Everything about push-ups: techniques, norms, benefits of exercise

Push-ups are one of the basic physical exercises that are performed in the plank. Push-ups consist of a systematic lowering and raising of the body with the help of hands. The exercise can be performed from the floor (the simplest and most effective option) and a bench, chair, table, wall, etc.

Some more experienced athletes can do push-ups with additional weights. It helps to engage the pectoralis major, triceps, deltoid, elbow, and other parts of the shoulder girdle.

Types of push-ups from the floor

Push-ups seem like a simple exercise. He has many varieties, for each of which a special technique has been developed. There are over 50 variations of the exercise. Let’s dwell on the most common of them.

Traditional (classic)

Everyone has known this subspecies of push-ups since the days of physical education at school:

1. The athlete takes a lying position. The support should be on the toes and palms.
2. Hands are spread shoulder-width apart, palms turned forward.
3. Legs can be slightly apart (slightly wider than shoulders).
4. When the position is fixed, you need to start push-ups.

This type of exercise helps to develop triceps, chest muscles, deltas.

From my knees

The most suitable option for those who are just starting to practice push-ups. This subspecies is also ideal for older athletes or people with back problems:

1. The starting position is similar to the traditional version, the only difference is the support – here it is done on bent knees, and not on toes.
2. The feet should be kept above the floor, striped one over the other. This helps to relieve a decent load on the lumbar spine and reduce tension in the muscular system.
3. Then the athlete can start push-ups, trying to hold the starting position.

The workload for this push-up option is approximately 50%.

From the wall

It is better to choose this option for beginners since it gives a weak load on the muscles:

1. Find a suitable vertical plane. It is best if it is a wall.
2. Stand up straight, back off the wall one step.
3. Spread your arms a little wider than your shoulders, lift your heels off the floor (this will help transfer the load to your hands, which, in fact, you are developing).
4. Start a slow movement of the body to the wall, while lifting up by straightening your elbows.
5. Keep your body straight, only your arms should be involved in the exercise.

Wide grip

A more “pumped-over” version of the classic push-ups from the floor:

1. Spread your arms wide to the sides. The distance between them should be approximately two the widths of your shoulders.
2. Spread your elbows to the sides, rest on open palms or fists.
3. Rest your toes on the floor, the distance between them should be less than shoulder width.
4. When lowering the body down, make sure that the elbows remain apart to the sides.
5. As soon as you touch the floor with your chest, immediately quickly return to the top.

The technique of performance is extremely important here. If you lower your stomach and push your ass up, unnaturally bending in the lower back, this will disrupt the execution technique, and you will not get the desired result.

With a narrow grip

This subtype allows you to work out the triceps and frontal deltas:

1. Rest in the palms, which are located next to each other in such a way that their fingers rest on the surface of the floor and, as it were, turn slightly inward.
2. Place your socks at a distance slightly wider than your shoulders or at the same level with them.
3. In order to properly lower the body down, bend your arms, moving your elbows along the body. The elbows should be pointing back and slightly out to the sides.
4. At the end, you need to lightly touch the back of the hand.
5. Move the body upward until the arms are fully extended.

On one hand

A push-up option for those who already have extensive sports experience behind them:

1. Stability of the body during this exercise is provided by legs wide apart to the sides.
2. Place your right hand on the floor, and bend your left hand and put it behind your back.
3. In order to protect yourself, use specialized stops.
4. Your supporting arm (in this example, the right one) should never go to the side. It must remain in line with the body.
5. When lowering, the elbow joint must be bent and moved to the side.
6. The downward movement of the body must be continued until the ribcage touches the floor surface. You need to rise until your arms are fully extended.
7. Make sure your shoulders are parallel to the floor. Do several approaches, changing the supporting hand.

With cotton

This variety is considered complicated and is not suitable for those who are just starting their sports development:

1. In order to make cotton during the exercise, you need to take a position in which the socks will be on the same width as the shoulders or will be slightly narrower than the shoulder girdle. Hands need to be spread to a distance exceeding the width of the shoulder girdle by 1.5-2 times.
2. With a strong push, push the body upward, sharply lifting your palms from the floor surface. Clap your hands quickly.
3. The return of the body to its original position should be soft, land on the palm of your hand gracefully, like a cat. It is impossible to flop on the floor at full swing, you can get injured.
4. As soon as you lightly touch the surface of the floor, repeat the exercise from the beginning. Move your hands rhythmically, quickly, harmoniously.

With load

Such push-ups are best suited for athletes who exercise in strength disciplines, as well as those who want to build muscle and acquire a clear muscle relief:

1. Usually, for this type of exercise, special vests are selected, equipped with small weights. The same equipment is used by those who pull up on the bar or do the press on the uneven bars. If you don’t have a vest, you can use a regular barbell pancake, but you need to use this type of weight with great care and only if you have someone to belay.
2. For this type of push-up, almost any technique (classic, one-arm, wide-grip, etc.) is suitable.
3. It is best to start with a low weight and build it up gradually. You can add no more than 1-2 kg per week.

Standards for push-ups by age and gender

Typically, the standards are calculated based on gender, weight, and sports experience. It is enough for women to bring the number of push-ups to 30-40 and for men – to 50-100. This is not the limit, but a sufficient amount to build muscle relief.

You should always start small, especially if you have no experience. For women, for example, with 8-10 push-ups, and for men with 12-15. Gradually, the number of push-ups is increased.

With regular training for 1.5 months, women can work out 50 push-ups, and for men – 100 repetitions. But keep in mind that training, in this case, should last no more than 10-15 minutes. This is enough to develop the arms and shoulder girdle.

However, one should also not forget about one important nuance. It is believed that more than 15 repetitions per set will help increase the athlete’s endurance reserve. Yes, this is true, but it will happen at the expense of an increase in the amount of physical strength. If you want to improve your strength performance (regardless of your age or gender), then it is best to carefully monitor the technique of the exercise and not the number of repetitions. Add complexity to movements, push up from stops, use weights.

TRP norms for push-ups from the floor

		M			F
	B	WITH	Z	B	WITH	Z
Stage I (6-8 years old)	7	ten	17	4	6	eleven
II stage (9-10 years old)	ten	13	22	5	7	13
III stage (11-12 years old)	13	eighteen	28	7	nine	fourteen
IV stage (13-15 years old)	twenty	24	36	eight	ten	15
Stage V (16-17 years old)	27	31	42	nine	eleven	16
Stage VI (18-24 years old)	28	32	44	ten	12	17
Stage VI (25-29 years old)	22	25	39	nine	eleven	16
VII stage (30-34 years old)	16	19	32	5	7	13
VII stage (35-39 years old)	13	17	29	4	6	eleven
VIII stage (40-44 years old)	13	17	28	3	5	ten
VIII stage (45-49 years old)	eleven	15	27	3	5	nine
IX stage (50-54 years old)	nine	12	24	3	5	eight
IX stage (55-59 years old)	7	ten	eighteen	2	4	7
X stage (60-64 years old)	4	6	fourteen	3	5	7
X stage (65-69 years old)	4	6	eleven	3	5	7
XI stage (70 years and older)	2	5	eight	2	4	6

Note:

• M – boys, youths, men; F – girls, girls, women
• B – bronze, C – silver, Z – gold
• For older ages, the exercise is provided with emphasis on the gymnastic bench (stage X) and on the chair seat (stage XI).

The benefits of push-ups for men

Push-ups have many advantages over other types of exercise. Men will find it helpful to include them in their training reason for the following reasons:

• help to increase the reserve of strength;
• increase endurance;
• increase muscle mass;
• help to thoroughly work out the muscles of the torso;
• strengthens the spine and joints;
• make the hands stronger (which is especially important for those men who are involved in active sports, whose work is associated with heavy physical exertion, and even those who spend a lot of time at the computer and their hands do not receive the proper load);
• Push-ups are especially useful for martial arts athletes as they help improve the focus and clarity of strikes.

Push-ups are a universal type of physical activity since they allow you to achieve a more coordinated work of the body as a whole and strengthen the muscle corset.

The chosen training program is also important:

1. If you want to increase your endurance, then focus on multiple sets and high reps.
2. If you want a relief body and strong muscles, then add weights to simple push-ups.
3. If you just want to keep your muscles toned, energized and strengthen your own health, then the standard program of classic push-ups will be enough for you.

The benefits of push-ups for women

Many people mistakenly believe that push-ups are exclusively male exercises. This is not true. For women, this type of physical activity is no less beneficial than for the stronger sex.

The main benefits of push-ups for women:

• help to improve the relief and tone of the pectoral muscles, which makes the décolleté area more attractive;
• strengthen the arms and shoulder girdle;
• improve the condition of the spine and make the posture beautiful;
• help to burn excess calories much faster, which leads to healthy weight loss;
• contribute to the formation of a flat stomach and a beautiful abs;
• tighten the skin in the triceps area (do not allow sagging);
• strengthen the body, increase the reserve of strength and endurance.

Most girls avoid push-ups, believing that these exercises will make them “pumped.” Do not be afraid of this. The physiology of fair sex is not predisposed to a strong build-up of muscles. So push-ups will help improve your well-being, tone the body, strengthen the immune system and improve metabolic processes.

The benefits of push-ups for children

Few parents teach their children to exercise from an early age. It is believed that the child receives his portion of training at school in physical education and during walks and active games on the street with friends.

However, additional training never hurts, especially if you want your child to grow strong and resilient. It is best to start with simple push-ups. They bring many benefits to children:

• such a load develops concentration, helps to improve the interaction of the upper and lower half of the body;
• has a general strengthening effect on the body, making the child physically developed and strong;
• regular exercise helps to strengthen the immune system, normalize the growth and development of the child;
• sports activities have a beneficial effect on the mental abilities of children;
• strengthens the muscles of the abdominal zone, arms, chest, ligaments and joints;
• during exercise, blood flow accelerates, the blood is saturated with oxygen, which means that nutrients will quickly flow to the internal organs, improving the condition of the body as a whole.

However, for all these beneficial effects to really manifest, it is important to follow the technique of performing push-ups. Any violation can result in injury and serious injury. So teach your child to do push-ups correctly and do it in good health and mood (8-10 repetitions a day are enough to start, you can increase it over time to 20 repetitions).

Aged people

With older people, of course, not everything is so simple. It is permissible to include push-ups in their sports routine, but everything here directly depends on the general condition of the body and the doctor’s recommendations.

For athletes 60 years and older, all TRP standards are minimized. Fourteen push-ups in one approach are enough for them (this is the maximum). An average result suggests six repetitions, and a weak one only four push-ups.

All exercises must be performed only under strict supervision while the load is minimized. If an elderly athlete has trained for a long time and has good physical fitness, the coach may allow 30-40 push-ups a day, but this is very rare.