Pushups are amongst the most widely performed exercises and are used by elite athletes, the military, law enforcement officers and exercise enthusiasts the world over. There are great many variations of pushups that you can choose from, including Hindu pushups, dive-bomber pushups, handstand pushups, Spiderman pushups and box pushups. All pushup variations target similar muscle groups and the main difference between one variation and another is the difficulty of the exercise. One of the appeals of pushups is that they can be performed anywhere you have sufficient space to lie down.
Pectoralis Major
Pectoralis major --- pecs for short --- are your main chest muscles. The pecs can be divided into three broad and overlapping sections: the sternal or inner part; the clavicular or upper part; and the costal or lower part. Pushups work all of the sections of your chest but place an emphasis on the costal region of your pecs. This is due to the inclined position in which pushups are commonly performed. Performing pushups with a wider-than shoulder-width hand placement increases the amount of work placed on your pecs whereas a narrow hand position emphasizes other upper body pushing muscles.
Deltoids
You have three main shoulder muscles: anterior, medial and posterior deltoids. Positioned on the front, side and rear of your shoulders respectively, these muscles work together when you perform pushups, but your anterior deltoid is the most heavily recruited. Anterior deltoid and pectoralis major work together to draw your arm forwards in a movement called horizontal flexion.
Triceps
Many people feel pushups in their triceps --- the muscles in the back of your upper arm. Compared with your pecs and deltoids, these muscles are relatively small and weak, and subsequently are often the weak link when performing pushups. The triceps cross the back of your shoulder and elbow joint and are responsible for elbow extension. Performing pushups using a narrow hand position emphasizes your triceps because your arms must work through a wider range of movement and from a biomechanically disadvantageous position.
Rectus Abdominus
Your rectus abdominus, abs for short, is the long, flat muscle that covers the front of your abdomen. Although pushups are an upper body pushing exercise, your abs must work hard to keep your spine in good alignment and provide a stable base for your arms and shoulders to push from. If you find your hips drop toward the floor when you are performing pushups, this may indicate that you have weak abdominals. If this happens to you, bend your legs and place your knees on the floor to make the exercise easier. Letting your hips drop places a significant and potentially injurious strain on your lower back.
References
- "Never Gymless: An Excuse-free System for Total Fitness"; Ross Enamait; 2006
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
- "You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises"; Mark Lauren and Joshua Clark; 2011
