Such an exercise as push-ups from the floor is known to everyone from the school bench. At least for boys, there is such a standard that they are required to pass annually. He is listed in the GTO. It is widely practiced by many professional and amateur athletes. Everyone is so used to it that few people wonder what purposes it can be used for, to whom it is recommended, and whether we are doing it right.
What are they needed for
The purpose of push-ups is to develop a strong muscular and strength base of the upper body using only your own weight. Their huge advantage is variability, when you can shift the load from one muscle group to another. And for this you need to know which muscles work during such training:
- large pectoral - trains when lowering and raising the body;
- triceps (triceps muscle of the shoulder), which occupies 2/3 of the volume of the arms, is especially well worked out with a narrow grip, helps to unbend the elbows;
- deltas - the superficial muscles of the shoulders, which form their outer contour, help the chest to lift the body;
- press - abdominal muscles that keep the body level; but in order to see beautiful cubes on the stomach, there should not be a fat layer on it, and for this you need to do proper nutrition in parallel, and, perhaps, sit on;
- serratus anterior - superficial muscle of the anterior chest wall, which is perfectly activated and strengthened by push-ups;
- cervical - they are pumped slightly, but still work: for the correct distribution of the load on them, it is very important to look in front of you, and not down.
The back and biceps (biceps of the shoulder) are almost not involved. If only there is a slight pressure on them by the body when lowering. So with the help of push-ups you will not be able to pump them, for this, consider others. In addition to increasing and strengthening the above muscles, their benefits are manifested in other areas:
- increase in the speed of punches: the hand is strengthened, due to which boxers can improve the clarity and direction of punches and prevent the risk of fractures in fights;
- agility and endurance training;
- maintaining good physical shape;
- improved metabolism;
- strengthening the heart and blood vessels;
- positive effect on the respiratory system.
The benefits of push-ups for women:
- the bust becomes taut and slightly increases due to the training of the pectoral muscles;
- posture improves;
- hands look more attractive, as flabbiness and sagging are prevented;
- a flat stomach is formed;
- calories are actively burned, which leads to weight loss.
So push-ups from the floor are undoubtedly useful both for men who want to increase muscle mass, and for women who dream of a beautiful figure and losing weight.
With the world on a string. Bodybuilding champion (70s of the XX century) Bill Pettis trained for 5 hours a day, during which he managed to do 3,000 push-ups.
Execution technique
Anyone who decides to lose weight or build muscle with push-ups will probably skip this point, believing that they can perform this exercise perfectly. Indeed, from the school bench in physical education classes, everyone passed the standards and therefore they automatically think that they do not need to learn this art.
In fact, it turns out that you do not place your arms in the same way, and your legs rest incorrectly on the floor, and do not hold your back like that, and the depth of lowering is insufficient. And most importantly - you do not breathe like that. Therefore, the classic push-up technique is the first thing you should pay attention to.
- The correct starting position is the key to the successful completion of the entire exercise. Take emphasis on straight arms. The line of the body, starting from the head and ending with the heels, should be perfectly straight. The legs are connected together, the socks rest on the floor. Hands are shoulder-width apart or slightly wider.
- While inhaling, slowly bend your elbows, bringing your body closer to the floor.
- Hold at the bottom for a couple of seconds.
- Just slowly straighten your elbows so that they are fully straightened.
- Exhale.
- Repeat exercise.
If something is not clear in theory, it is better to see how professional athletes do it - either in a training video or in the gym. Start with the classic execution technique. And only then, having fully mastered it, you can proceed to other types.
From the life of the stars. Clint Eastwood, the famous Hollywood actor, performed 1000 push-ups a day.
Kinds
Why do we need some complicated types of push-ups, if the classic one copes well with its main task? Firstly, they do not allow the body to get used to the same load. Secondly, they improve the result of classes. Thirdly, each of them pumps a certain muscle group. So after you complete the full course of classic push-ups, actively include complicated options in your set of classes.
wide
The most popular are wide push-ups, which involve the maximum placement of hands from each other. The main load falls on the pectoral muscles. Deltas and triceps are no longer being worked out so powerfully.
- Take emphasis on your hands.
- Place the hands 20 cm wider than the shoulders. The elbows do not protrude beyond the hands.
- Tighten your abdominals to keep your body straight. Do not lift your pelvis up, do not bend your back down.
- On an inhale, lower yourself down, bending your elbows at an angle of 90 °. The distance from the chest to the floor should be no more than 5 cm. Do not lie down on the floor.
- As you exhale, slowly rise up, unbending your elbows, as if trying to push the floor away from your chest.
Wide grip push-ups are suitable for both men and women. The first develops a powerful chest. In the second, the bust will look taut and may even increase in size.
Narrow
Narrow push-ups work in a completely different way, when the hands are placed as close to each other as possible. This is an exercise for triceps, but the chest and deltas are already much less involved here.
- Take emphasis on your hands.
- Place the brushes directly under the chest. The distance between them is minimal.
- Feet slightly spread apart so as not to lose balance.
- As you inhale, lower yourself, bending your elbows, which you need to keep as close to the body as possible. The end point is 5 cm from the floor.
- On the exhale - rise, unbending your elbows and pushing the floor away from you, while straining your arms.
From my knees
If it is not possible to perform a classic exercise (insufficient physical fitness, health problems), it is recommended to do push-ups from the knees. In them, the load is significantly reduced due to the displacement of the gravity of the body. This is the perfect option for beginners. Triceps, delta and pectoralis major muscle are worked out here.
- Lie on the floor with your stomach, spread your arms slightly wider than your shoulders.
- Rest your knees on the floor, lifting your lower leg up.
- Alternatively, the shins can be crossed - this way the exercise is easier to perform.
- Raise the body on fully extended arms. This is the starting point.
- As you inhale, slowly lower yourself until your chest is 1 cm from the floor.
- Hold on for a couple of seconds.
- On exhalation, return to the starting position.
And a few more popular types of push-ups that train different muscle groups.
- On fingers
Strengthen the hands, forearms, pectoral muscles. Rest on the floor not with your palms, but with your fingertips. The distance between the hands, as in the classics, is slightly wider than the shoulders. Elbows - close to the body.
- For biceps
Classic push-ups are not aimed at the biceps. But you can do it on purpose, performing this exercise in a special way. The palms turn towards the legs, that is, you need to spread them in opposite directions. Shift body weight forward. Place your hands at a minimum distance from each other. It is necessary to constantly monitor the elbows and not spread them to the sides. You can increase the load on the biceps by touching the floor with your chest while lowering. The technique is quite complicated and even painful.
- Diamond
Diamond push-ups train the triceps, while the load on the chest and deltas weakens. Arrange the brushes so that the thumbs and forefingers touch each other and form a figure resembling a diamond.
- On fists
The hands and fists are mainly strengthened, so this type of push-up is recommended for boxers and those involved in martial arts. Clench the brushes into a fist, rest against the floor with the knuckles (you can do both wide and narrow grip).
- With cotton
Explosive push-ups, complex in technique. Develop triceps, shoulder and pectoral muscles, sharpness and force of impact. The legs are slightly spread apart so as not to lose balance. After you go down, without a pause, jerk your body up. Clap your hands as quickly as you can when your hands leave the floor to return them to their original position before landing. There are various variations of this exercise: simply with hands off (without clap) or with clap behind the back (requires special training and skill).
- On one leg
The pectoral muscles, serratus anterior and triceps develop. Put one foot on the other. The toe of the lower leg will be in contact with the floor.
- On one hand
Such push-ups train triceps, forearms, pectoral muscles. Legs spread wider than shoulders. Take one hand off the floor, put it behind your back. In order not to lose balance, the torso turns slightly in the direction opposite to the supporting arm. Lower until the distance between the chin and the floor is 3-5 cm. Keep your back straight.
- Diagonal
We develop the pectoral muscles and the shoulder girdle. Place your hands diagonally: the left in front, a little further than the shoulder, and the right behind, at waist level. Take your hands off the floor and at the same moment change their location. Land so that the right is now in front and the left is behind.
These methods of push-ups from the floor exist, and they can be actively used both for pumping certain muscle groups, and for losing weight and body shaping. Some will simply be given to everyone, and some, due to their complexity, will be available only to those whose physical fitness will be at a decent level. So you have something to strive for.
Record. Japanese bodybuilder Minoru Yoshida did 10,507 push-ups.
Programs and schemes of classes
It doesn't matter what goal you are pursuing - losing weight or building muscle mass: in both cases, you just need a training program that will be designed for a certain period.
If you do the exercise the same number of times every day, you are unlikely to achieve any results. The body will get used to the same load and stop responding to it. Therefore, it is so important to gradually increase the number of push-ups, which will eventually force the muscles to pump and eliminate body fat to the maximum.
An approximate scheme of push-ups from the floor (regardless of the age of the trainee, his physical fitness and training goals) is as follows:
- 3 times a week;
- 5 sets per day with an interval of 30 seconds to 2.5 minutes;
- the course may be different, but usually it is 5 or 14 weeks.
Such a scheme should be working both for beginners, who can only do 5-6 push-ups for the first time, and for experienced athletes who easily do sets of 50 or more repetitions. The main rule is a gradual increase in load.
To create your own program, it is better to use ready-made options developed by specialists, taking into account the initial physical fitness of the trainees and the purpose of the classes. A table that clearly shows the number of sets and repetitions by day is very convenient to use. You can print it out, hang it on the wall and mark what you have already completed.
Easy 6 week beginner program
Suitable equally for women and men. The goal is to develop endurance, improve strength and physical data, a slight increase in muscle mass, easy weight loss, body shaping.
14 Week Muscle Growth Program
First 7 weeks
Second 7 weeks
5 week workout program for girls
The goal is weight loss, body shaping, embossed outlines of arms and buttocks, flat stomach, breast lift.
In order for push-ups to help achieve your goal, you need to properly build classes (according to the program) and perform exercises in accordance with the technique. A few additional recommendations from experienced trainers will help you increase the effectiveness of your workouts.
- Don't drive yourself to exhaustion. Get quality, not quantity.
- Start with a warm up.
- Learn right away how to breathe properly during push-ups. Inhale through the nose - we go down. We hold our breath. We rise - exhale through the mouth.
- The back in any position should remain straight.
- All movements are slow and smooth, with the exception of jerks with claps and hands off the floor.
- Observe contraindications: problems with the musculoskeletal system and pressure can interfere with such training.
- Eat right, get enough sleep and breathe more fresh air - this will improve the effectiveness of classes.
Push-ups from the floor are strength exercises that allow you to practice at home without visiting the gym. With a tight time pressure, this is just an ideal option. They suit both men and women. Do you want to keep in good physical shape and have a beautiful and embossed figure? In this case, such training will not be in vain for you. The main thing is to do everything correctly and without fanaticism.
