Quality Approach: 5 exercises that will teach you how to do push-ups the right way

Self-isolation has left its mark on many of us. Those who at that time tried to take the plunge into home fitness, and now continue to exercise. However, it is difficult to find a really suitable guide on the Internet, and not everyone has the opportunity to seek advice from a trainer.

Therefore, together with the instructors of the World Class fitness centers chain “Championship” launches video workouts for home and gym. Every weekend in our “instagram” will appear short videos in which professionals will show you what exercises to choose depending on your goals, how to avoid mistakes in technique and competently build a lesson. Follow the updates in the feed, save useful posts and exercise to stay in shape!

The first video workout is devoted to push-ups, a popular basic exercise. It simultaneously engages the pecs, triceps, deltoids, and cor.

Inexperienced fitness enthusiasts are unlikely to be able to perform at least a few repetitions correctly because of insufficient training or lack of strength. Therefore, it is worth starting with easier exercises that will smoothly bring you to full-fledged push-ups. Olga Andrianova, supervisor of the World Class Triumph gym, will help us to understand them.

What equipment will be needed for training that leads to push-ups?

For training you need minimal equipment. If you are practicing at home, you will need some free space in the room, a window sill or any other stable surface of such a height, a rubber shock absorber and water bottles. If you are in the gym, then from the equipment you can use a barbell, a bench and medballs of optimal weight.

Exercises that will teach you how to do push-ups

Stabilization with a ball or bottles

Sākuma pozīcija: lying on the floor or bench, shoulders and shoulder blades pressed together. Arms bent at the elbows, in the palms of your hands medballs or water bottles.

Raise your arms with the projectiles up, pushing them out and straighten them over your chest. Then return to the starting position. Make sure your hands and elbows are stabilized, your abs are tense, and your head is in a normal position. Maintain a natural lumbar flexion.

Standing bench press with shock absorber

Sākuma pozīcija: standing, arms apart and bent at the elbows, shoulder blades and shoulders down, forearms at chest level parallel to the floor, abs tense. The palms of your hands hold the handles of the shock absorber, it is hooked behind you at chest level.

Straighten your arms in front of your chest, overcoming the resistance of the shock absorber, and then return to the starting position. The main thing here is to always keep your elbows in parallel with the floor. It is also worth paying attention to the stabilization of the hands and shoulders. It is very important that there is no deflection in the lower back.

For better fixation, you can bend your legs. If everything is fine with it, then you can perform the exercise and on straight legs. Make sure that the rubber band is hooked on the back exactly at chest level. If you move it a little higher or lower, you will need to stabilize your hands and elbows more to perform the movements correctly.

Push-ups from a barbell or window sill

Sākuma pozīcija: standing, arms slightly wider than shoulder width apart, palms resting on a window sill or barbell bar exactly under the chest. The body and legs are straightened. Lumbar and abs are tense, shoulder blades are brought to the center of the spine and lowered down.

Keeping the position of the body, bend your arms at the elbows and lower your chest to the window sill or the bar. Then smoothly return to the starting position. At home, you can perform push-ups not only from the windowsill, but also from any surface that is slightly above the waist – this will make the exercise easier.

Push-ups with rest at the bottom point

Sākuma pozīcija: rest on your knees, hands are placed under the shoulder joints and spread slightly wider than the shoulders, shoulder blades are brought to each other. The body maintains a straight line from the shoulder through the pelvis to the knees resting on the floor.

Bend your arms at the elbows, lower yourself completely to the floor and relax. Then return to the starting position. It is important to keep the body straight: the chest and pelvis should come off the floor at the same time. You need to have strong abs to hold this position without making a wave. If you do make a wave, you need to strengthen your abs and arms.

You should descend smoothly, evenly, with the pelvis and chest touching the floor. Your shoulders and torso form a 45 degree angle. Shoulders and shoulder blades are always lowered and brought to the center of the spine. The shoulders are never raised toward the ears.

Push-ups from the knees

Sākuma pozīcija: kneeling, hands placed under the shoulder joints and spread slightly wider than the shoulders, shoulder blades brought to each other, back straight, the body without bending. The gaze is directed 10 cm in front of you or clearly downwards.

This exercise is close to the usual push-ups, which are performed on straight legs, not on the knees. Keeping your body straight, bend your arms at the elbows and lower your chest to the floor. Then slowly return to the starting position.

There should be no undulating movements while performing push-ups. The press always helps to push yourself slightly upward, into the ceiling. When leaning on your knees, do not cross your legs: either rest them on the floor, or keep them flat.

Perform each exercise 15-20 times for 3 to 5 approaches.

How often do I need to repeat the training?

To learn how to do push-ups, you need to practice at least 2-3 times a week and look for the muscles to have time to fully recover. And remember that if we do 20 repetitions, they must be qualitative. If you realize that you can do only five qualitatively, start with five. There is no mandatory minimum. The main thing is to do it in such a way that you feel the workout of the muscles. Of course, with each day it is better to gradually increase the number of repetitions.

Discomfortable sensations can signal an error

Push-ups are more of a load on the chest muscles, a little on the shoulders and triceps. You shouldn’t feel like only your arms are working. Discomfort in the lower back indicates that you are not holding your abs – you need to work on them hard.

If your neck starts to engage, it means that you are not keeping your shoulders down. It is important to pay attention to bringing the shoulders and shoulder blades down and back, to keep the chest muscles under control. A pulling sensation from under the armpit to the middle of the solar plexus is normal.