To build strength in your chest, arms and shoulders, look no further than the classic pushup. Pushups are a natural resistance exercise that utilize your own body weight to help tone your arm and chest muscles. While most people have performed a pushup at some point, not everyone is familiar with just how effective pushups can be for building size and strength in your muscles.
The Anatomy of the Pushup
According to the American Council on Exercise, a proper pushup works many muscles, including the deltoids, pectorals, triceps, rhomboids, erector spinae, rotator cuffs, serratus anterior, transverse abdominus, gluteus and quadricep. To reap the full benefits of the pushup, keep your hips in an even line with your shoulders and heels as you raise and lower yourself to the ground. For best results, place an object roughly the size of your fist under your chest and touch it as you go down each time to make sure you are achieving the full extension in your elbow flexors.
How Many Per Day?
The Military Fitness Center recommends a pushup regimen plan that involves performing at least 200 total pushups each day. On odd days, perform your daily 200 in as few sets as possible, such as four sets of 50 pushups or 8 sets of 25 pushups. On even days, split up your daily 200 into as many sets as you like, such as 20 sets of 10 pushups performed each half-hour.
Pushup Alternatives
If doing 200 pushups a day sounds a little monotonous, incorporate alternative pushup exercises such as knuckle pushups or wide-stance pushups with your conventional reps. Perform the knuckle pushup by balling your hands before doing the pushup, intensifying the workout load to your wrists while helping build the knuckle calluses prized by martial artists and boxers. For wide-stance pushups, separate your hands so they are twice the distance of shoulder-width apart, allowing your deltoids to absorb the brunt of the exercise.
Safety and Health Considerations
Talk to your doctor before beginning a strength training regimen like a 200-pushup program. While it's considerably less dangerous than barbell and other weightlifting exercises, pushups are still a rigorous workout that require a minimum level of physical fitness. If you have difficulty completing the classic pushup when you start out, try placing your knees on the floor to reduce the amount of weight you have to lift.
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