Such a popular and simple exercise as push-ups is one of the most effective ways to influence several muscle groups at once without the use of additional weights. Correct push-ups will allow you to load not only the triceps, but also the pectoral muscles, the muscles of the forearm and shoulder girdle, as well as the quadriceps, abs and back.
Push-up muscles
Push-ups are a basic exercise that does not act in isolation on certain muscles, but with the right technique strengthens the whole body, loading different muscle groups to one degree or another. The most significant load falls on the arms, and primarily on the triceps - the muscles on the back of the arms. Also, depending on the position of the hands during the exercise, the pectoralis major muscle is involved to varying degrees.
Indirectly, during push-ups, deltas work - muscles of the shoulders of a triangular shape, small elbow muscles that extend the triceps, quadriceps on the legs, abs and back muscles. The muscles of the hand, the entire forearm, the lower back, and even the buttocks are involved. The load on them is small, but sufficient to tone these parts of the body. Thus, when doing push-ups, almost the entire body is involved, which explains the popularity of this exercise.
Push-up technique
In addition, depending on the push-up technique, you can vary the load on different parts of the body. So, with a wide stance of the arms, the pectoral muscles work more intensively, they are even more involved when performing push-ups on a high support, when you can lower yourself below the level of the arms and legs. With a narrow setting of the arms, the load mainly falls on the triceps, but the pectoral muscles are also involved - mainly the pectoralis minor. The longer you stay at the top point, the better your hands are pumped. You can significantly increase the load on the arms and shoulder girdle by performing push-ups with one hand, but this technique is not suitable for beginners.
If the head is lowered below the level of the legs during push-ups, then the abdominal muscles are more involved, if you keep your head lower, then a large load falls on the upper chest. Push-ups on the back of the palms allow you to give a load to the hand, which is very useful for climbers and other extreme athletes.
To act on all of the listed muscles that work during push-ups, you need to perform the exercise correctly: make sure that the body is stretched into a string, do not bend in the spine, do not lift the buttocks up, descend to the parallel of the body with the floor, ideally touch with the chest or the nose of the floor. You need to perform push-ups slowly, when lowering, inhale, and when raising, exhale.
It is difficult for children and women without preparation to perform classic push-ups; they are advised to start push-ups from their knees. In this case, the load from the legs and the press is completely removed, the weight decreases, the triceps and pectoral muscles are involved in a different ratio depending on the position of the hands.
