When you are trying to lose weight, selecting the right exercises is an important first step. Aerobic, or cardiovascular, training is performed for an extended period of time, and it causes you to burn calories efficiently. Push-ups are body weight exercises that do not fall into the category of cardiovascular. This doesn't necessarily mean they do not burn fat, though.
Metabolic Rate
Push-ups specifically target the upper body. Doing them on a regular basis will strengthen muscles in the chest, shoulders and arms at the same time. At first glance, this would qualify them as strength exercises, but there's more to the story. Any time you build muscle, you also boost your resting metabolic rate. This means push-ups burn fat as well. A 3-lb. gain of muscle can cause you to burn an additional 630 to 1,050 calories a week, according to the University of Michigan Health System.
Angles of Execution
To make your push-ups more valuable, perform them from multiple angles and use various hand positions. The more variations you do, the more muscle you will gain. In addition to regular push-ups, add variations like incline push-ups, decline push-ups, wide-grip push-ups and close-grip push-ups to your workouts. Incline push-ups are performed with your hands propped up on a bench. Decline push-ups are performed with your feet on a bench and hands on the floor.
Proper Form
For push-ups to be effective for building muscle and burning fat, you need to do them with proper form. If you were to stop short of a full range of motion for example, you will not fully tax your muscles. Take the regular push-up for example. Begin by lying on your stomach with your hands spaced slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet together. Keeping your back straight and core tight, push yourself off the floor in a steady motion. Once your arms are fully extended, slowly lower yourself by bending your elbows. Stop when your chest grazes the floor, push back up and repeat.
Workouts
When you are doing push-up workouts, take short rest breaks between sets. This will keep your heart rate elevated and cause you to burn more calories. Aim for no more than 45 seconds.
Resistance
The weight of your body gives you enough resistance to build muscle, but a time will come when your push-ups are easy. When you reach this point, wear added resistance in the form of a weighted vest. You can easily adjust the weight with this tool by sliding small weights into pouches on the vest. If you do not have access to weighted vest, have a training partner hold a weight plate on your back as you do push-ups.
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