Push-ups along with a few other simple body exercises such as the basic squat, are all super beneficial. They can be done without any equipment and even in a small space at home.
Push-ups can be used as one of your primary upper body exercises. You can also use push-ups as a replacement when you can’t do your regular workout routine. They?re very useful if you want to work out from home or you don’t have access to a gym ? or if you don’t like going to a gym.
Benefits of doing push-ups
Remember, with push-ups, slower is better. Do push-ups with slow slow, controlled movements. Going fast may allow you to do more push-ups in a set amount of time however, you will receive less benefit from each individual push up.
If you go through the push-up movement really fast, you often don’t put your muscles through the full range of motion. That might boost your ego, but it’s not actually that beneficial.
Ten well-formed, controlled movement push-ups are better than doing 25 sloppy, incomplete push-ups. They are a tremendous strength-building exercise when done correctly, and will also assist with strengthening your core.
How to do a push up: Step by step instructions
- Lie face down with your body parallel to the floor.
- Place your hands palm down slightly beyond shoulder-width apart. Make sure your arms are positioned next to your shoulders and not too low next to your belly button or too high next to your head.
- Look up and ahead rather than down to the ground.
- Slowly raise yourself up keeping your body straight from the back of your heels to your head.
- Exhale on the way up.
- Once your arms are very close to being fully extended pause just slightly, this constitutes 1 repetition.
- Begin lowering your body back to the floor while inhaling.
- Once your chin touches the floor (remember your head is looking ahead not down!) begin raising your body back up to repeat the process.