Pushups are a basic exercise often used to assess upper-body strength and endurance. The pushup primarily targets the pectoralis major, but also works the triceps and deltoid muscles. Pushups are an exercise that can be performed anywhere and in a variety of different ways by beginners and advanced exercisers.
Basic Pushups
Basics pushups are performed lying face-down on the floor with hands placed shoulder-width apart and toes on the floor. Arms are extended holding the body up over the floor. Keeping upper and lower body straight and rigid throughout the entire movement, bend elbows and lower chest down until it is about one to two inches from the floor before pressing up to starting position. The pushup can be made easier by placing knees on the floor instead of toes or by performing the pushup at an incline with your torso higher than your toes.
Variations
Hand placement can be changed from shoulder-width apart to a wider hand placement to work more of the chest, or closer together to work more of the triceps and shoulders, according to Stew Smith of Military.com. Additionally, once you are able to perform at least 20 basic pushups, you can make the exercise more difficult by elevating your feet during the pushup or adding weight onto your back while performing the pushup. During elevation pushups, the higher your feet are, the more challenging the exercise.
Pushup Workouts
Practice performing pushups often to increase the amount of pushups you can do in one set. This can be done by performing sets of pushups throughout the day, such as performing five sets of 20 pushups periodically until 100 total pushups are performed for the day. If your goal is to be able to perform 100 pushups in one set, try completing as many pushups as possible until failure is reached. Rest for 30 seconds and perform pushups until failure. Repeat this process until 100 total pushups are performed.
Chest Workouts
Pushups are a good way to warm up your chest and shoulders before a chest workout. However, if you are performing a heavy lifting exercise such as a bench press, keep the number of pushups to a minimum to prevent early fatigue during your bench press. Pushups performed at the end of a chest workout are a good way to fatigue your muscles and promote muscular growth. Perform three sets of 8 to 12 reps of each of the following chest exercises -- bench presses, incline dumbbell presses and cable chest flies. Finish your workout with three sets of 20 pushups.
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