The push-up is a great exercise to visibly improve the shape of your chest and shoulders and to strengthen your muscles throughout your body. The big advantage here is that it can be done almost anywhere and in any environment. Push-ups do not require any special equipment, or a gym, or even any special clothing or shoes. The only thing that is required to achieve a positive effect is the correct execution technique.
Instructions
Step 1
When starting the exercise, choose a suitable starting position for yourself. You can do push-ups while lying on the floor or from a small elevation (gymnastic bench or low sofa). The second option is simpler and requires less stress, it is more suitable for poorly trained people. Pay attention to the position of your body and legs. Throughout the exercise, the body should be stretched in a straight line and tense.
Step 2
Pay special attention to the correct position of the hands. Typically, women and young children begin push-ups by resting on the inside of their open palms. At the same time, the fingers are turned forward. This is a fairly comfortable and safe position for the hands, although it does not directly stress the muscles of the hands and wrists. But if your goal is not to strengthen them, but the shoulder girdle and chest muscles, this position is fine.
Step 3
Begin push-ups, bending your elbows and trying to touch the support with your chest. Then, slowly, unbend your arms and return to the starting position. Take your time and do not strive to throw the body in a jerk. Firstly, this significantly reduces the load on the trained muscles, and, accordingly, the benefits of the exercise decrease, and secondly, such jerky movements can be traumatic for the elbow joints.
Step 4
Perform push-ups in series in several sets with short breaks in between. Start with a low number of repetitions in a series, with 5 or 8. If you see that you perform this number of push-ups easily enough, gradually increase it, bringing it to 15-20. But do not try to set a record at one time - it is better to increase the number of approaches. However, do not drive yourself to the point of exhaustion, otherwise you will not be able to train effectively next time.
Step 5
If you have a lot of weight or very weak arms and cannot perform the push-up correctly, do not be upset. Just change the starting position: bend your knees a little and lean on them, not on your toes. In this case, most of the body weight will be on your knees and it will be easier for you to perform the exercise. However, do not forget to ensure that your body is stretched out in a straight line, and the buttocks do not protrude upward.
