Push ups seem like the most simple workout to do. However, it's a workout that majority of people do wrong. It's not your fault if you were never taught correctly, so we're here to teach you exactly how to do push ups with proper form. Trust us - you'll thank us later and then can help teach others.
What Will A Proper Push Up Accomplish?
Push ups are one of the best exercises invented. They require zero equipment, build strength in all of the right places, have hundreds of variations to keep things fresh, and are easy to count so you can keep track of your progress.You can't, however, accomplish any of these if you don't know how to do a proper push up. When it comes to push ups, it's super important to have good form. Each push up needs to be done perfectly so that your total reps measured from workout to workout are equal and you can tell if you're getting stronger.
How To Do Push Ups
Brace yourself, because the process of a push up is actually much more complex than you would think. There are many factors to take into consideration when first setting up for a push up, to actually completing one.
Set Up For A Proper Push Up
- Get down on the ground and set your hands at a distance that is slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Your hands should be angled in a way that feels comfortable to you.
- Set your feet up in a way that feels right and comfortable to you. This can be shoulder-width apart or your feet touching. The wider apart your feet are, the more stable you’ll be for your push ups.
- Engage your core so that your butt is clenched and your abs are tightened. Your body should be in a straight line from the top of your head down to your heels.
- Keep your head slightly up, not straight down. A proper push up actually involves your chin being the first part of your head to touch the floor, not your nose. Looking up also helps you keep your body in line.
- Straighten your arms and support your weight. This is how you should always be at the top of every push up. Now you're ready and set to do one!
Complete A Proper Push Up
- From your set up position, steadily lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle or smaller, or until your chest hits the floor. Just be sure to go the same distance each time based on your flexibility.
- Keep your elbows close to your body and don't let them go flying way out with each repetition. When they start to fly out, you're getting tired and should take a break.
- Pause slightly when you lower to your position, whether your chest finally touches the floor or your arms go down to a 90 degree angle.
- Explode back up until you’re back in the same starting position. Then keep going until you feel your form slip or you are done for that set. Congrats - you just did a proper push up!
How To Get Better At Push Ups
You may know the proper push up technique now, but there are still ways to improve them more. First stay at a healthy weight and build muscle in other ways to make push ups easier, such as doing planks for your core. Be sure not to cheat on the last few if you're tired, for this will only damage your progress and ruin your form. You also need to give your muscles time to rebuild and recover in the beginning, so try not to do push ups 2 days in a row and definitely get protein into your body after these workouts. Then be sure to keep things interesting by switching up your reps and variations with different push up styles.
Do you know how to do push ups with proper form? Show us by tagging us on Instagram @itouchwearables and Facebook @itouchwearables. Also, be sure to check out our new articles published daily!
-Gina
