Push Up

by Toluwani Oyesola March 10, 2021

Push-up is a calisthenic exercise that helps builds the core and upper-body strength. It is also known as a compound exercise that uses the joints in various parts of the body.

Types of Workout

Push-up is a very versatile type of exercise that has various variations which ranges from easy to challenging.

Easy Variations for beginners who are new to this exercise includes:

Incline Pushups: This type of pushup is done against an object such as a table or a bench instead of the floor. Place your hands on the table/bench and perform a pushup.

Bent-Knee Pushups: When doing this variant of pushup you rest your legs on your knees instead of your toes. Try to keep your body from your knee up in a straight line and not bend at the hips.

Challenging Variations for Intermediate to Advanced levels includes:

Wide Hands Pushups: While doing this type of pushup, the hands should be positioned a little more farther than shoulder width.

Stability-Ball Pushups: A stability ball is needed in this type of push up. Place the stability ball on the floor with the rounded surface facing the ground. Hold the flat surface with your hands, get into push up position and perform your routine.

Push Up Lat Row: Dumbbells are used during this variation. At the end of each push up rep, raise one hand to be in front of you while holding a dumbbell. Alternate the hands with each rep.

Medicine-Ball Pushup: With the help of a medicine ball perform a standard push up while placing one hand on top of the medicine ball. This helps increase the shoulder stability.

Alternating Medicine ball Push-up: In this variation, instead of just placing one hand on the ball, you roll the ball between each hand after a rep and then position a new hand.

Staggered Hands Push-up: In this position, instead of positioning the hand straight like the basic push-up position, Put on hand forward and one hand backward while performing the push-up.

Decline Pushup: To perform this variation of push up, place feet on a box/bench/table while performing the push up. You can choose the adjust the length of the object being used.

Diamond Push up: When doing this type of push up the index fingers and thumbs of your both hands should touch each other and form a diamond shape. When doing the push up, you hands should touch the center of your chest and your elbows should be close to your sides.

Clapping Push Up: This is a very challenging form of push up and is only for those with experience and high core stability. While pushing yourself up, exert enough force to get your hands off the floor and then clap your hands in midair.

Muscles Activated During Push-up

Shoulder Muscles (Deltoid, Rotator Cuff Muscles).

Chest Muscle (Pectoralis Major and Minor).

Upper Arm (Tricep Brachii and Bicep Brachii).

ForeArm (Brachioradialis, Brachialis, Anconeus).

Core Muscles (Rectus abdominis, Transversus abdominis).

Glutes (Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Minimus, Gluteus Medius).

Quadriceps (Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis, Vastus Medialis, Vastus Intermedius).

Hamstrings (Semi-tendonosus, Semi-membranosus, Bicep Femoris).

Calves (Gastrocnemius, Soleus)

Foot muscles

Muscle Activated during the various types of push-up

In this section we will be focusing the main muscles/muscle group worked in the various types of Pushups.

Incline Pushups: The main muscle groups worked here are: Shoulder muscles, Chest muscles, Core muscles and Forearm muscles

Bent-Knee Pushups: The main muscles activated here are: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, and the Core Muscles.

Wide Hands Pushups:It mainly works muscles in the Shoulder, Chest, Core, Upper and Forearm muscles.

Stability-Ball Pushups: Hand muscles, Shoulder muscles, Core muscles and Glutes.

Push Up Lat Row: The major muscles used in this variation are: Shoulder muscles, Upper arm muscles, Forearm muscles, Hand muscles and Core muscles.

Medicine-Ball Pushup:The main muscles worked are the shoulder muscles, chest muscles, core muscles and Forearm muscles.

Alternating Medicine ball Push-up: The main muscles used are the Shoulder muscles, Chest muscles, Core muscles, and Glutes.

Diamond Push up: The main muscles activated here are the Hand muscles, Shoulder muscles, Core muscles and Forearm muscles.

Staggered Hands Push-up: It helps to strengthen the muscles in the Shoulder, Upper Arm, Fore arm and Core.

Decline Pushup: The main muscles worked here are the Feet muscles, Calves, Shoulder muscles, and the Core muscles.

Clapping Push Up: The main muscles used are the Core muscles, Shoulder muscles, Chest muscles, and forearm muscles.

How to Do a Push-up

Below is a guide on how to do a basic push-up

Step 1: Start on the floor on all fours with your hands positioned slightly wider than shoulder width.

Step 2: Extend your legs backwards and balance on your toes and hands, while keeping your body in a straight line.

Step 3: While in a straight line, contract your abs and tighten your core. Your core has to be kept tight throughout the pushup.

Step 4: Lower your body slowly until your elbows are at 90 degree angle. Inhale while lowering your body.

Step 5: Contract your chest muscles and push your body back up through your hands. Exhale as you push back and keep your elbows slightly bent to prevent locking them.

Step 6: Do as much reps as you can.

Benefits of Push-up

It helps strengthen and develop the rotator cuff muscles: The rotator cuff muscles are very important shoulder muscles that are in regular daily activities such as lifting. Doing push ups helps to increase the functional fitness of these muscles.

It increases the body's functional strength: Since push up is a full body exercise, overtime it can help to increase the functionality of the body.

It helps stretch muscles: Push up are a very great exercise form if you are looking to stretch and improve the flexibility of your upper body muscles.

It can enhance the cardiovascular system: Push-up helps to increase the heart rate because it makes the heart pump more oxygen rich blood. This results in the overall improvement of the cardiovascular system functionality.

Muscle Growth: Push-up helps in stimulating muscle growth by aiding in the production of Human Growth Hormone.

Postural improvement: Weak core muscles are one of the most common causes of bad posture. Doing push up helps to strengthen the core muscles which in turn helps to improve the overall posture of the body.

Prevention of Back Injuries: When push-up is done in the right posture, it helps strengthen the muscles in the torso and lower back area. Which helps in reducing lower back pressure and preventing back injuries.

It is time and cost effective: Instead of spending time in training various muscles groups with various workouts, pushups helps works various muscle groups at the same time and because it is a bodyweight workout you dont need to spend a dime.

Weight management: When exercise is made an habit it can help in maintaining body weight.

It can reduce blood pressure

It may reduce the amount of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

It can help in increasing the amount of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.

It can help to increase insulin sensitivity

Consequences of Wrong Posture

If push-up is done in the wrong posture in one way or another it can lead to various body aches such as:

Back Pain: This is commonly caused by sagging of the body in the middle which occurs if the core is not properly tightened during the movement.

Neck Ache: This usually happens if the neck is not kept in a straight line with the spine.

Elbow Strain: This is very common as a lot of people tend to lock their elbow while pushing their body back up, and locking the elbow puts stress on the joints present at the elbow.

Shoulder Pain: If the hands are positioned to far from the shoulder it can result in excess strains in the joint of the shoulder.

The most important thing when adding push-up to your workout routine is to start slowly and master the basic and less challenging variations before moving up to more challenging ones.