Pushups are the perfect do-anywhere exercise for your chest, triceps, shoulders and core. Although you don't need any special equipment to perform pushups, you can incorporate items such as pushup stands, stability balls and wobble boards to modify the exercise. Using these modifications and paying careful attention to form ensures that you'll get the safest, most efficient chest workout possible.
Basic Form
Start with the basic pushup form: Balance face down on your palms and the balls of your feet. Lower your chest toward the floor, then straighten your arms to press yourself back up again.
Range of Motion
For a conservative pushup range of motion, stop when your shoulders are level with your elbows. If you're training for a sport or recreational pursuit that requires you to exert pushing force with your elbows behind your chest, training in a wider pushup range of motion is practical. Otherwise, let shoulder comfort be your guide, reducing range of motion as necessary to eliminate shoulder pain.
Slow Down
Unless you're specifically training for power --- the combination of both strength and speed --- don't rush through your pushups. Aim for a cadence of at least a slow count of two as you push away, then a count of two to four as you lower your chest again. Keeping a controlled tempo reduces your risk of injury and also makes the exercise more difficult, offering more benefit to you.
Breathe
Exhale as you push up from the floor; inhale as you lower your chest toward the floor. Breathing regularly instead of straining when you push keeps your blood pressure from spiking.
Posture
Your body should stay straight from head to heels throughout the pushup set. To make the exercise even more challenging, focus on keeping your shoulder blades retracted. In other words, think of sticking your chest out at the floor in both the up and down positions.
Monitor Form
There's no shame in doing an easier pushup variation if you get too fatigued to maintain proper form with full pushups. Try either bending your knees and resting on them as you push up, or elevating your hands on a bench or even the wall.
Progressive Overload
Continuous gains in strength and endurance depend on a principle known as progressive overload: As you get stronger, you must subject your muscles to ever increasing yet manageable loads so that the muscles adapt to the overload by getting even stronger. Once you can do a full set of regular pushups, try a more difficult version by placing your hands or feet on a stability ball, wobble board or gymnastic-style rings set close to the floor.
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