Push Ups As The Best All Around Arm Exercise

If you're looking to strengthen and tone your arms, the pushup is one of the most effective exercises you can perform. Using your body weight, pushups target several muscle groups simultaneously, including your arms, chest and shoulders. Pushups can be easily modified to accommodate different fitness levels and strengthen specific muscles.

Total Body Workout

"The pushup is a great exercise for strengthening and conditioning almost every area of the upper body, as well as working the core and low back stabilizers," says Erica Rosenbaum, a personal trainer in Scottsdale, Arizona. "It incorporates so much into one exercise." To transform this exercise into a complete body workout, Rosenbaum recommends engaging your core, thighs and hips as your raise and lower your body. Because pushups get the heart pumping faster, they also work the cardiovascular system, Rosenbaum adds.

How to Perform a Proper Pushup

To perform a standard or military-style pushup, place the palms of your hands flat on the floor wider than shoulder-width apart. Bring your feet together with your toes flexed. Only your hands and toes should be in contact with the floor. Keep your head in line with your spine as you contract your abdominals, buttocks and legs. Slowly bend into the elbows and allow them to flare outward as you lower. To rise, press the floor away and extend through your arms. Maintain proper alignment by keeping your neck, shoulders and hips in a straight line during the entire movement.

Pushup Modifications for Beginners

If you're a beginner, start with the "bent knee" pushup. Instead of balancing the lower body on your toes, lower your knees to the floor. If you feel any discomfort in your wrists, place your hands on dumbbells instead of the floor. To further reduce joint strain, perform wall pushups from a standing position.

Tricep Pushups Target Upper Arms

The standard pushup distributes your body weight evenly between your chest, shoulders and triceps; however, making slight changes to your hand placement will shift the weight to different muscles of the upper body. For a long, lean look in the upper arms, try the tricep pushup. Place your hands shoulder-width apart and allow the elbows to point straight back as you lower. By keeping the elbows tucked in close to the body, the focus shifts from the chest to the tricep muscles, while reducing stress in the shoulders.

Mastering the Pushup

You can place more workload on the chest and shoulder muscles by placing your hands at least a foot apart for wide pushups. To work your balance and build more core and upper body strength, add a step-bench or stability ball to your workout. Increasing your height off the ground allows a wider range of motion and greater overload of your muscles.