Push-ups are a useful exercise for men and women to work out some muscles in the upper body. Push-ups especially significantly improve the condition of the pectoral muscles. They also strengthen the spine.
Instructions
Step 1
With push-ups of any type, the entire upper half of the body actively works: arms, shoulders, pectoral muscles, back, abs. In addition, the joints and spine are strengthened, and posture is improved. That is why push-ups are not a purely masculine exercise. It will allow women to significantly improve the condition of the décolleté, while not building up huge muscles.
Step 2
The muscles in the back, abdominals, arms, and shoulders work together to raise and lower the body. The lower back muscles help keep the body straight. When the body returns to its original position, all muscles are tense. Not everyone knows how significantly the abdominal press is loaded during push-ups. In fact, together with the muscles of the back, it helps to maintain the correct body position. If by the end of the exercise you feel a burning sensation in the abdominal muscles, this indicates the correct technique.
Step 3
Even the muscles of the buttocks and the back of the thigh are included in push-ups, although only slightly. You can load them harder if you take one leg off the floor. Basically, there are many variations on this seemingly simple exercise. They allow you to place different emphasis on the muscles. Classic push-up: arms wider than shoulder width, feet shoulder width apart. By narrowing the stance of your legs, you can increase the load on your shoulders. When lowering, the body is in a straight line, the end point is the elbows at an angle of approximately 90 degrees.
Step 4
If you want to focus on developing your posture, do push-ups with a gymnastic ball. Hands are wider than shoulders, straight legs lie on the ball. When you lower your body like a regular push-up, you also have to balance on the ball in parallel. This uses the muscles that contribute to the development of a beautiful posture.
Step 5
If you are more interested in abs, you can do a more difficult type of push-up. The starting position is the same as in the classic push-up. Having descended to the end point, lift your leg off the floor and bring the knee to the elbow. As you rise to the starting position, place your foot on the floor. You can also perform such a push-up: everything is as in the classic version, but at the end point you tear off your hand and raise it up, making a turn of the body.
Step 6
To emphasize the arms and shoulders, place one arm lower and the other higher. Change hands one at a time. You can also do push-ups with dumbbells for these purposes. Having wrung out and returning to the starting position, pull your hand with a dumbbell with your elbow up. To accentuate your chest as well, place your arms very tightly. But this is a rather difficult option for push-ups.
