Perfect Pushup: Maximizing Your Upper Body Strength
The Perfect Pushup for Increasing Upper Body Strength
“Push-ups are for beginners” is a very common misconception. If you ask around, you will only find people, who are completely new into fitness or who never did a workout in their life agreeing to this. In reality, push-ups are one of the absolute best exercises to build strength on the upper body when performed with a good form. They are the primary exercise used by calisthenics athletes for their chest workout and also used by many bodybuilders to build solid chest muscles.
Why Push-ups Are Effective
Push-ups work multiple muscles at the same time and that include the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core, building overall upper body strength. Which is why it’s a great compound exercise. Another reason why it’s considered as one of the best exercises is that it can be performed anywhere and require no equipment. The Journal of Applied Biomechanics shows that push-ups target multiple muscle groups, making them an effective exercise for improving both muscle endurance and strength.
Common Mistakes in Push-ups
Unfortunately, most of those who are a beginner, make the mistake of performing this exercise with a goal in mind of doing as many reps as possible. This results in poor form, low outcome from the exercise and most importantly risk of injury. To make this exercise as efficient as possible, It’s necessary to focus on quality over quantity in terms of reps and making sure each repetition engages the right muscles.
Performing the Perfect Push-up
Start with Proper Form
Start from the plank position, placing your hands on the floor fully extended and shoulder-width apart, keeping your body from head to feet aligned into a straight line, core braced, hips a little up, feet on your toes, in a neutral position.
Slowly position yourself down by bending your elbows, trying to lower the chest down while keeping the body aligned like it was at the starting point. As you lower down, stop just before almost touching the chest to the floor and then try pushing yourself up to the starting point. It’s the best to try maintaining your form throughout the repetition as strictly as it was at the starting position.
Congrats, you successfully performed a perfect push-up!
It’s important to note that, Shoulder mobility is really important to be able to perform perfect push-ups, so consider adding mobility exercises to your routine.
Elbow Angle
Not only It’s important to perform this exercise slowly and with control, It is equally important to maintain a correct elbow angle to make the most out of this exercise and avoid any type of injuries. For that reason, try keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle to your body while lowering your chest during a push-up.
Range of Motion
Full range of motion plays a vital role in maximizing the effectiveness of any workout. While performing a push-up, lower your chest all the way to the ground and fully extend your elbows at the top of each rep. Fully utilizing range of motion leads to better strength and muscle development.
Incorporate Pause Reps
The best way to make your push-ups for challenging is to incorporate paused reps. You can pause at the top of the movement, when the arms are fully extended and also you can pause at the bottom of the movement, just before pushing yourself back up. Using pauses in your reps puts an extra stress in the muscle, increasing the quality of each rep and resulting in better growth.
Focus on Quality Over Quantity
A fewer controlled reps with strict form will forever yeild better results than a ton of bad reps. So, focusing on quality is beneficial for both muscle growth and preventing any injuries.
Creating a Push-up Routine
Start with a Warm-Up
Warming up your muscles and joints are crucial before beginning your first set of push-ups. Just by doing a few minutes of light cardio and some dynamic stretches will be enough to get your body ready for the workout and help prevent any kind of injury.
Set Realistic Goals
When you’re just starting out, always do it with a number of reps that feels comfortable and increase gradually as you get stronger. Try to maintain a strict form and don’t worrying about doing too many reps at first.
If you can’t perform a single push-up then it is recommended to start with “knee pushups” which is just balancing your lower body on your knees for better support, instead of your toes.
Track Your Progress
One of the best things you can do is keep a workout log to track your improvements over time which will also help you stay motivated seeing how far you came.
Advanced Tips for the Perfect Push-up
Add Resistance
Once you’ve mastered standard push-ups, try adding resistance to make them more challenging. You can wear a weighted vest, use resistance bands, or have a partner apply light pressure on your back.
Increase Time Under Tension
To make push-ups more difficult, slow down the movement, especially during the negative phase. This increases time under tension, making the muscles work harder and grow stronger.
Focus on Breathing
Breathing is important during push-ups. Inhale as you lower yourself down and exhale as you push yourself up. This keeps your movements smooth and ensures your muscles get the oxygen they need.
