How to Master the Pushup

The bane of many a schoolboy and military recruit, the pushup has long been the favored punishment for teachers, coaches and drill instructors – and for good reason. No other exercise works the shoulders, deltoids, triceps, chest and abdomen quite so efficiently as the pushup, which is practically a complete upper-body workout in itself. Punishment uses aside, when it comes to a great low-impact workout the pushup is among the best you can find. With several variations available, it can cover most of the upper body’s basic training needs for a short period, especially if free weights and resistance machines are unavailable.

To perform a simple pushup, place your hands on the floor about shoulder-width apart, keeping your arms slightly bent with your chest facing down. Stretch your legs out behind you, supporting your body on your toes and hands only. When you are set up, slowly lower your body down until your arm forms a 90-degree angle at the elbow, and then begin to straighten your arms, lifting your entire body weight back into the starting position as you push up from the floor. Do not arch your back as you pushup, and keep your legs and feet together. Exhale as you straighten out your arms, pause to take a deep breath once you return to the starting position, and then repeat the process again. If you find this too difficult, try setting up in the same way but place your knees on the ground as well. This should alleviate the pressure on the abdomen and hamstrings.

With the pushup, form is more important than the amount you can bang out. 30 half-hearted pushup attempts are nowhere near as good as ten solid, good-form pushups. If you need to rest, rest. Don’t risk injury or the formation of bad habits by trying to rush your pushups. Lastly, look for variations every now and again – try spreading your hands further apart, or twisting your body to raise one arm into line with the other as you return to the starting position. Vary your workout, and you’ll be able to achieve much better results than just the basics would normally allow.

The other secret to good pushups is muscle balance. Ensure you add something into your routine that equalizes the effect of the pushups on the back and biceps—pull-ups are great for this, as are abdominal crunches. If you can combine the three into a regular workout routine, you will be able to give yourself a full upper-body workout that doesn’t require any gym fees, equipment or vast amounts of time!

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