Why is a one-finger push-up more difficult than a one-arm pull-up?

Classic push-up technique

Is it possible to learn this exercise from scratch?
Of course, there are special programs for this. You can start with wall push-ups, gradually increasing the number of repetitions and difficulty. Then classes are carried out in an inclined position, supported on a cabinet or table. Then you need to master push-ups on your knees, then it’s time to move on to regular push-ups. More detailed step-by-step guides can be found online. If you follow them, then mastering push-ups will not be so difficult even for girls and pensioners. But when your physical fitness allows, you can immediately move on to the classic version - push-ups. First you need to master the correct stance: stand on all fours, rest your weight on the floor, placing your palms under your shoulder joints. The feet can be placed wide apart or close together.

• Leaning on your toes, straighten your torso so that it forms a straight line from your heels to your head.
• The pelvis should not sag or protrude upward.
• From the starting position, slowly lower yourself until about 5 cm remains to the floor. Slowly straighten your arms.

These are the traditional push-ups, known to everyone since school. Wide stance of the legs makes the exercise much easier, so it is only suitable for beginners. The elbows should be kept “soft” at the top point so as not to injure the joints. You need to breathe evenly, exhale while going up, and inhale while going down.

Ultimate technique

With regular practice you should end up with something like this:

1. You need to take a lying position and rest on your fingers. In this case, the arms should be straight, without bending,
2. Next, exhale and bend the elbow joint, touching the floor surface with your chest,
3. Inhale air and reverse the movement so that your arms become straight.

In essence, this is the entire finger push-up technique. At first glance it may seem very simple, but this is not entirely true. It will be quite difficult to do without special training.

Light push-ups

It can be difficult for beginners to do at least one push-up on the floor. Therefore, lightweight varieties of useful exercises are especially recommended for them, allowing them to first strengthen their muscles and only then move on to classic push-ups.

With a wall

The benefit of wall push-ups is that this is the easiest option to perform, accessible even to very physically weak people. You need to stand facing the wall at a short distance from it and place your palms on the wall - perpendicular to your chest, at shoulder level.

After this, you need to begin the process of push-ups - bending your elbows, lower your body to the wall until your forehead touches the surface. You need to keep your back and legs straight; if the exercise is too easy, you can take another step away from the wall.

With emphasis on the knees

Knee push-ups can reduce the load on your arms by about half and are therefore well suited for beginners. You need to kneel down, and then, according to the classic pattern, rest your hands on the floor, located perpendicular to the shoulder line, and begin to do push-ups.

When doing push-ups from your knees, you need to focus on the lower back and pelvic area; they should not bend. You need to keep your back straight, look down in front of you

Using a bench or step

Another useful simplified option is push-ups from a support raised above the floor surface. You need to bring your legs together, rest your palms on a window sill, bench, chair or step and start the exercise. The higher the support, the easier it is to perform push-ups, and the lower the support is located to the floor surface, the greater the load on the arms and chest muscles.

This version of the exercise is very convenient in that you can start with a high support, and then gradually lower it lower and lower and smoothly move on to regular push-ups from the floor.

Push-up technique

Not very different from the classic one, only the emphasis is not on an open palm, but on a clenched fist. The weight of the body rests on the knuckles, which takes pressure off the wrist. Clasped palms should be perpendicular to the body. It is better to place a sports mat, the pain will gradually decrease, the skin will become rougher, after a couple of weeks you can do the exercise directly on the floor.

• Inhale while lowering your body. Bend your elbows to 90°, with your chest a few centimeters away from your hands. The elbows should not “walk”, they should be pressed to the body.
• When moving back, exhale. You should push off the floor with the strength of your shoulder and chest.

Is it possible to pump up your arms with push-ups?

To answer this question, you need to understand which muscles are involved in the exercise. Looking ahead, it is worth noting that pumping up your arms with push-ups is a possible, but ineffective method, since the exercise is complex.

Alas, it is impossible to achieve iron hands with push-ups alone, but a certain effect in the form of a slight increase in volume and strength is possible.

Push-ups evenly target the pectoral muscles, triceps, and shoulders. By changing the position of your arms, you can include your biceps in the work. But the load they experience is not peak. What conclusion can be drawn from this?

1. You can pump up your arms with push-ups when there are no other alternatives.
2. Hand push-ups can be a great way to diversify your workout.

Push-ups are a useful exercise because they have the following positive effects:

• Helps improve well-being and general condition;
• Develops the circulatory and respiratory systems;
• Increases strength and endurance;
• Shapes the torso;
• Great for warming up and getting a boost of energy.

Muscles involved in the process

It has already become known that a variety of muscles are involved during push-ups. They are under constant load. What is the biggest load:

• Sternum,
• Delta bundles,
• Triceps,
• Shoulder,
• trapezoid,
• Back.

In addition to the main muscles, there are also static ones, which are not subject to much load:

• Pressing,
• Buttock,
• Hip,
• Quadriceps,
• Caviar.

With regular exercise, the forearm, the ligament of the hands and the fingers themselves come into play. Due to this, it is possible to obtain a positive effect, get rid of diseases and adverse effects on the body.

How to do push-ups on your fingers correctly

So we come to the most interesting thing, how to perform the exercise correctly without harm to your own health. After all, if you constantly do the wrong thing, a lot of trouble will arise. You will have to spend money on treating other diseases and sprains that arise. And no one wants to get this. In this regard, it is necessary to carefully study the technique of performing the exercise.

Of course, if you are doing everything for the first time, then you should not be upset if you fail. After all, everything comes with experience; it takes a small amount of time to improve understanding and technique. Experts note that you first need to start with five fingers. Over time, you can remove one finger at a time to increase the load and get a greater effect. Martial arts masters can only do push-ups on one finger. From the outside it looks very impressive, because it requires a lot of time, strength and training from a person.

First you need to start with the simplest. You need to take a lying position, rest on your fingers and stand like that for a certain amount of time. The phalanges and muscles need to get used to the load a little. After all, if you start the exercise right away, nothing will work, which is logical. If you can’t immediately stand on your toes, then don’t be upset. You can connect a support in the form of knees, thereby reducing the load. But you shouldn’t get used to this position, because our main goal is to learn how to do push-ups on your fingers, without using auxiliary devices.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=eV9nfL8QjUY

Once you feel confident, you can start doing push-ups. You need to take a lying position, rest on your fingers and try to bend your elbows. Everything must be done slowly, without sudden movements. If during the exercise you feel an unpleasant sensation, then you need to stop and analyze the condition. After trying again, touch your chest to the floor. If still nothing works out, then you can stand on your palms and start doing push-ups. At the same time, gradually transfer the load exclusively to the fingers, lifting the back side. Thanks to such actions, you can not only get used to the load, but also get the first result. Afterwards, you should try doing push-ups exclusively on your fingers. Experts note that the first correct attempt may take several days. There is nothing wrong with this, the main thing is that you succeed. After all, if you start doing the exercise incorrectly, a lot of trouble will arise.

What muscles work

The following muscles help us do finger push-ups correctly:

• Triceps;
• Anterior delta bundles;
• Large pectorals;
• Trapezius muscle;
• Forearm and back muscles;
• Press;
• Gluteus maximus;
• Quadriceps and hamstrings, as well as calves.

The last 4 points receive only static load and serve as stabilization of the body in space. The main load is placed on the muscles of the forearms and triceps.

Morning or evening: when is it better to do push-ups?

It all depends on what goals are set. If you use push-ups as a warm-up, it is better to do push-ups in the morning. But for pumping muscles, the best time for push-ups is in the evening.

It is worth remembering that in order to achieve strength progress, it is necessary to give muscle fibers rest so that they recover. But to maintain muscle tone and prevent diseases, you can do it every day.

Is it possible to do push-ups before bed?

Naturally, everything is very individual. Some people quickly fall asleep after physical activity in a sweet and sound sleep. But on average, physical activity is not recommended 2-3 hours before bedtime.

The fact is that this will excite the central nervous system and even with a strong desire to sleep, it will be very difficult and difficult to fall asleep. So try not to exercise before bed.

The body, being in an excited state, must “cool down” for some time in order for the functioning of all systems to normalize. So it is not recommended to do push-ups at night.

Is it possible to do push-ups after eating?

Physical activity is strictly prohibited on a full stomach. After all, at this moment all the body’s forces and blood are aimed at processing food. If you start training at this moment, you can greatly disrupt the digestion process.

And in the future, this may negatively affect your health. Therefore, physical activity is allowed only 1-1.5 hours after eating.

Push-ups in the morning

Is it possible to do push-ups in the morning after sleep? If as a warm-up, then this is one of the best solutions! Physical activity combined with a glass of water will help you wake up quickly and energize you for the whole day. The most important thing is that you don’t have to be overzealous.

To increase muscle tone and vigor, up to 50 push-ups are enough, which can be divided into 2-3 approaches. For girls, 20-25 repetitions will be enough.

You can exercise on an empty stomach, but it is still recommended to drink water before doing so. Training on an empty stomach will not provide any practical benefit in increasing strength and building muscle. Therefore, emphasis should be placed on the minimum number of approaches and repetitions.

Contraindications and precautions

One-arm push-ups are not for beginners. The exercise requires a solid physical base and an understanding of technical nuances. There are few contraindications, but they exist. Doing push-ups without support on the other hand is not recommended for people who:

• have problems with the elbow, wrist and shoulder joints;
• suffer from heart disease; a large load on the body’s “engine” can lead to big problems, if there are prerequisites for this, a doctor’s consultation is necessary;
• suffered a muscle and/or ligament sprain.

Recommendations to help make the exercise as effective and safe as possible:

• move on to prison push-ups only after you are able to do two-arm push-ups at least 50 times; this preparation will be enough to safely enter the reduced movement;
• do not start trying to master the ideal technique of a full-fledged exercise until you have mastered the preparatory types at the proper level;
• strive for a variety of training - this will allow you to use various small muscles that do not work otherwise; as a result, you will progress faster;
• At the same time, strengthen the muscles involved with other exercises; It is recommended to place special emphasis on the abs and triceps;
• remember that the reference version is just one type of push-up; one must strive for it, but other varieties can be considered both preparatory and independent; “minor” options can be easily complicated, for example, by using weights; in addition, less complex variations can (or should) be performed “at times” - if in a full movement you are only capable of 1-2 repetitions, then the reduced ones will allow you to work on endurance;
• monitor the condition of the body; If you are very tired or in pain, you do not need to do push-ups.

Benefits and Benefits of Exercise

One-arm push-ups are an exercise that will make you much stronger and more resilient. Thanks in part to Paul Wade, author of The Training Zone, these movements became known as prison push-ups. Paul spent many years in prison, where he was able to develop enormous strength almost exclusively through bodyweight training. And push-ups played a major role in developing Wade's core strength.

Although the prisoner did not practice lifting weights, one day he became embroiled in a curious argument. The author of a motivational book was offered to speak at one of the powerlifting championships. In an effort to prove the superiority of the inventoryless system, Paul agreed to the bet. Without much experience with the barbell, he managed to take third place. This is the effect of powerful exercises designed for natural loading.

Strength growth

Regular push-ups quickly become a simple exercise that can be increased in intensity, mainly by increasing the number of repetitions. Eliminate one hand, and the load increases by an order of magnitude. Try to make the movement perfectly, and “physics” will add more order on top. Nobody can ever call people who can do push-ups on one arm weak. At least their feet have never crossed the threshold of the gym.

takoburito - stock.adobe.com

Increased stamina

Over time, as physical capabilities increase, the same situation occurs as with the “classics”. The body adapts to the load and responds to training by increasing endurance. Athletes who are capable of repeated single push-ups have excellent body control and get much less tired under normal conditions than mere mortals.

Ability to work out anywhere

If a prisoner in solitary confinement has managed to become a titan of “physical education,” then complaints about the lack of suitable conditions look ridiculous and pathetic. The benefit of one-arm push-ups is that they can turn an untrained person into a role model in a matter of months.

Paul Wade went to prison at age 23. With a height of 183 cm, he weighed only 68 kg. It’s not easy in dungeons with such parameters. But, having begun to train intensively, within a year he was one of the strongest prisoners. Wade is not alone - his “colleagues” often surprise with their physical capabilities. His example and examples like him are indicative - they demonstrate the potential of bodyweight training. By the way, on our website in the crossfit exercises section you can find many exercises for working with your own weight.

Balance

Advanced push-ups require coordinated muscle action. Along with strength, the ability to control your body also grows. The body “learns” to work as a monolith - some groups are closely connected to others. An excellent example of a person who subordinated “physics” to consciousness is Bruce Lee. Little Dragon also did a lot of push-ups.

Weight loss

Push-ups are an energy-intensive exercise. By regularly testing your body's strength, you can make rapid progress in losing weight. Now the plank has become fashionable - an effective abdominal exercise. But with push-ups, you're essentially doing the same plank in motion. Without support from the second hand, it is more difficult to do the exercise, and therefore the impact is higher.

Improved health

Regular one-arm push-ups help improve the functioning of the digestive system. Thanks to them, the heart is strengthened and the potential of the respiratory system increases. They have a beneficial effect on bones and ligaments - they become stronger.

Positive psychological impact

Few people can technically do push-ups on one arm. Agree, it’s nice to be part of a small group of athletes. You may be indifferent to the envy and admiration of others, but in any case you will have the right to be proud of yourself.

But it's not even a matter of pride or bragging. Transformation of the body's capabilities leads to increased self-esteem. The transition from one state to another is invariably accompanied by a positive psychological effect. Even seasoned weightlifters or powerlifters cannot perform this exercise. A tiny percentage of people can train with perfect technique. Isn't it nice to be in such company?

undrey - stock.adobe.com

Benefits and harms

Of course, any physical activity (including push-ups) significantly improves the general condition of the body. Such exercises should be included in the outdoor switchgear complex because:

• the forearms are strengthened from the fingers to the elbow;
• joint flexibility develops;
• motor reactions of the hands improve;
• ligaments are strengthened, muscle elasticity increases;
• exercise is necessary to prevent inflammation of the joints (arthritis, bursitis);
• This is a kind of cardio workout.

The benefits of push-ups in general for the body:

• development of the muscles of the shoulder girdle and arms;
• strengthening the abdominal and lumbar muscles;
• due to blood flow to the ligaments and joints, the intensity of inflammatory processes is reduced;
• prevention and support of spinal therapy is carried out by strengthening the muscles of the back, chest and forearm.

Eastern medicine believes that there are many acupuncture points on the fingers. By doing push-ups, a person affects most of them, thereby having a healing effect on the entire body as a whole, including internal organs. This improves health and improves well-being.

This is interesting: Is coffee with milk healthy?

Did you know? Push-ups are used to assess fitness and strength in branches of the Armed Forces, Police and Fire Services. They are also often included in screening and are a kind of assessment of muscle endurance.

Just like any sports, finger push-ups are not without contraindications. It is strictly contraindicated for people who:

• overweight;
• with excessive bone fragility;
• who have recently suffered a spinal injury and are in the rehabilitation period;
• with chronic diseases of the musculoskeletal system during exacerbation.

The joints may not be physically ready to handle the body weight, and injury cannot be avoided if you make the following mistakes:

• you perform the main exercise without warming up;
• you put stress on unprepared muscles;
• overtraining them.

Only that load is useful that is feasible for the body, develops and strengthens muscles. If you are unsure about your health or what exercise is right for you, consult a trainer.

What are the benefits of push-ups

As mentioned above, push-ups are considered a beneficial workout and have a beneficial effect on your overall health. If they are carried out constantly, then you can change both externally and internally. They have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the body.

Benefits for men

Performing push-ups for men can significantly improve the quality of life of the stronger sex, namely:

• Strengthening and increasing the volume of muscle tissue occurs. As a result, a beautiful, ideal corset of muscles is formed.
• Increases strength and endurance. Doing push-ups with lots of twists is much more effective than grueling workouts at the gym.
• Exercise has a positive effect on blood circulation. As a result, the heart and the structure of blood vessels are strengthened.
• Exercise increases your level of performance and vitality. If you do them in the morning, you can wake up quickly.

Benefits for women

Push-ups are not considered a purely male workout; they are also recommended for girls and women, especially since they have a beneficial effect on health and allow you to achieve the following positive effects:

• Reduce excess body weight. When performing exercises, increased calorie consumption occurs and excess fat is burned.
• Muscle tissue is tightened, the body becomes slim and beautiful.
• Posture becomes straight. When doing push-ups, the spine should be kept straight at all times. Constant training gets rid of the bad habit that makes many girls slouch and hunch over.
• Your arms become stronger and more toned. Flabbiness in the shoulders is eliminated.

It puts strain on the muscles

With the help of training, you can easily work out the muscle tissue of the arms, chest area, and shoulders. But in everyday life, these muscles are used quite rarely, so they become flabby and weak.

Regular training significantly strengthens these areas. Arms, shoulders, chest become toned and acquire the correct shape.

Strengthens the hands

To strengthen your hands, you should do push-ups on your fists and fingers. At the initial stage, this will be quite difficult, so you should not overload your hands. But gradually the hands will become stronger, and the unpleasant sensations will dull. This technique is often used by boxers and people who practice martial arts.

Improves health

Push-ups offer enormous health benefits. Regular exercise promotes the emergence of the following positive processes in the body:

Normalization of blood circulation. Strengthening the heart and blood vessels. Improved digestion. Boosting immunity. Improving blood supply to the brain and internal organs. Concentration becomes stable, memory improves. The functioning of the respiratory organs will return to normal.

The main thing is that when doing push-ups, the activity of the circulatory system organs will improve. This will reduce the risk of developing dangerous diseases - myocardial infarction, stroke, heart pathologies.

One-arm push-ups

The difference between push-ups on one hand from the floor is that instead of relying on two hands, and the setting can be on the palms, fists, fingers, wrists in both cases, you rely on only one hand.

There are also several varieties here, we will analyze them further. But first you need to understand one thing - learning to do push-ups this way is quite difficult. This includes roughly three stages:

• First, you learn to do push-ups well on both hands, using various techniques and gradually complicating the exercise. Mandatory here is the ability to do push-ups with weights, i.e. additional weight. Why? Because when doing push-ups with one arm, the load increases significantly, and the body must be prepared for this.
• Then you use adduction exercises - this is a transitional stage. They allow you to work on technique, prepare for one-arm push-ups, and gradually move directly to the push-ups themselves.
• And the third stage is one-arm push-ups. Here you can start with simpler variations and make them more complex.

What muscles are involved in one-arm push-ups?

Well, now we will find out what muscles work during such an exercise. When doing push-ups on two arms, the core muscles are actively involved in the work, namely the pectoral muscles, triceps, biceps and anterior deltoids. Statics work the lats, trapezius, abs and legs. One way or another, the whole body is involved in the push-up process and only benefits come from it.

When doing push-ups on one arm, the same muscles work as when doing push-ups on two arms, but they are loaded more heavily.

All the same muscles work when we talk about push-ups on one arm, but here the active muscles are loaded twice as much, since there is no second support. And muscles that work statically are forced to strain more in order to maintain balance and coordination of the body during push-ups.

What are the benefits of one-arm push-ups?

• They increase the athlete’s strength much faster due to the complexity of the exercise and increased stress on the muscles. Those, in turn, become stronger and grow faster.
• The exercise helps to involve more muscles in the work; in this case, the body and legs do not passively support the load, as with regular push-ups. They are much more tense to maintain their balance.
• Due to this instability of position and lack of support, muscle coordination and body balance are well trained.

Options for advanced

A more difficult level is finger push-ups. How to do it correctly? Having taken a classic stance, you need to lean on the fingers of your straight hand. If it doesn’t work out right away, it’s better to act gradually. For example, lean on your knees, so the load on your arms will be less. Or do regular push-ups, but in the process transfer the weight to your fingers by raising the backs of your hands. You can start simply with a fingerstand, gradually increasing the time. You should try again after a few days.

• Finger push-ups develop ligaments, strengthen your forearms, and make your fingers very strong. This is especially important when practicing martial arts.

Clapping push-ups look impressive - this is a plyometric exercise. From the usual starting position, lower yourself down. During the lifting, a jerk is made, when the body rises into the air, a clap of the hands is made, then the hands are put in place. This option is suitable for enhanced pumping of the chest, triceps, and shoulder muscles.

Only experienced athletes who have fully honed their technique and are ready for new heights can perform push-ups on one arm. This type of exercise develops the triceps, forearms and pectoral muscles. In this version, the legs should be placed wide to make it easier to maintain balance. One hand goes behind your back. The position of the torso should be slightly turned away from the support.

How to do one-arm push-ups correctly

Only a well-trained athlete can perform the exercise with perfect technique.

Even if you are in good physical shape, not everyone will be able to demonstrate correct execution. This is why it is always recommended to start with building exercises.

With their help, you can gradually, step by step, approach your goal and achieve the desired result. If you can’t do push-ups on one arm, then you shouldn’t torture yourself. To achieve positive results, increase your strength in classic push-ups and other exercises.

Let's look at various preparatory techniques.

From my knees

One of the easiest options. The technique is similar to the classic one:

• We get on all fours, lean on one hand and cross our shins. From the waist to the head, the body should be in one line.
• The working hand is located under the shoulder, and the passive one behind the back or thigh. We inhale, lowering ourselves down, not reaching a few centimeters to the floor and maintaining an even position of the body.
• Gradually exhaling, we return to the starting position.
• Twisting the body and tilting the shoulder helps reduce the load, but the correct technique suffers.
• Make sure this doesn't happen.

Hands above feet

We know from physical education lessons that doing push-ups in this position is much easier.

Therefore, we use this technique here:

• It is best to do push-ups with one hand on the steppe (arms above your feet); any other elevation in the form of a small chair or sofa is also suitable.
• To make the exercise easier or more difficult, you can vary the inclination angles, choosing the most suitable one.

Recommendations:

• Keep your body straight, inhale as you lower, exhale as you rise.
• We don’t help with the shoulder and body.
• We bring our shoulder blades together and engage our back.

Partial (one-arm push-ups)

They feature more complex technology.

The main point is to perform the exercise with an incomplete lowering amplitude. For example, up to half:

• Any object can be used as a limiter, but a ball of various sizes is best.
• It can be placed under the level of the chest, knees, hips, etc. You can independently vary how low you lower your body.
• If it's difficult to lower to the middle, try going down just a quarter, gradually increasing the distance!
• The body is flat, parallel to the floor.
• The legs are located approximately shoulder-width apart, focusing on one hand.
• We place the second one behind the back or rest it on the thigh.
• Inhale as you lower, exhale as you rise.
• The only thing is that it will turn out shorter, but you need to get used to it and control it.

With second hand support

This variation assumes the presence of support for the second hand. Anything above the floor will do. But it is better to use a ball for these purposes.

Technique:

• The body is straight, the arm is placed under the shoulder, the fulcrum points are the toes and the arm.
• We move the auxiliary hand to the side and lean it on the object.
• During the lowering process, it will be impossible to evenly distribute the load between the hands. The active hand still works more, but some of the load will be removed.

From the floor (classical technique)

Do you think that you are done with the lead-up exercises and should start trying to do push-ups on one arm from the floor?

In this case, the following execution technique must be observed:

• Starting position: the body is completely parallel to the floor, we place our legs approximately shoulder-width apart, no bending in the lower back, supporting arm under the shoulder. We move the other hand to the side. The best position is on the hip or behind the back. There should be 3 reference points - the toes and the palm of the working hand.
• Execution: Bend your arm and lower yourself down, your chest and head should be as close to the floor as possible. During execution, the body should not twist. Helping yourself by tilting your shoulder is not recommended. Don't forget to use the spatula.
• Breathing: when lowering, inhale, exhaling, return to the starting position. There should be no problems with the technique, since it will already be worked out on the classic variation of push-ups (with two hands).

Note!

To technically perform one-arm push-ups, develop your stabilizer muscles. With their help you can hold your body in the desired position.

The main mistakes in the technique of classic push-ups

Push-ups are not as simple an exercise as it seems at first glance. Errors in technique are made not only by practitioners, but even by coaches! Improperly performing push-ups can lead to injuries to the wrists, shoulder and elbow joints, as well as pain in the neck, back and lower back.

If you can't maintain proper form during push-ups, drop to your knees or reduce the number of reps! Train yourself to do this exercise correctly from the very first time you do it.

Elbows point in different directions

The most common mistake in push-up technique is the position of the elbows relative to the body. Keeping your elbows out helps compensate for lack of upper body strength. Of course, you can do this version of push-ups (which many people do)

.
But the problem is that this method of execution increases the risk of injuries to the shoulders and elbow joints
. Therefore, it is better to pay attention to the position of the elbows: they should be turned back 45 degrees, and not look in different directions.

Arms spread too wide

In classic push-ups, your hands should be strictly under your shoulders.

. Some practitioners practice push-ups with wide arms, but this is a weaker position in which your muscles do not work well enough. Additionally, wide-arm push-ups can cause shoulder pain over time.

Lifting the pelvis upward or bending the body

During push-ups, the body should form a straight line. But if you have a weak core, then there is a risk of poor push-up technique: lifting your butt up or, conversely, arching your lower back and lowering your hips towards the floor. Incorrect body position will put extra stress on the spine

. To avoid this mistake, start practicing the plank exercise - this will help strengthen your muscle corset.

Insufficient range of motion during push-ups

A very common mistake in the push-up technique is performing the exercise with incomplete amplitude, namely, not lowering the body down enough. Naturally, at first it will be difficult for you to perform push-ups with the full range, but train yourself from the very beginning of practical training to lower your body to a right angle at the elbow

.

For example, let's visually compare the correct and incorrect performance of push-ups.

1. Correct classic push-up:

The body forms a straight line, the pelvis does not rise up, the lower back does not bend. When doing push-ups, the body lowers low, the elbows are quite close to the body, the palms are under the shoulders.

2. Correct knee push-ups (simplified version of classic push-ups):

Similarly, the body forms a straight line, there are no deflections or bends in the back. We pay attention to the correct position of the palms relative to the shoulders.

3. Push-ups with an error:

The pelvis is lowered down, the lower back is curved, the straight line of the body is broken. Doing this exercise can cause back pain and even injury.

4. Push-ups with an error:

In this picture we see insufficient lowering of the body, the elbows barely bend. It is better to do 5 high-quality push-ups than 15-20 poor-quality ones, where the arms do not form a right angle.

Push-ups: benefits, harm and contraindications

Like any other exercise, push-ups have a number of advantages and disadvantages, as well as contraindications.

for execution.
This is a great strength exercise for developing muscles, but if done incorrectly or with weak joints, it can have unpleasant health consequences
.

Benefits of doing push-ups:

1. Push-ups are the best exercise to strengthen your chest muscles.

with your own body weight. If you want to get a good workout on your pectoral muscles, then push-ups should definitely be included in your training plan.

World records

There are many world records in performing this exercise.

Let's look at the brightest of them:

1. In 2021, 65-year-old Canadian retiree Alan Vazelenchuk, who previously worked as a bus driver, set a world record by doing 91 push-ups in a minute.
2. The largest number of push-ups without a break was recorded in Japan. A resident of this country named Minora Yoshida did 10,507 push-ups. This happened in 1980.
3. The record number of push-ups on fists was performed by Canadian Doug Pruden, who did 5,557 push-ups in 3 hours, 2 minutes and 30 seconds. The record was recorded on July 9, 2004.

How can you strengthen your fists?

Push-ups

The first thing you need to practice if you want to strengthen your fists is push-ups. This exercise will help you make the tissues stiff, which will allow you to hit hard without damaging your fist. Of course, you need to do push-ups first of all on the impact parts of the fist (more precisely, on the main impact parts), and these are on the bones of the middle and index fingers. Despite such an emphasis, there will still be an indirect load on the other fingers, and this is good, because in a fight you can hit with parts that are slightly different from those that you trained. Therefore, you can purposefully focus the load on the three outer knuckles. Push-ups will not only strengthen your fist, but will also give you the strength to strike, since it uses exactly the muscles that are felt during the strike.

Push-ups on fingers

Push-ups on the fingers are an integral part of training that is aimed at strengthening the fists, because the fingers are an integral part of the fist, and they also need to be trained. The best way to train your fingers is to do push-ups. At first it may be very difficult and painful to do push-ups on your fingers, but this will go away with time. At first, you don’t have to do push-ups, but just stand until your fingers get used to it, and then move on to push-ups. It doesn't matter how your fingers bend - they can be arched in the middle or outward.

Push-ups on the back of your hands

This is a fairly challenging push-up variation, but it works the wrist very well. When struck, a huge load has to be withstood by the wrist, and it (or rather, they) needs to be prepared for this. At first, you can lay some kind of bedding on the floor, or wear gloves so that it doesn’t hurt, but over time, your bones and skin will get used to it, and you won’t feel pain. The backs of the palms are not worked out in any way, which is why at first it is so difficult and difficult to do push-ups on this part.

Printing on newspapers

A very good option for directly working out fists is stuffing fists on newspapers. This method has been known for a very long time and has been practiced by many athletes in the past. And real athletes often practice it. You will need a stack of newspapers to hang on the wall and just hit them. If you work with bare hands, then hit not hard at first, and gradually increase the force of the blow as you practice. You can sometimes wrap bandages and hit with all your might, so as not to get used to weak blows. But you can hit with full force only if your wrists are sufficiently prepared.

Carpal expander

I would also like to say a few words about the wrist expander, which will allow you to strengthen your hands as a whole, as well as the muscles of your forearms. This is a very good simulator that you should always have with you.

You may also be interested in the following articles:

1. How to remove belly and sides
2. What muscles work when riding a bicycle?
3. How to increase your height
4. Gymnastics for the spine
5. Bodyweight exercises

Results

Now you know why such push-ups are needed and what such training gives. All that remains is to include the exercise in the program, select an execution option and follow the advice from the article.

Push-ups are an exercise that will always be in trend; all men should be able to do it. There are many variations of the exercise, and we recommend mastering them and becoming a real pro.

Fist push-ups: benefits

The exercise puts additional stress on the muscles and joints, so if you can handle classic push-ups without any problems, it’s time for you to learn a harder version. It will increase the load on the chest, shoulders, triceps and forearms.

What are the benefits of the exercise:

• Makes your wrists stronger, you have to watch them and keep them straight. The pressure on them increases, so you train them. You can easily twist your wrist when hit, but doing fist push-ups regularly will prevent this from happening.
• Forearm workout. When performing, the forearm muscles contract, you feel stable and maintain balance on a smaller fist area.
• Chest and triceps. You should keep your hands directly under your shoulders. In traditional push-ups, the arms are held slightly wider than the shoulders. This way you train your chest and triceps muscles.

Push-ups with fists on the floor: what do they give?

Many people are interested in what is special about them and how they differ from standard push-ups? In fact, there is a difference, and a significant one, thanks to them you increase the strength and endurance of your arms and wrists, strengthen your joints and tendons.

The exercise puts stress on the following muscles:

• Inner and outer pectoral muscles
• Triceps
• Deltas
• forearms

In fact, the technique is not much different from the classic version; you just need to clench your palms into fists and place them correctly. Alas, many men do not know how to do push-ups even in the classical way. If you are one of them, first you need to master the usual technique and only after that start doing push-ups with your fists.

Lie on the floor and put your feet against the wall, this way you will fix your body as much as possible, which will make it easier to perform. Make sure your fists are completely closed, then lean them on the floor. You will feel that most of the load is on the middle fingers of your fists.

It's okay that your knuckles will hurt the first few workouts. Gradually they will get used to this kind of load, and you will perform the exercise without pain or discomfort.

Now spread your arms as wide as possible and bend them at the elbows, lowering your body. You can linger at the lowest point or, conversely, rise as quickly as possible with straightened arms to the starting position.

When performing push-ups, do not forget that your back should be perfectly straight, and do not bend it under any circumstances. Don't relax for a second until you have completed the maximum number of repetitions. Don’t jerk your body, only your arms are moving, and nothing else, your body is taut like a string. Of course, doing push-ups with fists will be difficult at first, but after a month or two you will completely improve the technique.

Try to gradually increase the load. For example, if today you did 10 push-ups, next time do it 12-15 times. But you also need to monitor the quality of your execution - it’s better to do 10 perfect push-ups than 15 poor ones.

To make push-ups easier, don’t forget to train in the gym. By increasing your strength, you will achieve much greater results; you cannot limit yourself to one exercise.

How many?

How many repetitions and sets should you ideally perform? In order to increase volume and muscle mass, 12-15 repetitions, 3 sets are enough. To increase endurance - 15-25 repetitions, 3-4 sets.