Push-ups are a great exercise for strengthening muscles and burning energy. They are often used in physical fitness tests to measure upper body muscular strength and endurance. To get the most out of your push-ups, always keep proper form in mind; for example, keep your body in a perfectly straight line from your head to your heels. Push-up form can be varied to work different parts of your pectoralis muscles. Whatever your form of choice, you are working muscles and using energy when doing push-ups. A few simple steps will help you calculate that energy.
Step 1
Record your weight in pounds. Remove your shoes and as much clothing as possible to get an accurate measurement.
Step 2
Note the metabolic equivalent, or METs, of push-ups. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, push-ups require 8 METs, which means you are expending 8 times the energy used by your body at rest.
Step 3
Use the following equation to calculate the energy used per minute doing push-ups:
8 x 3.5 x (body weight/2.2) / 200 = calories per minute
For example, an individual who weighs 150 pounds would use the following:
8 x 3.5 x (150/2.2) / 200 = calories per minute
8 x 3.5 x 68 / 200 = calories per minute
1909 / 200 = 9.5 calories per minute
This person would use 9.5 calories per minute doing push-ups.
Step 4
Multiply the total amount of time, in minutes, that you spend doing push-ups by the number of calories you burn per minute to calculate the energy used when doing push-ups.
For example, the individual who uses 9.5 calories per minute doing push-ups does push-ups for two minutes five times. He spends a total of 10 minutes doing push-ups, so 9.5 x 10 = 95 calories.
Tips and Warnings
- Elevating your feet during push-ups isolates the upper portion of your pecs, while elevating your upper body isolates the inferior part of your chest. Positioning your hands wider than shoulder width isolates the lateral part of your pecs, and positioning your hands close together works the inner portion of your chest.
Things You'll Need
- Calculator
- Pen and paper
References
- "ACSM's Resource Manual For Guidelines For Exercise Testing And Prescription, Fifth Edition"; Leonard A. Kaminsky, Phd, FACSM, et al.; 2006
- "Strength Training Anatomy, Second Edition"; Frederic Delavier; 2006
Member Comments