How can you build up to getting your push-up on?
[Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 54 seconds.]
Let’s talk about how you can do your 1st push-up. If you think you can’t do them, think again.
How can push-ups help you in day-to-day life?
Push-ups strengthen the muscles in your chest, shoulders, and arms. Here are some specific examples of how push-ups can help with day-to-day tasks:
Carrying groceries: Stronger muscles will make it easier to carry groceries from the car to your kitchen or from the store to your home.
Assembling furniture: Stronger upper body muscles will make it easier to push and pull objects, making these tasks less tiring and more manageable.
Playing with kids: Whether it's picking up your child, playing catch in the park, or pushing them on a swing, push-ups can help you have more fun and energy when spending time with your kids.
Gardening and yard work: Digging in the garden, or lifting heavy bags of mulch all require upper body strength. Push-ups can help you tackle these tasks with more ease and reduce the risk of strain or injury.
Push-ups can also improve your overall posture, balance, and coordination, which can benefit you in many aspects of your daily life.
Much of the problem stems from a very dated term - “girl push-ups”. Go Long has covered this in the past about how those push-ups don’t help you achieving a goal of executing a push-up. Not to mention it is a sexist and dated term.
If you’re looking to build to doing push-ups off of the floor, it is way more beneficial for you to execute the movement in the same way regardless of height. Check out the video at the top of the post for what I mean.
The iconic Liz Lemon of “30 Rock”. Source: NBC.
What constitutes a push-up?
A push-up is a compound exercise that works multiple muscle groups, primarily the chest, shoulders, and triceps. It is a bodyweight exercise that can be performed anywhere, without any equipment.
Start in a prone position on the floor with your hands shoulder-width apart and your fingers pointing forward. Your body should form a straight line from head to toe.
Engage your core muscles and lower your body down until your chest almost touches the floor. Keep your elbows close to your body and your back straight.
Push yourself back up to the starting position, keeping your body in a straight line.
The word ‘floor’ is italicized because you can work up to doing a push-up off of the floor. Replace the word ‘floor’ with ‘wall’. Yes, you can start from the wall. Then you can progress to your kitchen counter.
Keeping your elbows close to your body with your back straight is a great way to train your body as you move lower. Your body will gain familiarity with using those muscles.
In the video at the top, I show an example of starting from boxes that total 22” off of the ground, then 16” off of the ground with a bench and then off of the ground. Every height from the wall and being vertical to the floor and being horizontal can be challenging.
Start from where you can execute the push-up with proper technique. If you’re struggling to move from one height to a lower height, think about increasing the time under tension covered here.
Are you struggling with where to begin?
You’re not alone. Go Long can help you be the hero(ine) of your story. You just need the right program with the right coach.
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*PS - Please check with a doctor before beginning an exercise program.