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Push-Ups


sadaf26
by sadaf26
Posted 21 Feb 2010
Revised 21 Feb 2010
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Article Summary
The fact is, your arms may know how to do a push up, but doing it properly is something you have to teach your entire body. The key to the perfect push-up is alignment. Your body should be held in a rigid, straight line and move up and down without bowing or sagging. To do a push-up well, you need to focus less on the arm movement and more on stabilizing muscles throughout your body.

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Stand 2 to 3 feet from a wall with legs shoulder-width apart. (Standing adjacent to a mirror will help you judge your alignment).

Place your palms on the wall, slightly below shoulder height, fingers pointed upwards.

Contract your quadriceps to lift your kneecaps. Release and re-engage 5 times, to get the feel of this action.

Now contract your inner thighs, as though you were trying to slide your feet together. Again, release and re-engage these muscles 5 times.

Contract the muscles of your buttocks. Squeeze and release 5 times.

Elongate your torso by lifting the chest and pulling your belly toward your spine. Do this 5 times.

Pull your shoulders down, away from your ears, and pull your shoulder blades together in back, as though you were trying to pinch a pencil between them (again, 5 reps).

Now, contract each of these areas in sequence - quadriceps, inner thighs, buttocks, stomach, chest, and shoulder blades - and hold them until all are engaged. Tightly holding all these stabilizers and keeping your body in a straight line, bend at the elbows and bring your body to the wall.

Doing push-ups against a wall is intended for learning purpose only. Once you have the feel for how to hold your body straight, try the same move with your hands on the back of a sturdy table top or railing, and eventually, on the floor.

Two common mistakes are leading with the belly and “nose diving” with your butt in the air. To avoid these, simply maintain good standing posture throughout the move.

Your head should be in a neutral position, in line with the rest of your spine. To help achieve this, look at a spot about 5 inches in front of you. To avoid leading with your head, place a small pillow under your chest and let that be the first point of contact as you lower yourself. Always do only as many repetitions as you can with good form.

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