasts. After all, large breasts will look more toned thanks to push-ups, and small breasts will appear larger.
8. For those involved in martial arts, push-ups are useful because they increase the speed and sharpness of blows.

However, push-ups are useless if you do them incorrectly.

How to get the maximum effect and feel the benefits of push-ups

To begin with, I will make a reservation that there are a large number of types of push-ups, and in this article I will not touch on them. But all types of push-ups, both for men and women, are united by several simple principles that you will have to adhere to in order to feel the benefits of push-ups on yourself.

The first principle is a flat, straight back when performing push-ups.

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You can’t lift your butt up during push-ups, and you can’t arch your back either up or down. In this position, the muscle groups that we train, the back, buttocks, abs, with push-ups, simply do not work and the exercises lose their meaning.

The second principle is correct breathing.

Everything is simple here. When lowering the body, we take a calm breath, and when we lift it, exhale.

The third principle is moderate loads

In any matter there must be moderation, a golden mean must be found. This principle also applies to push-ups.

For a beginner, it is enough to perform 5-15 push-ups in one approach; for a slightly trained person, 15-20 times are enough. But even if you feel a huge amount of strength in yourself, you should not do more than 30-35 push-ups in one approach, otherwise the benefits of push-ups can turn into harm.

Take two-minute breaks between sets.

The fourth principle is regular exercise.

You can spend one day doing a grueling workout, and then for two weeks you won’t remember what push-ups are. However, it is better to do exercises in moderation, but regularly.

Everyone needs to keep their body in good physical shape. Unfortunately, with the modern pace of life, not every person has time to go to the gym. But you can get your body in shape and make it resilient at home by doing basic exercises. These include push-ups. By devoting 20 minutes a day to this exercise, you will quickly achieve positive results.

The essence and correct technique

Push-ups are a simple physical exercise that uses a large number of muscles. Its essence is to raise and lower the body using the muscles of the arms.

To perform it, you need to take a “lying position” and lower your straight body parallel to the floor, while bending your arms at the elbows. You need to lower yourself until the shoulder part of the arm and the forearm form a right angle. Then we straighten our arms, raising our torso.

There are different techniques for performing push-ups, which depend on the position of the arms and legs.

To work the lower part of the pectoralis major muscle, your arms should be elevated.

The width of the hand also determines which part of the muscle will experience the greatest load.

Widely spaced palms load the outer part of the pectoral muscle, and narrowly placed palms load the inner part.

There are also other types of push-ups:

• classic;
• head up (from the bench);
• head down (standing on your hands against the wall);
• push-ups from the knees (focus not on the toes, but on the knees);
• jumping push-ups (the hands move between the hill and the floor during the exercise);
• clap push-ups (when the body is at the top point, hands are lifted off the floor and clapping);
• push-ups on fists (focus not on the palms, but on the fists);
• push-ups with one hand (emphasis on one hand, and the second behind the back);
• push-ups with wide arms;
• plyometric push-ups (while lifting the body, the hands come off the floor and throw the body up).

Did you know? On October 5, 1965, the first record for continuous push-ups was set. It is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. The record holder was American Charles Linster, who performed the exercise 6006 times. In 1980, this record was broken by the Japanese Minoru Yoshida, doing 10,507 push-ups. At the moment this record still stands.

Rules for performing push-up exercises:

1. Keep your back straight. The whole body is stretched out like a string in one line. Don't stick your butt out.
2. As you inhale, lower yourself, as you exhale, rise up.
3. Don't overwork yourself. For beginners, it will be enough to do 5-15 push-ups in one approach. Those who are confident in their physical strength can start with 15-20 reps per set. Do not do more than 40 push-ups per set, save your energy. Rest two to three minutes between sets.
4. There must be regularity in classes. It is better to do a small number of push-ups, but often, than a lot and rarely.
5. Before starting classes, be sure to warm up. It is needed to warm up the muscles in order to minimize the risk of injury. It is best to jog or jump rope. You also need to stretch your hands.

And now about the benefits

During push-ups, not only the muscles of the upper body and arms are worked, the abs and calf muscles are also tensed, which allows you to quickly tighten your silhouette.

We've already said that a lot of muscles are used during push-ups. Next we will talk in more detail about the role of each of them.

Pectoralis major muscle. She is responsible for shoulder movement. During the exercise, she is responsible for pushing the body off the floor. In everyday life, we do not heavily load these muscles, so their partial atrophy occurs. Push-ups help strengthen the muscle and increase its size.

Triceps, or triceps brachii muscle. Responsible for extending the forearm, moving the arm back and bringing it to the body. Depending on the position of the hands (the width of their placement), this muscle is worked in different ways. The closer the hands are, the faster the triceps will be worked.

Did you know? The shortest muscle in the body is the stapedius, its length is only 1.27 mm. It is located in the ear and is necessary to strain the eardrum.

During push-ups, it is actively worked out and forms a manly silhouette of the chest.

Press. The abdominal organs are hidden behind the abdominal muscles. During push-ups, the muscles experience static load.

Gluteus maximus muscle. Responsible for the movement of the hips and fixation of the torso. Experiencing a static load, similar to the abdominal muscles, the gluteal muscles activate their work. With intensive training, a beautiful silhouette of the buttocks is formed.

Strengthening your hands

Strong hands are essential for boxers and other athletes who practice punching.

To keep the brush strong, and the pain from the blow was felt less, it is necessary to perform push-ups on the fists and on the fingers. While honing the skill of push-ups on your fingers, you can gradually move from focusing on five fingers to four, etc.

Of course, only professionals can do this. Beginning athletes should first master the fist exercise. To do this, it is enough to allocate 5-7 minutes a day.

Improved coordination

Push-ups upside down help improve coordination.

Unfortunately, those who have joint injuries, problems with the vascular system, eye diseases and unstable blood pressure cannot exercise in this position.

To properly perform a push-up upside down, you need to stand near the wall at a distance of two or three steps. Quickly step forward and at the same time lower your hands to the floor.

Raise the leg that remains behind, and immediately follow it with the second one. You should be 10-15 centimeters from the wall.

Important! During the exercise, do not touch your head to the floor. There will be a strong load on the cervical vertebrae, which is fraught with negative consequences.

Impact on endurance

A man really needs to be resilient. After all, life constantly presents him with a number of tasks, the fulfillment of which requires a lot of physical strength. With age, this strength is lost, but with regular training it can be preserved for many years.

To do this, the main thing is to perform push-ups many times, doing many approaches with short stops. And there must be regularity in training, then the body will quickly get used to the load.

Push-ups and health

By doing push-ups, you force your heart to pump blood through the body more intensely, which has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the entire cardiovascular system.

Active muscle work also allows you to get rid of stagnant processes.

Weight loss

During push-ups, you force a large number of muscles to work, thereby not giving the body a chance to convert inactive muscle fibers into fat. Active heart function ensures normal blood circulation, which stimulates metabolism.

With normal metabolism, calories are not stored in reserve, but are actively burned. And if you also normalize your diet, then during physical activity the body will receive the missing energy from fat deposits.

Important! To lose weight, you need to exercise every day and gradually increase the number of push-ups every day.

Is harm possible and how to avoid it

Actively engaging in push-ups and neglecting other exercises will lead to your chest becoming too inflated, and therefore very wide. This spoils the appearance.

If you don’t know how to wisely distribute the load on your body, you will get tired quickly. This often happens to beginner athletes who want to give their best and do not think about the consequences. Moderation is the most important thing.

There is a high chance of injury if you neglect to warm up.

• men with high blood pressure;
• men who had injuries to the spine, arms and other skeletal problems;
• men with fragile bones.

Many people want to look fit, slim and be in excellent physical shape. But, unfortunately, not everyone wants or can, due to certain circumstances, visit the gym or set up a sports corner at home. This won't be necessary if you do push-ups regularly.

Push-ups do not require the use of any specialized expensive equipment or exercise equipment or sports equipment. To achieve good results, it is enough to have a desire to be in good shape, not to be lazy, and also to use a suitable push-up system (program).

The advantage of such trainings is that they have no restrictions. Absolutely everyone can do push-ups - children, adults, the elderly, men and women.

This basic exercise works several muscle groups at once. It is considered universal and must be included in any training plan.

During its implementation, the following are actively involved in the work:

• rib cage;
• shoulder girdle;
• hands;
• abdominal muscles.

Push-ups not only use different muscles, but also allow you to shift emphasis to certain groups. To work a specific area, it is enough to redistribute the load by changing support points and execution techniques.

The muscles are involved in the work already when the initial (initial) position is assumed. To keep the body in a static position, the intercostal and abdominal muscles, back, as well as arms and legs are activated.

Thanks to this basic, accessible, and, most importantly, effective exercise, muscle mass increases. In addition, a person who regularly does push-ups becomes stronger and more resilient. The impact speed also increases.

The following muscle groups receive the greatest load:

• Breasts. Provide abduction and adduction, as well as rotation of the humerus. They are best worked in a wide-grip position.
• Triceps. Thanks to the triceps muscles, the arms are straightened, and they develop best in a narrow grip position.
• Biceps. They receive a powerful charge that increases the strength of the biceps muscles.
• Deltoid. They acquire a beautiful relief, and, therefore, the shoulders look visually larger.
• Serrated front. The lateral chest area is worked by doing a limited type of exercise, and push-ups are considered the best among them.
• Pyramidal. The elbow muscles, which are a continuation of the triceps, provide easier extension of the forearms.

A correctly designed program and execution technique allows you to benefit not only the muscles. Push-ups strengthen the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, bone tissue, joints, and ligaments, and have a positive effect on metabolism. A person's health and well-being improve noticeably.

For a person who does not play sports and does not go to the gym, this exercise allows you to quickly tone weakened muscles. Thanks to this, it becomes much easier to carry out routine work that involves certain physical activity.

Having set a goal for yourself - to start doing push-ups, you need to understand that it will be difficult both psychologically and physically. At this stage, it is important not to overdo it, but to do everything correctly, so that in the future it will be much easier to make the transition from simple to complex.

It is not recommended to bring yourself to exhaustion in the first lesson. The result obtained is determined not only by the number of approaches, but by the technicality of execution, which is much more important. And if you simply push with numbers rather than quality, there will be no effect. Beginners should start the classic version of push-ups after performing this exercise, first from a vertical plane and then from the knees.

There is no need to rush. Each stage takes from seven days to several weeks. You need to focus solely on your preparation, as well as your physical fitness. The readiness to move to the next stage is indicated by the absence of difficulties in completing the current level.

Particular attention is paid to mastering the initial position, which depends on the type of push-up, correct breathing, and the direction of each movement. The torso lowers as you inhale and rises as you exhale. It is necessary to ensure that the body is always straight, and that the lowering and raising of the body is carried out solely by bending and straightening the arms.

• You should start doing push-ups by performing 10 repetitions. It is recommended to increase the pace gradually. The main thing is to listen to your own feelings regarding how the body reacts to the current and increasing load. After class, the feeling of fatigue should be mild. No overvoltage. This is especially true for the first training sessions.
• Before starting classes, you should always do a ten-minute warm-up, and perform the planned number of repetitions in several approaches with breaks of 2-3 minutes.
• You need to do push-ups regularly. Training should never be adjusted to a routine.
• Drawing up a training program must be accompanied by specific goals. If you need to build muscle mass, you will have to train daily. To keep yourself in good physical shape and to normalize body weight, you can do push-ups two to three times a week.
• Those who decide to train daily should move to this pace gradually. First, you need to exercise every other day to prepare your muscles for the load. Rest also gives the muscles an impulse to gain mass.
• When starting an exercise, you should always carefully study not only the description, but also the recommendations.
• When doing push-ups, you can experiment and take some liberties, but only when all the movements are perfected, strength, agility and endurance are well developed, that is, with experience that comes with time.

Beginners are most often interested in the question of how many repetitions they should strive for. For women, it is enough to increase the number of push-ups to 30-40, and for men - to 50-100 push-ups. These are decent results, but not the best. People who want to have a toned, powerful body or who play sports should set higher goals for themselves.

In a month and a half, if you exercise regularly, women can achieve 50, and men 100 repetitions. You need to train for no more than 10-15 minutes. This is quite enough to increase arm strength, as well as the appearance of visually noticeable changes. There is one important point to consider here. There is an opinion that more than 15 repetitions per set will increase endurance, but only at the expense of increasing volume and physical strength.

To increase strength and muscle growth, you should pay increased attention to the technique of execution, complicate the movements and amplitude. You can do push-ups or other difficult variations.

This seemingly simple exercise has many variations. According to some experts, the number of different variations is more than fifty.

Most famous athletes and bodybuilders constantly introduce various additions and changes to push-ups, which allow them to shift the emphasis of the load and open up new opportunities.

Selecting easier options or making training even more difficult is everyone’s personal choice. The choice is determined by personal wishes, goals, and physical capabilities.

Familiar to everyone since school days, they were performed in physical education lessons. The emphasis is placed while lying down, resting on your toes and palms. Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder level, palms facing forward. The emphasis is on the toes, slightly wider than the shoulders. The classic push-up movements involve the triceps, chest, and deltoids.

They are a lightweight variation suitable for beginners, elderly people or those with spinal problems. The initial pose is similar to the classic version, but only with emphasis on the legs bent at the knee joint, and not on the toes.

At the same time, keep your feet above the floor, placing one on top of the other. Thanks to this pose, the load is removed from the lower back and the force from various muscle groups is reduced. Studies have shown that the workload in classic push-ups is 64 percent, and with emphasis on the knee joints - 49 percent.

From a horizontal surface and from a wall

The first ones are quite difficult, especially for beginners, and if you start with them, then physical overexertion can be the reason that will discourage any desire to continue practicing. It is best to start the first steps with push-ups performed from a vertical plane, that is, from a wall. It is light, but quite practical, as it prepares muscles and joints for much higher loads.

The technique is quite simple. You need to stand up straight, stepping back from the wall about one step. The distance between the shoulders should be slightly greater than the width of the shoulders. It is best to keep your heels off the floor when the load from your body weight is transferred to your hands. You need to move towards the wall by bending your arms at the elbow joints until your chest touches the surface, and rise by straightening your elbows. At the same time, the torso should be kept straight, only the arms should work.

The distance between your arms out to the side is approximately two shoulder widths. The elbow joints look to the sides, and the emphasis can be on either clenched fists or open palms.

Socks resting on the surface of the floor, on the contrary, reduce the shoulders. As you go down, make sure that your elbow joints remain pointed to the side. Touching the floor, they quickly rise up.

The effectiveness of the exercise depends on the position of the torso, which should be kept straight from the feet to the head. If you lower your stomach, stick your buttocks up, or bend in the lumbar region, this will disrupt your technique.

To transfer the load to the chest muscles, the legs are placed on a hill - a sofa or bench, and the palms are left on the floor. Transferring the emphasis to a stand with a height of 60 cm, according to experts, allows you to increase the load to 75% of its own weight. If you do a reverse transfer, that is, place your arms rather than your legs on a hill, then doing the exercise will be much easier. The higher the bench height, the easier it is to perform push-ups.

The load on the chest muscles directly depends on the grip. The wider it is, the higher it is.

The arms are placed in line with the level of the shoulder joint, that is, along the body. Elbows point back. They stand either on their palms or on their fists. The position of the legs should be such that they are narrower than shoulder width. Moving down, the arms are bent, moving them along the body, directing the elbows back. Having touched the floor, keeping the body straight, they immediately rise up. This technique allows you to work your triceps. Placing your legs on a hill makes the exercise more difficult, but your arms make it easier.

It is a complex version of push-ups, thanks to which the triceps and frontal deltas are worked out.

The emphasis is placed exclusively on the palms, which are located side by side so that the fingers rest against the surface of the floor and turn slightly inward if necessary to make the execution easier. The toes are placed either slightly wider or at the same level with the shoulder girdle.

To go down, bend your arms, moving your elbows along your body. They are directed back and slightly to the sides. At the end point you need to touch the back of the hand. Move up until the arms are completely straight.

Widely spaced legs allow for a stable position. The right hand is left on the floor, and the slightly bent left hand is placed behind the back. To ensure safety and ensure maximum convenience for execution, it is recommended to use special stops.

The supporting (right) hand cannot be moved to the side. It should be in line with the body. Instead of four, there are only three points of support, and the legs spread to the sides allow you to maintain balance. When lowering, the elbow bends and moves to the side.

The downward movement is continued until the chest touches the floor, and then a push-up is performed, rising until the arm is straightened. Shoulders should be parallel to the floor. Having done a certain number of times, they change hands.

In order not to experience difficulties in performing this exercise, you must have fairly well-developed abdominal muscles.

Complicated Variations

This training perfectly loads the muscles, helps to develop good strength, speed and agility. To make a clap, you need to take a position in which your toes are the same width or narrower than your shoulder girdle, and your arms are 1.5 or 2 times wider apart.

The body is pushed up with a powerful push, lifting the palms off the floor, and quickly clapping. The return should be a soft and graceful landing on the palm of your hand. You can't flop on the floor.

Lightly touching the floor, you need to repeat the entire chain of movement “powerful push-clap-soft landing”. Hands should move rhythmically, harmoniously, strongly, quickly. Boxers include such push-ups in their training programs. They are useful for sprinters and those involved in various types of martial arts.

Focusing on the fingers helps strengthen the bones and increase the strength of the hands. The grip can be either narrow or wide. The main thing is that the emphasis is placed exclusively on the fingers.

It is necessary to do push-ups of this type only if you are in good physical shape and when your fingers are able to hold the body as securely as possible. To prepare for it, you should work a little with an expander to strengthen your hands.

Designed for athletes involved in strength disciplines and those who want to build bulky muscles and have a beautiful and clearly defined relief. The use of special weights allows you to increase the load, thanks to which the muscle tissue is worked out as deeply and efficiently as possible.

Vests equipped with weights are most often worn as weights. This equipment is also used by those who do pull-ups on the crossbar and do push-ups on the uneven bars. Instead of a vest, you can use a regular barbell plate. This weight should be used with caution and only when someone is nearby for backup. The partner must ensure that the pancake is positioned correctly on the back and does not fall. The push-ups themselves also require caution.

You need to start doing push-ups with light weights. It is increased gradually. It is recommended to add no more than one or two kilos per week.

Increasing the range of motion allows you to work out the muscles as efficiently as possible. To achieve this, it is necessary to remove the lower constraint, that is, the floor.

This can be achieved by using three support points, which are three strong chairs. One becomes a support for the feet, and the other two - for the arms. Instead of chairs, it is allowed to use a variety of stands with a height of 10 to 15 centimeters.

Items used as support must be reliable. It is better to buy special handles designed for push-ups. Without the use of additional devices, it is impossible to do deep push-ups that allow you to go below the level of your hands.

At the first stage, you need to determine for yourself three to four days a week for classes. Even if you plan to do push-ups every day, at first you only train every other day. It is imperative to give your muscles time to recover and rest, and not to overexert yourself during your first workouts. At the first stage, a monthly plan is usually drawn up, changes to which occur every week.

A training plan might look like this:

First week:

• warm-up
• first approach - up to 8 push-ups
• break - 1 minute
• second approach – two push-ups less than in the first
• break - 1 minute
• third set – 5 repetitions
• break – 5 minutes
• fourth set – 5 push-ups
• next two sets of five repetitions with a minute's rest

Second week:

• warm-up
• four sets of 8 repetitions, pauses of 1 minute

Third week:

• warm-up
• four sets, maximum number of repetitions (without excessive tension and with high quality)
• rest between sets - 1 minute

The final (fourth) week is devoted to increasing the number of push-ups. They plan the next training month independently and draw up a program for each training day.

Those who have completed initial training, are ready for full-time training, and want to start building a strong and beautiful body need a more advanced approach. It is necessary to develop and change plans every five to seven weeks, aiming to increase repetitions.

1st day:

• warm-up
• push-ups with weights - 4 sets of 12-15 times
• hand push-ups together - 4, 10-12
• abdominal exercise - 1, 40-50

Day 2:

• warm-up
• 100 reps for selected exercise (change push-ups every week)
• first week 10 sets of 10 reps *
• pause between sets 2-3 minutes

3rd day:

• warm-up
• wide grip push-ups 1 set max
• Medium grip push-ups 1 set max
• abdominal exercise – 1 set to the maximum

4th day:

• warm-up
• deep push-ups - 3 sets of 20-25 times
• squats – 3, 20-30
• hand push-ups together - 3, 10-12

1. Descriptions of the exercises allow you to formulate the correct technique of execution, but give you the opportunity to adjust the execution according to your characteristics and goals. You should always place your hands on a plane so that you do not feel any discomfort in the joints. It is necessary to try to prevent them from twisting, unbending, or bending. You always need to find the most comfortable placement of your palms.
2. You should definitely pay attention to developing flexibility by additionally performing special exercises, and also stretch your wrists before class.
3. To avoid injuries and sprains, it is recommended to wear wristbands or bandages. This protection is relevant for those who perform complex squats with clapping, on one arm, without resting on the toes.
4. Not all women are able to achieve a full range of motion due to a large bust. To “eliminate” the obstacle, you should use stops. Thanks to these devices, girls can increase the amplitude.
5. The difficulty of push-ups depends on the position of your legs. The higher they are, the more difficult the exercise and the load placed on the muscles. Experienced athletes may not even use tables, benches, or stools, but instead do vertical push-ups with their legs up.
6. Each training program necessarily involves the inclusion of abdominal and biceps exercises in the plan.
7. We should not forget about the importance of proper nutrition. In order for muscles to develop and form, you need to eat more meat and vegetables.