It’s one of the most dreaded exercises of all: the push-up.
And while difficult to do, the rewards are great.
Push-ups will work muscles in your chest, core and abdomen as well as the front shoulder, triceps and anterior rotator cuff muscles.
It’s truly a complete, challenging, full body movement when performed correctly.
-- Lie face down, place palms on the floor next to your arm pits.
-- Peer at the floor while keeping your head and neck parallel to it.
-- Press your toes into the floor, left your knees off of it and contract your abdominal muscles.
-- Exhale and push your entire body away from the floor as one unit and straighten your arms.
-- Inhale and slowly lower your body to two inches above the floor.
-- Pause a second and then repeat the lift, and repeat.
-- It’s important to keep your elbows close to your body throughout the movement.
-- What to avoid: a protruding head and neck; arching your lower back; bending your knees and short, choppy repetitions.
-- If you can’t go the full distance between the top of the position and the floor, place your hands atop a bench or pile of mats at a height that will help you perform the push-up properly.
-- Beginners can also perform the push-up from the same starting position but on bent knees. Or, stand arms length from a wall and do the push-up against it.