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The Push –up

Article · February 2015

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Dr.Kaukab AZEEM
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
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International Journal of Fitness, Health, Physical Education & Iron Games 1
Volume: 2, No: 1, Jan 2015- June 2015

CHIEF EDITOR COLOUM

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Exercise Technique
This column of exercise and Technique Facilitates about proper Exercise
method to Optimize Performance and safety

The Push –up

Kaukab AZEEM,
M.com, M.Ped, MPhil, Ph.D
Faculty, Physical Education Department,
King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT
Push-ups are a basic exercise used in athletic training or during physical education classes or
commonly in military physical training. The push-up is a multi joint upper body exercise that can
increase the upper body muscular push strength, shoulder strength, and performance of activities
demanding high level of relative strength. Pushups are one of the basic and most common
exercises for the human body. Pushups are great exercise for the chest, and also help
tremendously for shaping and defining abs, triceps, shoulders and torso. Push-ups exercise and
its variations can be progressed, regressed, and performed throughout a training year. This
column provides a detailed description and figures of the proper technique for a push-up
exercise.
Key words: Strength, Joint, Push-up, Technique

TYPE OF EXERCISE
A push-up is a common calisthenics exercise performed in a prone position by extending and
lowering the arms alternatively. Push-ups are a basic exercise used in athletic training or during
physical education classes or commonly in military physical training. Push-ups is a multi joint
upper body exercise that can improve an athlete’s overall upper body performance especially
anterior shoulder strength, stability and ability to produce high forces during pushing activities,
such as gymnastics,
MUSCLES USED
The pectoral muscles, triceps, and anterior deltoids, with ancillary benefits to the rest of the
deltoids, serratus, anterior , coracobrachialis and the midsection as a whole.
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International Journal of Fitness, Health, Physical Education & Iron Games 2
Volume: 2, No: 1, Jan 2015- June 2015

BENEFITS OF PUSH –UPS

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 Pushups can be performed at home without the expensive exercise equipment, which can save
your money on a gym membership.
 Pushups exercise on a regular basis will strengthen, tone up the muscles and build major
muscles, which can make daily activities easier and also improves sports performance.
 Pushups also strengthen your core muscles, specifically ones rectus abdominus and transversus
abdominis.
 Pushups exercise stimulates the metabolism and blood circulation, allowing you to burn more
calories throughout the rest of your workout.
 Pushups provide better results than many similar exercises. Athletes who include pushups in
their workout routine find that they are able to reach their fitness goals more easily than those
following workouts that rely on other methods.
 Research studies had shown that performing pushups can help increase testosterone levels,
reducing risk of developing osteoporosis.
 Pushups increased metabolic rate. Pushups use a large number of muscles at the same time; also
your legs get into the action. A muscular activity means that your heart must work hard to pump
blood to your working muscles, which also causes by increasing your breathing rate.
 A set of pushups will raise your metabolic rate while you are doing them and as you recover
afterward, all of which intern contribute to healthy weight loss

PROPER EXECUTION

Proper way of performing pushups is by placing yourself in a horizontal position

balancing on both the hands and toes while facing down, with arms extended, hands shoulder,
width or more apart, and feet touching or slightly apart. This movement is excellent for the
pictorials major and the triceps brachii.

 Inhale and bend the elbows to bring the rib cage close to the ground without arching the
low back excessively.
 Push back up to complete arm extension and exhale at the end of the each movement.

PUSH UP TYPES

• There are two versions of the pushup mainly; the normal base (wide pushup) and the
narrow pushup.
• The normal base push-up requires you to place your hands on the floor, a little wider
than shoulder-width apart.
• The narrow pushup will have you placing your hands on the floor forming a diamond
shape with your fingers, in line with your head.
• Each version of push-up produces related movements in shoulders and elbows, but the
wide pushup gives you a greater range of motion.
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International Journal of Fitness, Health, Physical Education & Iron Games 3
Volume: 2, No: 1, Jan 2015- June 2015

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PUSH UP PHASES
• There are two phases of the pushup movement:

• Pushing Phase
• Lowering Phase

PUSHING PHASE
During the pushing stage, motions are occurring at the elbow, shoulder and scapular
joints. In the elbow, extension occurs, powered mainly by the triceps brachia muscle. In the
shoulder joint, horizontal adduction occurs. This motion occurs when the upper arms move
horizontally toward the midline of the body. The pectoralis major, deltoids, biceps and
coracobrachialis muscles contract during horizontal adduction. At the scapular joint, scapular
abduction occurs during the pushing phase. In this fashion that your scapulae move forward as
they round the back of the ribcage, a motion also known as protraction. The serratus anterior and
pectoral minor muscles power protraction

LOWERING PHASE

During the lowering phase, the same muscles that work in the pushing phase are active,
but this time eccentrically. For an example, in the elbow, flexion occurs as you lower your
body, but with the triceps eccentrically allowing this motion. In the shoulder joint, horizontal
abduction occurs, eccentrically controlled by the pectoral major, deltoid, biceps and
coracobrachialis muscles. At the scapula, scapular adduction, or retraction, occurs, which the
serratus anterior and pectoral minor eccentrically control.

EXPLORING ELBOW JOINT

There are number of complex muscles and tendons that allow your elbow to move,
and these are connected to three bones. The humerus bone of the upper arm joins with the
radius laterally and the ulna medially bones of the forearm to form an elbow joint. The
troclea of the humerus attaches to the ulna, and the capitulum of the humerus attached to the
head of the radius. The joints are lubricated by a large bursa sack that allows the muscle to
interact with the joint so that it doesn’t lead to damage or cause any pain.

EXPLORING SHOULDER JOINT

Shoulder joint is consisted of two separate joints. The first joint is called the
glenohumeral, where the upper arm bone fits into the shoulder blade and second is called
acromioclavicular and is formed by the meeting of the collarbone with the shoulder blade. The
joints are held together by ligaments and muscles, but it is susceptible to dislocation due to
sudden twist or movements of the arm.
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International Journal of Fitness, Health, Physical Education & Iron Games 4
Volume: 2, No: 1, Jan 2015- June 2015

Ratings for Men (Full Push Ups), based on Age

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SCORING: Here are the age-adjusted standards based on guidelines published by the
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM):

20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+

Excellent > 54 > 44 > 39 > 34 > 29
Good 45-54 35-44 30-39 25-34 20-29
Average 35-44 24-34 20-29 15-24 10-19
Poor 20-34 15-24 12-19 8-14 5-9
Very Poor < 20 < 15 < 12 <8 <5
Try to retest yourself every 4-8 weeks.

RECCOMENDATION for children by National Strength & Conditioning Association

(NSCA)

Exercise Sets X reps

Push –ups 1-3 sets x 10- 20 reps

Acknowledgement

The Author thanks the authorities of King Fahd University of Petroleum &
Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and the subjects for the help in completion of this study.

References

• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

• Ellenbecker TS and Davies GT. Closed kinetic chain Exercise: A comprehensive guide to
multiple joint Exercise Champaign IL Human kinetics 2001, 1-5: 27-31.

• Frederic Delavier. Strength Training Anatomy Third Edition, pg:76

• LaChance PF and Hortobagyi T. Influence of cadence on muscular performance during

push-up and pull-up exercise J Strength Cond Res 8: 78-80, 1994.

• MensHealth.com

• Steven J. Fleck, William J. Kraemer (2013), Designing resistance training program,

fourth edition .pg 367.

• http://www.joint-pain-expert.net/elbow-anatomy.html

http://www.orthopedicsurgerybook.com/shoulder-surgery-pain-treatment.php

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