Tutorial & Tips To Increase Strength
Hello friends,
Today we have for you a step-by-step tutorial to help you master one of the most basic bodyweight exercises – THE PUSH-UP.
Push-ups are one of the best exercises ever invented and we feel that pretty much everyone could benefit from including them in their regular fitness program. Here is why:
- They require zero equipment so you can do them anywhere
- There are many different variations so you can keep things fresh
- If done correctly, they are a full body exercise
Plus, once you master them they will make you feel like a total badass. Mostly because they require hard work and perseverance to build up the strength to be able to do a strict push up for reps.
One of the most common struggles we hear from our AV online coaching members is that they find it very difficult to do a proper push-up.
Now, if that’s you if push-ups are not exactly your forte, or if you would like to improve your push-ups and learn a thing or two on how to increase your strength during this exercise (and in general) then this tutorial is for you.
In this video we will learn:
- Proper form
- Common Challenges
- Progressions that will help you build up the strength to do a proper push-up
Without further ado, let’s get to it…
Perfect Push Up Step-By-Step
Hand Position
- Place your hands shoulder width apart, with the tips of the thumbs touching the shoulders (when fully lowered in the bottom position).
- Ideally, your fingers should face forward, however, if you find it challenging on your wrist, try angling them out a bit.
Elbow Position
- Keep your elbow pits rotated forward (applies to all push-up progressions)
- Keep the elbows tucked in close to the side of your body
Shoulder Position
- Check your alignment:
– shoulders right above the wrists
– forearms and upper arms in a nice, upright line
– move straight up and down and focus on NOT pushing your body back
Head Position
- Focus on keeping a neutral head position, with the chin tucked in slightly. Check your body in a mirror (or video yourself) to make sure it creates a nice, straight line from the crown of your head, all the way down to your heels.
- Your eyes should be looking slightly ahead of you, not straight down.
Lower Body Position
- Use your core by actively contracting your abdominals and squeezing your butt to keep tension throughout your body
- Lock your knees out firmly, and pull your legs together as tightly as you can. Your body should feel like a solid unit from head to toe.
Common Questions & Answers
“What if I can’t even do one push-up?”
That’s ok! Everyone needs to start somewhere. Watch this tutorial. Take it one step at a time. Start on your knees. If that’s still too challenging, then change the angle – find a wall/chair/or bench. Never neglect your form. work your way down to the floor slowly. Be patient. Practice, practice, practice. Soon you will start to see results and progress towards the full variation of a regular push up.
“How often can I practice push-ups?”
You can work on your push-ups every day as long as your form stays strong and are not experiencing any pain in your joints (eg. wrists, elbows, shoulders)
Quality over Quantity
It really doesn’t matter if you can do 50 push-ups if they’re sloppy. Honestly, it ’s much better to do 5 solid push-ups with good form than hundreds of reps of something that doesn’t even resemble a push-up.
That’s all for today. We hope this tutorial helps you get more confident with performing push-ups and builds your strength to master this great full body exercise.
Now go practice some push ups so you can start to feel like a superhero in no time 😉
Dedicated to your health and well-being,
P.S. If you’ve been struggling to reach your health and fitness goals and find it challenging to do it on your own…then we would like to offer our help. Our AV coaching program is designed to guide you step-by-step towards living a healthy plant-based lifestyle.
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