Pushups are an age-old exercise that help you build arm, chest and back muscles. Using only your body's weight for resistance, you can build muscle mass with this exercise. To get the most benefit from pushups while avoiding injury, use correct technique, leave proper time between workouts and eat the right foods after workouts.
Step 1
Warm up before you begin your pushups. Swing your arms with straight then bent arms. Perform arm circles. Warm muscles and gently stretch them as you increase blood flow to them. Do not static stretch, or hold stretches, less than 30 minutes before you work out, because this will decrease your power.
Step 2
Kneel on the floor and place your hands under your shoulders. If you have not done pushups before or lack arm strength, stay on your knees and perform pushups from a kneeling position. Keeping your torso straight, lower yourself slowly until your chest is close to the floor, hold for one or more seconds, then raise yourself. Keep a straight line from your head to your buttocks -- do not let your buttocks move upward. Vary your hand position to make the pushups more or less difficult.
Step 3
Perform up to 10 repetitions, then take a two- to three-minute break. Perform two to four more sets of pushups, depending on how often you will be working out. The more times per week you exercise, the fewer reps you will need each set.
Step 4
Assume a full plank position if you have the arm strength to do pushups on your toes. Keep a straight line from your head to your toes, and slowly lower yourself, hold, then slowly raise yourself.
Step 5
Cool down with the same motions you used for your warm-up when you are finished with your workout. Stretch and hold stretches that work your arms, chest and back muscles. For example, place one hand between your shoulder blades coming from over your head, and try to reach that hand with your other hand, coming from below your shoulder blades. Pull the lower hand up and hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Change hands and repeat this stretch. Pull the upper hand down with the lower hand, then change hands and repeat.
Step 6
Rest for at least 24 hours before you do pushups again. You have damaged your muscles, and they will grow larger in response to the repair and recovery process that takes place. Most of this process takes place between 24 to 48 hours after exercise.
Step 7
Eat lean protein after your workout. The amino acids in proteins help with the muscle recovery and building process.
Tips and Warnings
- Do pushups slowly and pause before going back up. Quality of pushups is more important than quantity. Performing pushups using only muscular effort, and not momentum from bouncing up and down, will produce better muscle contractions.
Member Comments