There are different types of push-ups from the floor, to target specific muscle groups, let's look at the basic exercises below:

Push-ups with arms wide apart - the initial position of the arms is at least 10 cm wider than the shoulders, we put our hands at chest level, the body is straight like a string, legs together, we go down to the floor before reaching it 5 cm., The elbows should be apart, we rise in the starting position keeping even body.

Make sure that the hip region is fixed all the time, for this, strain the abdominal muscles. Do not chase a lot of push-ups, feel the muscles, do the exercise, strictly observing the technique. During the exercise, the main load is received by the muscle fibers of the outer chest, the secondary of the shoulders, triceps and abdominal muscles;

- the technique for performing this type of push-ups from the floor is identical to push-ups with wide apart arms (see above), with one difference that the arms are located at chest level and are shoulder-width apart, and the load is shifted from the outside to the central part of the chest;

- the initial position of the hand is narrower than the shoulders, the distance between the arms is about 10 cm., spread your legs to the sides for stability, we go down to the floor without reaching 5 cm., the elbows go down along the body, with the strength of our hands we rise up keeping the body straight, we return to the starting position. Do not forget about breathing, the effort to exhale, the relaxation is to inhale, i.e. inhale on lowering, exhale on raising. This type of exercise shifts the load on the triceps and internal pectoral muscles;

Push-ups with lifting arms - the initial position of the arms and trunk as in push-ups with wide apart arms (see above), with one difference, at the top point, unbend your arms with force pushing them off the surface, landing, touch the surface with already slightly bent elbows so as not to damage the elbow joints ... Exercise strengthens the strength and explosive endurance of the muscles and the shoulder girdle;

Different types of push-ups allow you to engage a variety of muscles, which increases the effectiveness of your workouts!

Push-ups with a clap of hands in front of you - the exercise is similar to push-ups with tearing off the arms (see above), only after tearing off your hands from the surface, make a clap in front of you, make the emphasis on your legs wider, for better stabilization of the trunk. Exercise besides benefits for strength and explosive endurance of muscles, improves coordination of movements;

Push-ups with hand claps behind the back - the exercise is similar to push-ups with arms torn off (see above), only by tearing off your hands from the surface, make a clap behind you, make the emphasis on your legs wider, for better stabilization of the trunk.

A difficult version of the exercise, it requires the maximum development of strength and speed endurance, as well as coordination of movements. Suitable for experienced athletes only.

Do not do it if you have a shoulder injury or are not in good physical shape. For exercise, lay soft mats in front of you to avoid injury;

Push-ups on one arm - suitable for experienced athletes. Starting position, one hand is on the floor, the other is on the lower back or holds on to the thigh, legs are spread apart to hold the body. We go down without touching the surface of 5cm. and return to the starting position. Exercise gives maximum stress to the shoulder muscles and joints, as well as the triceps;

Push-ups are the best exercises for maintaining chest muscle tone, anywhere!

Diagonal push-ups - the technique is as follows - the initial position of the hand is at chest level and shoulder-width apart, only the hands are not on a straight line, but diagonally, for example, left in front, right behind. With the strength of the hands, we tear them off the surface, when the arms came off, we change their location and land so that the hands are again diagonally, only now the right hand is in front, and the left is behind, and so on. The exercise acts on the shoulder girdle and forces different groups of pectoral muscles to work;

Classic raised leg push-ups - the exercise is similar to the classic push-ups (see above), but one leg rises above the surface, do 5 repetitions, change legs and again 5 repetitions, do in the same spirit, alternating legs. Exercise strengthens not only the muscles of the chest, shoulder girdle and arms, but also includes the muscles of the legs, abs and buttocks;

Head down push-ups - starting position, stand against the wall and throw your legs up so that your legs touch it, your back can be turned both to the wall and away from it, then lower yourself down on your hands, without touching the surface with your head, squeeze your body upward with your hands.

In this exercise, there is an exceptional insulating load on the shoulder muscles. To avoid injury, perform the exercise after the body muscles have been sufficiently strengthened, it is recommended for experienced athletes;

Push-ups with a twist of 90 degrees - the technique and starting position are similar to the classic push-ups (see above), only when you lifted the body up by the force of your hands, you begin to rotate along the axis with simultaneous lifting of your hand from the floor and reach up to the ceiling, returning your hand back, push up again and pull up the other hand. Exercise after each push-up and contraction of muscle groups, stretches the pectoral muscle and shoulder girdle well;

- the technique and starting position are similar to the classic push-ups (see above), but the legs are on a bench or other surface that is higher than the location of your hands, the best option is a bench about 40-50 cm.This exercise shifts the load to the upper chest and front deltoid muscle (anterior shoulder muscles).

- an indispensable exercise for climbers, people who know martial arts, strengthens the ligaments and joints, forearms and hands, excellent prevention of arthritis.

Before starting the exercise, be sure to knead your hands, wrists and finger joints in order to reduce the possibility of injury.

The starting position is like classic push-ups (see above), the emphasis is on the cushions of the fingers, make sure that the fingers are firmly fixed on the surface to prevent injury or dislocation of the joints of the fingers.

After mastering the 5-finger push-up technique, complicate the exercises, experiment with push-ups, removing 1 finger at a time.

Use periodically all types of push-ups from the floor and the result from the workouts will not be long in coming!

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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 a gym or equip a sports corner at home. This is not required if you regularly do push-ups.

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

The advantage of such trainings is that they do not have any restrictions. Absolutely everyone can do push-ups from the floor - children, adults, the elderly, men and women.

This basic exercise uses several muscle groups at the same time. 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 engage different muscles, but also allow you to shift the focus to specific groups. To work out a specific area, it is enough to redistribute the load by changing the control points and the execution technique.

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

Thanks to this basic, affordable, and, most importantly, effective exercise, muscle mass is built up. In addition, a person who regularly does push-ups from the floor becomes stronger and more enduring. The impact speed also increases.

The following muscle groups receive the greatest load:

• Pectoral... Provide abduction and adduction, as well as rotation of the humerus. They are best worked out in a wide grip position.
• Triceps. Thanks to the triceps muscles, the arms are straightened, and they develop as well as possible in a narrow grip position.
• Biceps Get 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 side chest is worked out with 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 performance technique allows you to benefit not only for the muscles. Push-ups strengthen the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, bones, joints, and ligaments, and have a positive effect on the course of metabolism. Human health and well-being are noticeably improved.

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

Having set a goal for yourself - to start 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 right, 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 due not only to the number of approaches, but to the technicality of the performance, which is much more important. And if you just press with number, and not quality, there will be no effect. Beginners should start the classic push-up option after completing this exercise, first from the 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 training, as well as physical fitness. The readiness to move to the next stage is evidenced by the absence of difficulties with the implementation of the current level.

Particular attention is paid to mastering the starting position, which depends on the type of push-ups, the correctness of breathing, the direction of each movement. The torso descends on inhalation and rises on exhalation. It is necessary to control that the body is constantly straight, and the lowering and raising of the body is carried out exclusively by bending and straightening the arms.

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

Newbies are most often interested in the question of how many repetitions to strive for. It is enough for women to bring the number of push-ups to 30-40, and for men - to 50-100 push-ups. These are decent results, but not marginal. People who want to have a pumped up powerful body or are involved in sports should set higher goals for themselves.

In a month and a half, if you practice regularly, women can reach 50, and men 100 repetitions. In this case, you need to train no more than 10-15 minutes. This is quite enough to increase the strength of the hands, as well as the appearance of visually noticeable changes. There is one important point to keep in mind. There is an opinion that more than 15 repetitions per approach will increase endurance, but only at the expense of an increase in volume and physical strength.

To increase power indicators and increase muscles, increased attention should be paid to the technique of execution, to complicate the movements and amplitude performed. You can do push-ups from stops or other difficult options.

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

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

Selecting lightweight options or making training even more difficult is everyone's personal business. The choice is due to personal wishes, pursued goals, physical capabilities.

Familiar to everyone since school times, they were performed in physical education lessons. The emphasis is taken while lying, leaning on the toes and palms. Hands are placed slightly wider than shoulder level, palms facing forward. The emphasis falls on the toes of the legs, spread slightly wider than the shoulders. Classic push-up movements include triceps, chest, deltas.

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

At the same time, the feet are kept above the floor, one laying on top of the other. Thanks to this position, the load is removed from the lower back, the effort 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 become a reason that 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 lightweight, but practical enough as it prepares the muscles and joints for much higher loads.

The execution 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 more than shoulder width apart. It is best to keep the heels off the floor when the weight of the body is transferred to the arms. You need to move towards the wall by bending the arms at the elbow joints until the chest touches the surface, and rise by straightening the elbows. At the same time, the body should be kept straight, only the hands should work.

The distance between the arms spaced to the side is approximately two shoulder widths. The elbow joints look to the sides, and the emphasis can fall on both clenched fists and open palms.

Socks resting on the floor surface, on the contrary, bring the shoulders together. Going down, make sure that the elbow joints remain directed to the side. Touching the floor, they quickly go up.

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

To transfer the load on the muscles of the chest, the legs are placed on a hill - a sofa or bench, and the palms are left on the floor. Transferring the support to a stand with a height of 60 cm, according to experts, allows you to increase the load up to 75% of its own weight. If you do the reverse transfer, that is, place your hands on a hill, not your legs, 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.

Hands are placed in line with the level of the shoulder joint, that is, along the body. The elbows are directed back. They stand either in the palm of your hand or on your fists. The position of the legs should be such that they are narrower than shoulder-width apart. 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 go up. This technique of execution allows you to work out the triceps. Placing the legs on a higher ground makes the exercise more difficult and the arms easier.

It is a difficult push-up option, thanks to which the triceps and frontal deltas are worked out.

The emphasis is made exclusively on the palms, which are located next to each other so that the fingers rest against the floor surface and turn slightly inward, if you need to facilitate execution. The toes of the legs are either slightly wider or flush with the shoulder girdle.

To go down, the arms are bent, moving the elbows along the torso. They are directed backward and slightly to the sides. At the end point, touch the back of the hand. Move upward until the arms are completely straight.

Stability is ensured by legs wide apart. The right hand is left on the floor, and the slightly bent left hand is led behind the back. To ensure safety and ensure maximum ease of execution, it is recommended to use special stops.

The supporting (right) hand must not be shifted to the side. It should be in line with the torso. There are only three points of support, instead of four, and legs spread apart 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 push-ups are performed, rising until the arm is straightened. The shoulders should be parallel to the floor. After doing a certain number of times, they change hands.

In order not to experience difficulties in performing this exercise, it is necessary to have a sufficiently well-developed abdominal muscles.

Complicated variations

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

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

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

Focusing on the fingers helps to 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 falls exclusively on the fingers.

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

Designed for athletes involved in strength disciplines, and those who want to build bulk muscles, have a beautiful and clearly traced relief. The use of special weights allows you to increase the load, due to which muscle tissues are worked out as deeply and efficiently as possible.

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

It is necessary to start push-ups with weights with a small weight. It is increased gradually. It is recommended to add no more than one or two kilos per week.

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

This can be achieved by using three support points, which are three strong chairs. One becomes a support under the feet, and the other two - under 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, allowing you to drop 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 daily, at first they train only every other day. It is imperative to give the muscles time to recover and rest, do not overstrain during the first workouts. The first step is usually a monthly plan, which changes 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 reps
• break - 5 minutes
• fourth approach - 5 push-ups
• next two sets of five reps with 1 minute rest

Second week:

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

Third week:

• warm-up
• four approaches, the number of repetitions to the maximum (without undue stress and with high quality)
• rest between sets - 1 minute

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

Those who have completed initial training, are ready for full-fledged classes, who want to engage in the formation of a strong and beautiful body, need a more advanced approach. You need to develop and change plans every five to seven weeks, aiming at increasing repetitions.

1st day:

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

Reading time: 32 min

Push-ups are bodyweight strength exercises that are key to developing upper body muscles. Doing push-ups regularly not only increases your endurance and strengthens specific muscle groups, but also helps to tone the whole body.

Do you want to learn how to do push-ups, are you looking for a ready-made scheme and the correct push-up technique? Or just want to know about the effectiveness of this exercise? We offer you the most complete push-up guide in one article, as well as step-by-step instructions on how to learn how to do push-ups from scratch.

Push-ups: how to do it right

The push-up is the most popular bodyweight exercise. It is used not only in strength training, but also in plyometric exercises, crossfit, pilates, callanetics and even yoga. And such versatility of push-ups easy to explain. Push-ups help to engage all muscle groups from the neck to the toes, and in particular to strengthen the pecs, shoulder girdle, triceps and abs.

There are many different types of push-ups, but before we move on to more complex modifications of this exercise, let's understand the technique for doing the classic push-ups. The correct form of exercise is not only the maximum result and high-quality muscle work, but also reducing the risk of injury and damage during class.

Correct technique for classic push-ups from the floor:

• The body forms a straight line, the pelvis does not go up and does not bend down.
• The abdominal muscles are tense, but the breath is not held.
• The head is in a neutral position, does not look down, but also does not lift up.
• The palms are strictly under the shoulders, do not go forward.
• The palms look forward, parallel to each other.
• The elbows are turned back 45 degrees, not set to the side.
• While inhaling, we bend our elbows and lower the body parallel to the floor, keeping the straight line of the body.
• Push-ups from the floor are performed with full amplitude, i.e. the body goes down as low as possible. The elbows should form a right angle.

It is this technique of classic push-ups that helps to evenly work out the muscles of the shoulders, chest and triceps.

Push-ups from the floor involve several muscle groups at once. This exercise allows you to work all the muscles of the shoulder girdle and the small stabilizing muscles of the shoulder. Also push-ups from the floor and from the knees develop the strength and elasticity of the shoulder muscles, which is especially important since the shoulder joint is extremely unstable and prone to displacement and injury.

Floor push-ups help to work out the following muscle groups:

• Pectoralis major muscle
• Deltoid muscles (shoulders)
• Triceps
• Serratus anterior muscle
• Abdominal muscles

In addition, during push-ups, the muscles of the legs, buttocks and back are indirectly involved in the work. Also push-ups increase functional strength, necessary to perform regularly performed actions (lifting and moving objects, cleaning the house, holding the child in her arms).

The main mistakes in the technique of classic push-ups from the floor

Push-ups from the floor are not as simple an exercise as it seems at first glance. Errors in the execution technique are made not only by the practitioners, but even by the trainers! Improper push-ups can lead to injuries to the wrists, shoulder and elbow joints, as well as pain in the neck, back and lower back. If you're having trouble keeping up with your push-ups, get down on your knees or cut back on your reps! Train yourself to do this exercise correctly from the very first execution.

The most common mistake in push-up technique is the position of the elbows in relation to the torso. The extended elbows help compensate for the lack of muscle strength in the upper body. Of course, this option of push-ups can also be performed. (which many do)... But the problem is that this way of doing it raises risk of injury to the shoulders and elbows... Therefore, it is better to pay attention to the position of the elbows: they should be turned back 45 degrees, and not look in different directions.

In classic push-ups, the arms should be strictly under the shoulders... Some practitioners practice wide-arm push-ups, but this is a weaker position in which your muscles are not working well enough. In addition, wide-arm push-ups can cause soreness in the shoulders over time.

During push-ups, the body should form a straight line. But if you have a weak core, then there is a risk of violation of the push-up technique: lifting the buttocks up or, conversely, bending the lower back and lowering the hips to the floor. Incorrect body position will give excess stress on the spine... To avoid this mistake, start practicing the plank exercise - this will help strengthen the muscle corset. We recommend reading: Plank - benefits and harms, 45 plank options + workout plan.

A very common mistake in the push-up technique is performing an exercise with an incomplete amplitude, namely, insufficient lowering of the body down. Naturally, at first it will be difficult for you to do push-ups with a full range, but train yourself from the very beginning of practice. lower the body to a right angle at the elbow.

For example, let's visually compare the correct and incorrect performance of push-ups.

1. Correct classic push-up:

The body forms a straight line, the pelvis does not rise up, the lower back does not bend. When push-ups, the body falls low, the elbows are close enough to the body, palms under the shoulders.

2. Correct push-ups from the knees (simplified version of the classic push-ups):

Likewise, the body forms a straight line, there are no bends or bends in the back. Pay attention to the correct position of the palms in relation to the shoulders.

3. Push-ups with an error:

The pelvis is lowered, the lower back is bent, the straight line of the body is broken. This exercise can cause back pain and even injury.

4. Push-ups with an error:

In this picture, we see insufficient lowering of the body down, the elbows barely bend. It is better to do 5 high-quality push-ups than 15-20 low-quality push-ups, where the arms do not form a right angle.

Thanks to the youtube channel for the visual gifs Lais DeLeon.

Push-ups: benefits, harms and contraindications

Like any other exercise, push-ups have a number of advantages and disadvantages, as well as contraindications for execution. It is an excellent strength exercise for muscle development, but if performed improperly or with weak joints, it can have unpleasant health consequences .

The benefits of doing push-ups:

1. Push-ups are the best exercise for strengthening chest muscles with your own body weight. If you want to do high quality work on your pectoral muscles, then push-ups must be included in your training plan.

2. Push-up is a multipurpose exercise in which work immediately multiple muscle groups ... In addition to your chest, you will strengthen your triceps, shoulders, and core. The push-ups also engage the back, legs, and buttocks to provide a complete workout for the body.

3. You do not need additional equipment to perform push-ups. Alternatively, you can do this exercise both at home and on the street... Are you on vacation? Don't have access to a gym? No problem, push-ups can be done wherever you find a small square of space.

4. Push-ups help to strengthen muscle corset ... This will not only bring you closer to 6 cubes on your stomach, but it will also be a good prevention of back pain, and will also help to improve your posture.

5. Push-ups from the floor - very variable exercise... A wide stance of the arms includes the muscles of the shoulders, a narrow stance of the arms - triceps. You can perfectly train your upper body using only your own weight.

6. The ability to do push-ups is useful not only in strength training, but also in yoga, Pilates, callanetics, plyometric programs. Push-ups are one of main exercises with your own body weight.

7. Push-ups develop muscle strength and elasticity shoulders... Provided that the correct technique is followed, this is the prevention of injuries to the shoulder joints, which are most vulnerable to practitioners.

8. Large number modifications (from the simplest to the super-complex) makes push-ups a versatile exercise that is suitable for both beginners and advanced. This means that you will always have a productive workout, regardless of strength and level of experience.

Harm of push-ups and contraindications for exercising

Despite the many benefits and benefits of push-ups for body development and strength training, push-ups can cause harm to your body... During push-ups, the joints of the shoulders, elbows, wrists are included, so if you have a history of injuries or joint problems, then push-ups should not be performed. Joint damage during push-ups from the floor is not uncommon, especially if you do not follow the correct technique.

Contraindications for doing push-ups:

• Osteoarthritis, arthritis and other joint problems
• Injuries to shoulders, arms, wrists
• Spine problems
• Lumbar lordosis
• Big excess weight

Be sure to follow the correct technique when doing push-ups. We always recommend knead your hands, elbows and shoulders before doing push-ups, performing circular movements with the hands in one direction and the other.

10 things you need to know about doing push-ups

1. The closer you place your hands while doing push-ups, the more your triceps work. The further you place, the more the shoulders are included in the work.

2. If you want to simplify the performance of push-ups, then rest your hands on the bench or kneel down.

3. If you want the opposite, make it harder to do push-ups then place your feet on a bench or other high ground. Moreover, the higher the legs are, the more difficult it will be to do push-ups.

4. To increase the amplitude and increase the effectiveness of push-ups, you can perform them on special racks: push-ups... In this case, the body will sink lower, and the muscles will work even harder.

5. Push-ups not only allow for more thorough pumping of the muscles of the chest, shoulders and triceps, but also significantly reduce the risk of injuries to the wrists.

6. If you do not have special supports, then you can do push-ups on dumbbells, this will also help to reduce the load on the hands.

7. Before push-ups, try to do gymnastics for the joints of the shoulders, elbows and hands. (circular movements with shoulders, arms and hands).

8. If you have weak wrists, use elastic bandages, they will reduce the stress on the joints. This is especially true if you plan on doing plyometric push-ups (discussed below).

9. To increase muscle mass, try to do push-ups for small repetitions, using complex modifications or additional weight. But for weight loss, the development of endurance and the development of functional training, you can move towards increasing the number of repetitions.

10. Standard exercise descriptions allow make some adjustments , which are due to the different anatomical structure and flexibility. Determine the position of your palms so that you can comfortably perform the push-ups.

How to learn to do push-ups from scratch: a ready-made plan

It's okay if you've never done push-ups before or if you've had a long break from fitness and lost this skill. Everyone can learn to push up from the floor, regardless of gender and age! Of course, you will need regular practice, but learning to do push-ups is not as difficult as, for example, pull-ups.

The most important thing to remember if you want to learn how to do push-ups from the floor efficiently and effectively: you must always observe correct execution technique from the very first repetition of the exercise. Even if you start with simple exercise options, keep the correct form and technique in mind.

In order to start push-ups from the floor from scratch, we offer you a step-by-step program for beginners. Thanks to this scheme, everyone can learn push-ups from the floor!

A ready-made diagram of how to learn to do push-ups for beginners

In order to learn to do push-ups from the floor, you will need to master 3 step push-ups ... You need to do it daily, you need to perform 3-4 approaches for the maximum number of repetitions in each approach. Perhaps the first attempts will not allow you to push up more than 5-10 times, but every day you will progress.

If you feel that by the end of the week you have not made the desired progress, then continue doing the same push-up modification for another week. It is better to move to the next difficulty level after you can push up 30-40 times without interruption... Don't forget about the correct push-up technique!

Week 1: Push-ups against the wall

Push-ups from the wall are an exercise that is available to everyone. These vertical push-ups are a great introductory exercise to help you master the floor push-ups later.

Week 2: Knee push-ups

The next level is knee push-ups. Please note that even with push-ups from the knees, the body should maintain a straight line, the pelvis should not go up.

Week 3: Bench push-ups

After you have mastered the knee push-ups, you can move on to the bench push-ups. Attention, there is a nuance here. The higher the bench is, the easier it will be for you to do push-ups. Therefore, you can change the height of the surface, thereby slowly preparing yourself for push-ups from the floor.

Week 4: Push-ups from the floor

After three weeks of regular push-ups, your body will be ready for floor push-ups. Remember that it is better to do fewer reps, but with full amplitude (elbows should be flexed 90 degrees).

How many times do you need to do push-ups: ready-made push-up schemes

We emphasize once again that you should never chase quantity, neglecting quality. Also, you don't always need to aim for more reps. How many times you need to do push-ups depends on your goals.

So, there are several possible situations:

1. If you want pump up and increase muscle mass in volume, then move towards increasing weight and difficulty. For example, use barbell discs or put your feet up on a bench. Training scheme: 10-12 repetitions for 3-4 sets.

2. If you want lose weight and get relief, then move towards increasing the number of repetitions. Do 15-25 repetitions in 5 sets. You can increase the total number of push-ups weekly or move on to more complex modifications.

3. If you want develop endurance and functional strength, then also move towards increasing the number of repetitions and choose more complex modifications of push-ups on the floor, including plyometric ones.

An example of a ready-made push-up scheme for increasing stamina and weight loss:

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. But what can I say - absolutely in every sports discipline there is more than one effective push-up program from the floor, thanks to which you can quickly and without prohibitive efforts achieve serious progress in the development of your own body. Considering which muscles work when pushing up from the floor, it is fair to say 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 the punch and elbow.

Push-up program for a month

Once you have mastered the correct push-up technique, you should start gradually trying to increase your result. No athlete in the world is capable of performing a hundred push-ups in one set on the very first workout. The program below is designed for 30 days, with one rest day between workouts. This training method will help novice athletes quickly achieve a decent result.

You can also download this program by.

TRP standards for push-ups

Push-ups from the floor are a mandatory part of the state TRP 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. There are different standards for each icon. The lower table contains the current TRP standards for push-ups from the floor.

Men

Women

Age	Reps 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 old, there is a single standard, there is no differentiation by levels 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 from the floor are the basis of many functional complexes aimed at developing the speed-strength qualities of the muscles of the shoulder girdle. CrossFit was originally closely related to push-ups, since many of the basic ligaments and elements, such as burpees, are built on the basis of this exercise.

The table below lists 4 functional push-up workout programs that will help you work out large muscle groups in your body and improve skills such as endurance and explosive strength.

If you liked working in a similar mode, you can independently develop several more similar programs for yourself. For example, you can combine floor 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.

Push-ups from the floor are not only the classic exercise itself, familiar to us from school, but also a number of its modifications that allow you to work out certain muscle groups with high quality, develop strength and endurance. Many articles and books have been written about push-ups. In order not to get confused in a large amount of information, let's systematize the knowledge about this exercise and figure out what goals it can help to achieve.

What can you do with push-ups?

If we approach the issue globally, then during the performance of push-ups, almost all the muscles of our body work. However, when planning the training process with an insignificant load that, say, the press receives, we can neglect and focus on those muscle groups that do the main work.

Most of the push-ups are involved:

• pectoral muscles (top, bottom, or middle of the chest);
• triceps;
• deltoid muscles of the shoulders.

By changing the position of the arms and body, we can shift the emphasis of the load to any of the indicated muscle groups. In addition to training the muscles, push-ups are an excellent tool for developing endurance, increasing explosive strength (plyometric), training the cardiovascular system, strengthening ligaments and tendons.

In this article, we will first look at the classic exercise technique. Next, let's look at the following series of questions:

• What kind of push-ups to train the pectoral muscles, arms and shoulders?
• How can you strengthen your hands, fists and fingers?
• What are plyometric push-ups (explosive strength)?
• Advanced exercise and weight training for trained athletes.
• How to start a push-up workout for beginners?
• How many reps and sets should I do?

Most of the push-up options, which will be listed below, are devoted to separate articles on our website. You can always read about the exercise in more detail by clicking on the corresponding link.

Classical technique

The traditional version of the exercise looks like this:

1. Get into a prone position. Place your palms slightly wider than your shoulders and pull your body into a string. The neck is an extension of the back, the abdomen does not sag, the lower back is straight, the buttocks do not rise up. Place your feet a short distance apart on your toes.
2. While inhaling, without changing the straight position of the body, lower your chest down by bending your arms at the elbow joints. A few centimeters remain between the chest and the floor.
3. As you exhale, straighten your arms and return to the top point.

This basic execution technique loads the pectoral muscles, triceps and slightly anterior deltas. In addition, the muscles of the body stabilizers work. It can be considered as a basis from which we will build on, considering variations for the accentuated study of specific muscles.

Emphasis on chest muscles

To pump the chest, the technique of performing the exercise must be built so that it implies bringing the arms (shoulders) to each other. After all, this is the main function of the pectoral muscles. Think of any chest exercise: bench press, crossover, hummer chest press, etc.

When push-ups with wide arms, the chest works the most. Indeed, in fact, in order to raise the body to the highest point, you need to straighten your elbows and, overcoming the weight of your own body, bring your shoulders together.

The distribution of the load on the pectoral muscles depends on the position of your body relative to the floor:

• Hands and feet on the floor - the middle and slightly lower chest work.
• Legs on a dais - the upper chest works. Feet can be placed on a bench or step. However, the higher the legs, the more the shoulders are involved in the work. Therefore, in order not to shift the load from the pectoral muscles, do not raise your legs too high. The bench height is the maximum.
• Hands on a dais - the bottom of the chest works. Here is a slightly different feature. The higher you put your hands, the less the load on the upper body in principle (since the weight presses on the legs). Therefore, it is for the purpose of developing the lower chest that push-ups from the floor are rarely used. As a rule, in this case, push-ups on parallel bars are used, when your legs do not rest on the floor, but hang in the air.

It is also no secret that the effectiveness of muscle development depends on the range of motion. That is, in total, on how much you contract the muscle in the positive phase of the movement and stretch in the negative.

In order to better stretch the pectoral muscles at the lowest point, you can use special hand stops. They will allow you to go lower. The role of stops can be performed by any two stable objects on which you can put your hands.

Triceps emphasis

Accordingly, to train the back of the arms, the chest must be turned off as much as possible. Therefore, bringing the hands to each other is removed from the movement. The palms are not wide apart, but placed shoulder-width apart or narrower, right up to the contact of the palms, and the elbows are pulled back and brought to the body.

With push-ups with a narrow grip, as well as with (a variety of the previous ones), it is the triceps of the shoulder that are best trained.

There is another type of triceps exercise that deserves special attention. These are reverse push-ups. With this technique, the hands are placed on a bench behind the body.

For shoulder development

With the help of special push-ups, you can pump well the middle and front bundles of the deltoid muscles. To do this, you need to raise the pelvis and legs as high as possible, that is, actually stand upside down and press yourself off the floor. In other words, inclined and vertical push-ups are directed to the development of the shoulders.

It is worth undertaking their implementation only when the options for exercises on the chest and triceps have already been worked out by you to an ideal state. It is much more difficult to hold your weight on your hands than on your legs, so you should be especially careful here. When performing vertical push-ups, the legs are raised high on a support, which may well be a wall.

Strengthening fists, hands and fingers

So, above we examined three main groups of push-ups, differing in the width of the arms and the position of the body relative to the floor. But the scope of the exercise is not limited to training the chest, triceps and shoulders.

Now let's move on to more narrow points, for example, the targeted strengthening of the hands and fingers. This aspect is extremely important when practicing martial arts and any sports involving punches, palms or fingers.

To strengthen the striking surface of the fist and the ligaments of the hands, they are also used on the back of the palms. To make the fingers strong and strong, respectively, push-ups on the fingers will help.

Explosive strength development

Explosive strength is the ability to do maximum work in a minimum amount of time. This quality is essential when doing CrossFit and many other disciplines. Exercise for explosive strength already presupposes good endurance of the athlete and developed muscles. Therefore, they are not recommended for beginners.

Plyometric exercises include push-ups with clap, Spartan push-ups (one hand is placed slightly in front and the other slightly behind, their position changes during the jump) and any other variations that involve a dynamic change in posture during the movement.

Burpees are an excellent example of a multi-functional plyometric exercise that combines jumps with push-ups.

Difficult exercise options

Exercises of a high degree of difficulty will be listed below, designed to demonstrate a good level of physical fitness of the athlete. Namely, strength, development of muscles, the ability to maintain balance and harmoniously coordinate the work of the whole body.

Some of these exercises are:

• Hindu push-ups.
• Planche (option of push-ups without legs or in the horizon).

In addition to making the bodyweight push-up technique more difficult, you can increase the load by doing the additional resistance exercise. For example, you can ask your partner to put a barbell pancake on your back. If you do push-ups at home, a regular backpack can act as a load. A special weighted vest will also be a good purchase.

When push-ups with weights, you need to especially carefully monitor the technique of performing the movement.

Simple options for beginners

In most cases, trained athletes and without outside help know what exercises to do and how to ensure the load on certain muscle groups. But what about those who are just starting their journey?

You can start by mastering chest and triceps push-ups, just do them with an emphasis on your knees, not your feet. Thus, it will be much easier to hold your body and gradually your muscles will get strong enough to move on to the usual, and then to the more complicated technique.

Strive to increase the number of repetitions to 10-15 in at least three approaches. Then increase the load, for example, starting with the first set in the standard technique, and the next two from the knees.

How many reps to do?

The number of repetitions and sets depends a lot on the role that push-ups play in your workout program.

• If push-ups are one of the exercises you use to gain weight on your chest or arms, then do 8-12 reps in 3-4 sets. With the free execution of this volume, perform the exercise with additional weight or master the advanced options.
• If you need relief and burning excess fat, do 15-20 relatively fast reps in 3-4 sets, in combination with other exercises.
• If push-ups are your main upper body training exercise and the goal is not so much mass gain as overall strength and endurance, do as many reps and sets as possible. There are various programs and techniques aimed at increasing the number of push-ups.

Summing up all of the above, we can say that push-ups from the floor are far from an outdated throwback from school physical education lessons, but a whole range of various functional exercises that allow you to effectively work out the muscles of the upper body, develop strength and endurance. Train with pleasure and the results will not be long in coming!