Push-ups are one of the easiest ways to keep your chest and arm muscles in shape. To perform this exercise you do not need any additional equipment, just a little free space. Push-ups are a bench press in reverse, but with one single amendment: you won’t be able to change the load at will only if your body becomes lighter or heavier.
First of all, push-ups, like any other physical exercise, builds will - if you don’t have it, then you can’t even dream of a strong and healthy body.
In fact, at any age, push-ups, like pull-ups on the bar, provide the opportunity to accurately control the load and your physical condition. After all, weight can change due to obesity, or maybe due to muscle growth.
But any exercises will be useful only with the right approach to them, which many people forget about and then blame the falsity of the recommendations for everything, and not themselves.
WHAT TYPES OF MUSCLES WORK
1. Classic push-ups
Why: Strengthens the triceps, pectoral and deltoid muscles.
Starting position: lying on your hands and feet, palms slightly wider than shoulders at chest level, directed forward. Feet hip-width apart.
How to do it: while inhaling, bend your elbows to a right angle, lowering yourself down. As you exhale, return to the starting position.
2. Knee push-ups
Why: to facilitate the process and protect the lower back from overstrain. I recommend it to beginners.
Starting position: as in the classic version, but knees on the floor. You should not lift your shins up, otherwise your back will bend in the lower back.
How to do it: the technique is the same. Make sure that the pelvis does not rise, the body is extended straight from the knees to the top of the head.
3. Wall push-ups
Why: a lightweight version that allows you to prepare your muscles for classic push-ups.
Starting position: standing facing the wall at a distance of a step, palms on the wall slightly wider than shoulders and at chest level. Raise your heels and transfer your body weight to your arms, tightening your abdominal muscles.
How to do it: while inhaling, bend your elbows to a right angle, lowering yourself towards the wall. As you exhale, return to the starting position.
4. Triceps push-ups
Why: Focus on triceps.
Starting position: lying on your hands and feet, palms at waist width and chest level, facing forward. Feet hip-width apart.
How to do it: As you inhale, bend your arms to a right angle, moving your elbows back and pressing your forearms to your waist. As you exhale, return to the starting position.
The physical benefits of push-ups are indicative of strengthening muscles, mainly the pectoral muscles. Since your weight will not change quickly, the loads will be stable, which means that muscle growth will not be progressive and will stop at a certain point. To build muscle mass, you will need to do push-ups with various loads on your back.
In addition to the pectoral muscles, the load is placed on the deltoids and triceps. The back muscles and abdominal muscles are responsible for maintaining a straight position, which means they are also affected. In total, just one exercise simultaneously involves large muscle groups of the abs, shoulder girdle, back, chest and arms.
The undeniable benefits of push-ups are also in training the body’s endurance and its reaction. This is achieved by the need for frequent repetitions of the exercise in order to achieve results. In addition, the hands are very well strengthened if push-ups are done on the fists. Therefore, in the training of athletes in strength sports, such push-ups are given an important place. Strengthened hands are the best remedy against any kind of fractures and thinning of bones.
In addition, simple push-ups help regulate metabolism in the body, strengthen the cardiovascular system, develop the respiratory system, and help fight excess weight.
Push-ups affect the body differently depending on the time of day, but are equally beneficial. A series of push-ups performed this way after waking up will quickly add tone to your muscles for the whole day, and before going to bed will contribute to their good relaxation.
