PUSH-=UPS TO MPLETE GUIDE Build spectacular muscle with these 7) push-up variations ETA AG log‘suapot ders, co roe the miltary push-up poston (see next page), log farner out. Keaping your head up, balance your ur eft am and place your right hand behind your back the right arm.) by suaightening your arm, nen you can't da more reps: cont patil ops over the top half of te motion I plete by using arta reps along th omen the bottom pasion then easing es high as posible and hold ing tis postion isometric ‘Advanced variation nto a plyomot off the ground anturn this exercise® Deltoid Pectoralis Major @ Triceps “The prime moves in the push-up ae the shouldes, the Chest (pectoral major) and back part ofthe ams tricop) Tho pec minor i aso involved to cartain degree. During the inal owering) phase, the muscles ofthe shoulders, chest and arms work in eccentric contraction as the bodys showy lowered toa poston in which the upper part fof te arms ae parle tothe fot In pushing up the muscles ofthe shoulders, chest and arms are conraced concenticaly = shortening and pushing against Ze the bodyeght resistence This isthe common pushvun. Emphasis: Ches. shoulders, viceps. ‘Start position: Lo facedorn with your hands fat‘ the floor just outside ‘and sigh in front of your soulders, you gers spread anc paining fore, Lit yourset up by staightaning your ams so that only your hands and toes aro fn contact wih the flor, keoping your hoes togeler. Your body should frm a Fld tne (knees locked so that your logs are straight, abdominals ih, back stiaigh). Keep your head uo sight. Execution: Lover youtse Io tho oar by banding your elbows (but oping your body igi). You don't want fo setually touch the ground; stop when your upper arms ae pale to the floor. Reverse dec tions by saghtening your ame, pushing your body up unl your elbows are nearly locked. Exhale toward the end ofthe ‘pwd mation. 4 ‘Training tip: Use an oxposive but contcled speed; dont use a. quick moton that might ‘causo you to hyporextond at the albows ‘Advanced variation: To adc resis tance, have your taining parner press down ‘against you or elevate your feet by placing them on a bench (below fig). The higher your foot, the more resistance you'l it {and yout change the fel sight Based on this personal experience, [ ‘wondered: Could something as simple as the push-up stimulate significant strength and muscle development in the upper torso? Now, 'm not advocat ing that you (oss aside your barbellsanel dumbbells, but I Go suggest giving, the push-up a closer look. You don't need any equipment, andl you can do it any ‘where — even ifthe only dil ser around is your significant other! ‘Vhe basic push-up has been sirwally abandoned! by today's more sophisti cated icon-pumping community, but that could be a mistake. Dan Wirth, MA, (GS, strength and conditioning couch at the University of Arizona in Tucson, says: "We use the push-up at the end of a workout as a volume stimulus byKeeping your knees on the grou the resistance ofthe mitary pusirup. Emphasis: Chest, shouces, ticeps. Start position: Lio facedown on the floor wih your hands just ouside your shoulders Cross your ankes and aise your fet. Keop your back staight and hips locked, making a straight Ine ftom your knees to your neck1) Dipping your hips up and down instead of Jowering your shoulders. Correction: Make sure the push-up. action results from the bending of your elbows and the lowering of your entire body. 2) Arching your back as your shoulders are low: ted, keeping your hips in the eit. Correction: [Make sure your abslominels ate isometically con- tracted, which wil help to keep your back rigid. 3) Bouncing insteed of pausing at the bottom. Correction: Force yourself to pause for a two count atthe bottom ofthe motion 4) Failure to completely straighten your arms in the up position, Correction: Concentrate on tightening your pees and holding the up position fora two count, 5) Failure to keep your head up and eyes focused in front of you, Cor- rection: Pick out @ target on the wall in front of you and focus your vision there throughout the 6) Failure to reach the parallel position with the upper part of Your arms, Correction: Do the exercise in front of a miro, concentrating on, the upper Fm position throughout the reptition. The wide positon ofthe hands puts a greater Srtch on the chest muscles bit sls the fosps EEmpaate: “net stouleers, espe Start gosition: From the mitary push.p postion move your hares on as wide a posse, for most inivicu 6,610 inches outside your shoulders, Execution: Simlor {9 the miltay pushup. You should fool greater stretch and direc stimulation in your chest area The loner you allow your body fo drop, the greater the stess placed on the pecs, ‘Training tip: By changing yeur dody pasion, you can change the angle and fel fo areas of your pecs. IFBB pro bodybuilder Jay Culler suggests elevating your fet, or yo hands on oceasion, o work your chest somewhat ctforon Advanced variation: Arrange trvee benches ino & partial ectange, Place yaur feet on one bench and on han ‘on each ofthe ote benches so that your body is suspended ‘ver the opening between them. Ths ls called a suspended push-up. Loner yourself s far 2s possibio betwoen the tree benches to inerease the svelch and effectiveness. Do these push-ups slowly and. avoid oversietching: the increased ‘ange of motion makes the muscles more winarable o tears 1 connective-ssue injury. wwthe exercise slightly different For each individual, you should try the many variations. Once you feel iin your muse cles, make whatever adaptations are s Strenath coaches aren’t the only ‘ones sold on the benefits of the push- tp. TFRB pro Jay Cutter sys: “This #4 forgouten basic movement that can actually produce mass and strength coven forthe advanced bodybuilder The diference between the beyinner and advanced lifer is the number of reps performed, degree. of lifiuly and the rest require. before you start So why then, isthe push-up s0 often snore? Berta ijust seems too dash simple; afer all, doesn't require 4 bench, plates or fancy machines. Ot maybe ites 100 nveh mental tough ness fo gain out the eps, expecilly a5 the going gets tough. Thon again, per 4 haps were all so focused on iting heavier weight that we forget to buck dif once in a while — which would be an ideal ime to include pushups in our routine. Remember, get the form down ight; you won't buld any muscle iF you're sidelined with a shoulder injury foie X. Ruder monks at “ele ton fe Sd sil tooo, bone te cnacins towns hee to aed fob ea Xt. techie ‘ou hitony He asa back 5 pihsical education from In Karate, tots cond roel fr ents eng tbe is Asati sad eon sc ss Tn as are By pesitoning your hands closer together, you'l Increase the workload on your toeps, ‘Similar tothe close-op bench press. Emphasis: Ticeps, shouders, ches. ‘Start position: Staring tem he mitary push-up poston, mave your hands in unt your thumbs and index fingers of each hand {ouch — ihe area In between wil resemble a clamond. Your hands should now be crecty blow the micdle of your chest when your ‘arms are straight Execution: Keeping your entire body ‘od, lower youree toward the ground. hen your chest about 6 inches above your hands, press back up. Training tip: To really develop that horseshoe defnton inthe triceps, make sur you lock out and squeeze tha triceps tight for {two count atthe top of each epetton, Advanced vartation: Tho diamond Press's an excelent way to burn cut the mus- ‘leas the frishing exerose ina compound set forether the ticeps or pectorls,