Various push-ups. Types of push-ups and their health benefits

Look fit, slim and in great shape physical fitness many wish. But, unfortunately, not everyone wants or can, due to certain circumstances, visit Gym or set up a sports corner at home. This won't be necessary if you do push-ups regularly.

Push-ups do not require the use of any specialized expensive equipment or exercise equipment or sports equipment. To achieve good results, it is enough to have a desire to be in good shape, not to be lazy, and also to use a suitable push-up system (program).

The advantage of such trainings is that they have no restrictions. Absolutely everyone can do push-ups - children, adults, the elderly, men and women.

This basic exercise simultaneously engages several muscle groups. It is considered universal and must be included in any training plan.

During its implementation, the following are actively involved in the work:

rib cage;
shoulder girdle;
hands;
abdominal muscles.

Push-ups not only use different muscles, but also allow you to shift emphasis to certain groups. To work a specific area, it is enough to redistribute the load by changing support points and execution techniques.

The muscles are involved in the work already when the initial (initial) position is assumed. To keep the body in a static position, the intercostal and abdominal muscles, back, as well as arms and legs.

Thanks to this basic, affordable, and, most importantly, effective exercise, muscle mass increases. In addition, a person who regularly does push-ups becomes stronger and more resilient. The impact speed also increases.

The following receive the greatest load muscle groups:

Breasts. Provide abduction, adduction, and rotation humerus. They are best worked in a wide-grip position.
Triceps. Thanks to the triceps muscles, the arms are straightened, and they develop best in a narrow grip position.
Biceps. They receive a powerful charge that increases the strength of the biceps muscles.
Deltoid. They acquire a beautiful relief, and, therefore, the shoulders look visually larger.
Serrated front. The lateral chest area is worked by doing a limited type of exercise, and push-ups are considered the best among them.
Pyramidal. The elbow muscles, which are a continuation of the triceps, provide easier extension of the forearms.

A properly designed program and execution technique allows you to receive benefits not only for the muscles. Push-ups strengthen the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, bone tissue, joints, and ligaments, and have a positive effect on metabolism. A person's health and well-being improve noticeably.

For a person who does not play sports and does not go to the gym, this exercise allows you to quickly tone weakened muscles. Thanks to this, it becomes much easier to carry out routine work that involves certain physical activity.

Having set a goal for yourself - to start doing push-ups, you need to understand that it will be difficult both psychologically and physically. At this stage, it is important not to overdo it, but to do everything correctly, so that in the future it will be much easier to make the transition from simple to complex.

It is not recommended to bring yourself to exhaustion in the first lesson. The result obtained is determined not only by the number of approaches, but by the technicality of execution, which is much more important. And if you simply push with numbers rather than quality, there will be no effect. Beginners should start the classic version of push-ups after performing this exercise, first from a vertical plane and then from the knees.

There is no need to rush. Each stage takes from seven days to several weeks. You need to focus solely on your preparation, as well as your physical fitness. The readiness to move to the next stage is indicated by the absence of difficulties in completing the current level.

Particular attention is paid to mastering the initial position, which depends on the type of push-up, correct breathing, and the direction of each movement. The torso lowers as you inhale and rises as you exhale. It is necessary to ensure that the body is always straight, and that the lowering and raising of the body is carried out solely by bending and straightening the arms.

You should start doing push-ups by performing 10 repetitions. It is recommended to increase the pace gradually. The main thing is to listen to your own feelings regarding how the body reacts to the current and increasing load. After class, the feeling of fatigue should be light. No overvoltage. This is especially true for the first training sessions.
Before starting classes, you should always do a ten-minute warm-up, and perform the planned number of repetitions in several approaches with breaks of 2-3 minutes.
You need to do push-ups regularly. Training should never be adjusted to a routine.
Drawing up a training program must be accompanied by specific goals. If you need to build muscle mass, you will have to train daily. To keep yourself in good physical shape and to normalize body weight, you can do push-ups two to three times a week.
Those who decide to train daily should move to this pace gradually. First, you need to exercise every other day to prepare your muscles for the load. Rest also gives the muscles an impulse to gain mass.
When starting an exercise, you should always carefully study not only the description, but also the recommendations.
When doing push-ups, you can experiment and take some liberties, but only when all the movements are perfected, strength, agility and endurance are well developed, that is, with experience that comes with time.

Beginners are most often interested in the question of how many repetitions they should strive for. For women, it is enough to increase the number of push-ups to 30-40, and for men - to 50-100 push-ups. These are decent results, but not the best. People who want to be pumped up powerful body or those involved in sports should set higher goals for themselves.

In a month and a half, if you exercise regularly, women can achieve 50, and men 100 repetitions. You need to train for no more than 10-15 minutes. This is quite enough to increase arm strength, as well as the appearance of visually noticeable changes. One thing to consider here important point. There is an opinion that more than 15 repetitions per set will increase endurance, but only to the detriment of increasing volume and physical strength.

To increase strength and muscle growth, you should pay increased attention to the technique of execution, complicate the movements and amplitude. You can do push-ups or other difficult variations.

Apparent simple exercise has many options. According to some experts, the number of different variations is more than fifty.

Majority famous athletes and bodybuilders are constantly introducing various additions and changes to push-ups, which allow them to shift the emphasis of the load and open up new possibilities.

Selecting easier options or making training even more difficult is everyone’s personal choice. The choice is determined by personal wishes, goals, and physical capabilities.

Familiar to everyone since school days, performed in class physical culture. The emphasis is placed while lying down, resting on your toes and palms. Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder level, palms facing forward. The emphasis is on the toes, slightly wider than the shoulders. The classic push-up movements involve the triceps, chest, and deltoids.

They are a lightweight variation suitable for beginners, elderly people or those with spinal problems. The initial pose is similar to the classic version, but only with emphasis on the legs bent at the knee joint, and not on the toes.

At the same time, keep your feet above the floor, placing one on top of the other. Thanks to this pose, the load is removed from the lower back and the force from various muscle groups is reduced. Studies have shown that the workload in classic push-ups is 64, and with an emphasis on knee joints- 49 percent.

From a horizontal surface and from a wall

The first ones are quite difficult, especially for beginners, and if you start with them, then physical overexertion can be the reason that will discourage any desire to continue practicing. It is best to start the first steps with push-ups performed from a vertical plane, that is, from a wall. It is light, but quite practical, as it prepares muscles and joints for much higher loads.

The technique is quite simple. You need to stand up straight, stepping back from the wall about one step. The distance between the shoulders should be slightly greater than the width of the shoulders. It is best to keep your heels off the floor when the load from your body weight is transferred to your hands. You need to move towards the wall by bending your arms at the elbow joints until your chest touches the surface, and rise by straightening your elbows. At the same time, the torso should be kept straight, only the arms should work.

The distance between your arms out to the side is approximately two shoulder widths. The elbow joints look to the sides, and the emphasis can be on either clenched fists or open palms.

Socks resting on the surface of the floor, on the contrary, reduce the shoulders. As you go down, make sure that your elbow joints remain pointed to the side. Touching the floor, they quickly rise up.

The effectiveness of the exercise depends on the position of the torso, which should be kept straight from the feet to the head. If you lower your stomach, stick your buttocks up, or bend in the lumbar region, this will disrupt your technique.

To transfer the load to the chest muscles, the legs are placed on a hill - a sofa or bench, and the palms are left on the floor. Transferring the emphasis to a stand with a height of 60 cm, according to experts, allows you to increase the load to 75% of its own weight. If you do a reverse transfer, that is, place your arms rather than your legs on a hill, then doing the exercise will be much easier. The higher the bench height, the easier it is to perform push-ups.

The load on the chest muscles directly depends on the grip. The wider it is, the higher it is.

The arms are placed in line with the level of the shoulder joint, that is, along the body. Elbows point back. They stand either on their palms or on their fists. The position of the legs should be such that they are narrower than shoulder width. Moving down, the arms are bent, moving them along the body, pointing the elbows back. Having touched the floor, keeping the body straight, they immediately rise up. This technique allows you to work your triceps. Placing your legs on a hill makes the exercise more difficult, but your arms make it easier.

It is a complex version of push-ups, thanks to which the triceps and frontal deltas are worked out.

The emphasis is placed exclusively on the palms, which are located side by side so that the fingers rest against the surface of the floor and turn slightly inward if necessary to make the execution easier. The toes are placed either slightly wider or at the same level with the shoulder girdle.

To go down, bend your arms, moving your elbows along your body. They are directed back and slightly to the sides. At the end point you need to touch the back of the hand. Move up until the arms are completely straight.

Widely spaced legs allow for a stable position. The right hand is left on the floor, and the slightly bent left hand is placed behind the back. To ensure safety and ensure maximum convenience for execution, it is recommended to use special stops.

The supporting (right) hand cannot be moved to the side. It should be in line with the body. Instead of four, there are only three points of support, and the legs spread to the sides allow you to maintain balance. When lowering, the elbow bends and moves to the side.

The downward movement is continued until the chest touches the floor, and then a push-up is performed, rising until the arm is straightened. Shoulders should be parallel to the floor. Having done a certain number of times, they change hands.

In order not to experience difficulties in performing this exercise, you must have fairly well-developed abdominal muscles.

Complicated Variations

This training perfectly loads the muscles, helps to develop good performance strength, speed and agility. To make a clap, you need to take a position in which your toes are at the same width or narrower shoulder girdle, and the hands are spaced 1.5 or 2 times wider.

The body is pushed up with a powerful push, lifting the palms off the floor, and quickly clapping. The return should be a soft and graceful landing on the palm of your hand. You can't flop on the floor.

Lightly touching the floor, you need to repeat the entire chain of movement “powerful push-clap-soft landing”. Hands should move rhythmically, harmoniously, strongly, quickly. Boxers include such push-ups in their training programs. They are useful for sprinters and those involved in various types of martial arts.

Focusing on the fingers helps strengthen the bones and increase the strength of the hands. The grip can be either narrow or wide. The main thing is that the emphasis is placed exclusively on the fingers.

It is necessary to do push-ups of this type only if you are in good physical shape and when your fingers are able to hold the body as securely as possible. To prepare for it, you should work a little with an expander to strengthen your hands.

Designed for athletes involved in strength disciplines and those who want to build bulky muscles and have a beautiful and clearly defined relief. The use of special weighting materials allows you to increase the load, due to which muscle tissue are studied as deeply and efficiently as possible.

Vests equipped with weights are most often worn as weighting. This equipment is also used by those who do pull-ups on the crossbar and do push-ups on the uneven bars. Instead of a vest, you can use a regular barbell plate. This weight should be used with caution and only when someone is nearby for backup. The partner must ensure that the pancake is positioned correctly on the back and does not fall. The push-ups themselves also require caution.

You need to start doing push-ups with light weights. It is increased gradually. It is recommended to add no more than one or two kilos per week.

Increasing the range of motion allows you to work out the muscles as effectively as possible. To achieve this, it is necessary to remove the lower constraint, that is, the floor.

This can be achieved by using three support points, which are three strong chairs. One becomes a support for the feet, and the other two - for the arms. Instead of chairs, it is allowed to use a variety of stands with a height of 10 to 15 centimeters.

Items used as support must be reliable. It is better to buy special handles designed for push-ups. Without the use of additional devices, it is impossible to do deep push-ups that allow you to go below the level of your hands.

At the first stage, you need to determine for yourself three to four days a week for classes. Even if you plan to do push-ups every day, at first you train only every other day. It is imperative to give your muscles time to recover and rest, and not to overexert yourself during your first workouts. At the first stage, a monthly plan is usually drawn up, changes to which occur every week.

A training plan might look like this:

First week:

warm-up
first approach - up to 8 push-ups
break - 1 minute
second approach – two push-ups less than in the first
break - 1 minute
third set – 5 repetitions
break – 5 minutes
fourth set – 5 push-ups
next two sets of five repetitions with a minute's rest

Second week:

warm-up
four sets of 8 repetitions, pauses of 1 minute

Third week:

warm-up
four sets, maximum number of repetitions (without excessive tension and with high quality)
rest between sets - 1 minute

The final (fourth) week is devoted to increasing the number of push-ups. They plan the next training month independently and draw up a program for each training day.

Those who have completed initial training, are ready for full-time studies, and want to engage in the formation of a strong and beautiful body a more advanced approach is needed. It is necessary to develop and change plans every five to seven weeks, aiming to increase repetitions.

1st day:

warm-up
push-ups with weights - 4 sets of 12-15 times
hand push-ups together - 4, 10-12
abdominal exercise - 1, 40-50

Day 2:

warm-up
100 reps for selected exercise (change push-ups every week)
first week 10 sets of 10 reps *
pause between sets 2-3 minutes

3rd day:

warm-up
wide grip push-ups 1 set max
Medium grip push-ups 1 set max
abdominal exercise – 1 set to the maximum

4th day:

warm-up
deep push-ups - 3 sets of 20-25 times
squats – 3, 20-30
hand push-ups together - 3, 10-12

Descriptions for the exercises allow you to formulate correct technique execution, but give the opportunity to adjust the execution according to their characteristics and goals. You should always place your hands on a plane so that you do not feel any discomfort in the joints. It is necessary to try to prevent them from twisting, unbending, or bending. You always need to find the most comfortable placement of your palms.
You should definitely pay attention to developing flexibility, additionally performing special exercises, and also stretch your wrists before class.
To avoid injuries and sprains, it is recommended to wear wristbands or bandages. This protection is relevant for those who perform complex squats with clapping, on one arm, without resting on the toes.
Not all women are able to achieve a full range of motion due to a large bust. To “eliminate” the obstacle, you should use stops. Thanks to these devices, girls can increase the amplitude.
The difficulty of push-ups depends on the position of your legs. The higher they are, the more difficult the exercise and the load placed on the muscles. Experienced athletes may not even use tables, benches, or stools, but instead do vertical push-ups with their legs up.
Each training program necessarily involves the inclusion of abdominal and biceps exercises in the plan.
We should not forget the importance proper nutrition. In order for muscles to develop and form, you need to eat more meat and vegetables.

Push-ups are not only about classic exercise, familiar to us from school, but also a number of its modifications that allow us to qualitatively work out certain muscle groups, develop strength and endurance. Many articles and books have been written about push-ups. In order not to get confused in a large amount of information, let's systematize the knowledge about this exercise and figure out what goals it can help achieve.

What can you achieve with push-ups?

If we approach the issue globally, then during push-ups almost all the muscles of our body work. However, when planning training process We can ignore the minor load that, say, the abs receive and focus on those muscle groups that do the main work.

The most important factors involved in push-ups are:

pectoral muscles (top, bottom or middle of the chest);
triceps;
deltoids shoulders

By changing the position of the arms and body, we can shift the emphasis of the load to any of the specified muscle groups. In addition to training muscles, push-ups are an excellent tool for developing endurance, increasing explosive strength (plyometric), training of cardio-vascular system, strengthening ligaments and tendons.

In this article we will first look at classical technique exercises. Next, let's look at the following series of questions:

What kind of push-ups should you use to train your pectoral muscles, arms and shoulders?
How to strengthen your hands, fists and fingers?
What plyometric push-ups are there (developing explosive force)?
Complicated exercise options and work with additional weight for trained athletes.
How to start a push-up training for beginners?
How many repetitions and approaches should I do?

Most of the push-up options that will be listed below are covered in separate articles on our website. You can always read about the exercise in more detail by following the appropriate link.

Classical technique

The traditional version of the exercise looks like this:

Take a lying position. Place your palms slightly wider than your shoulders and stretch your body into a string. The neck is an extension of the back, the stomach does not sag, the lower back is straight, and the buttocks do not rise up. Place your feet at a short distance from each other on your toes.
As you inhale, without changing the straight position of your body, lower your chest down by bending your arms at the elbow joints. There are a few centimeters left between the chest and the floor.
As you exhale, straighten your arms and return to the top point.

Such basic technique execution loads the pectoral muscles, triceps and slightly anterior deltoids. Additionally, the core stabilizer muscles work. It can be considered as a basis from which we will build when considering variations for accentuated training of specific muscles.

Focus on chest muscles

To pump up the chest, the exercise technique must be structured so that it involves bringing the arms (shoulders) closer to each other. After all, this is the main function pectoral muscles. Think of any chest exercise: bench press, crossover, hummer chest press, etc.

Wide-arm push-ups work the chest the most. After all, in fact, in order to lift your body to the top point, you need to straighten your elbows and, overcoming the weight of your own body, bring your shoulders together.

The distribution of the load across the pectoral muscles depends on the position of your body relative to the floor:

Hands and feet on the floor - the middle and slightly lower chest works.
Legs elevated - the upper chest works. Your feet can be placed on a bench or step. However, the higher the legs, the more the shoulders are involved in the work. Therefore, in order not to shift the load from the pectoral muscles, do not raise your legs too high. The height of the bench is the maximum.
Hands elevated - works the lower chest. There is a slightly different feature here. The higher you place your hands, the less stress on top part body in principle (since the weight presses on the legs). Therefore, it is for the purpose of developing the lower chest that push-ups are rarely used. As a rule, in this case, push-ups are used on parallel bars, when your legs do not rest on the floor, but hang in the air.

It is also no secret that the effectiveness of muscle development depends on the amplitude of movement. That is, in total, how much you contract the muscle in the positive phase of the movement and stretch it in the negative phase.

In order to better stretch the pectoral muscles at the lowest point, you can use special wrist rests. They will allow you to go lower. The role of stops can be performed by any two stable objects on which you can place your hands.

Focus on triceps

Accordingly, for training back surface The chest should be turned off as much as possible. Therefore, bringing the hands closer to each other is removed from the movement. The palms are not spread wide, but are placed shoulder-width apart or narrower, until the palms touch, and the elbows are pulled back and brought towards the body.

When doing push-ups narrow grip, just like with (a variation of the previous ones), the best way to train is triceps muscles shoulder

There is another type of triceps exercise that deserves special attention. These are reverse push-ups. With this technique, the hands are placed on a bench behind the body.

For shoulder development

With the help of special push-ups, you can pump up the middle and anterior deltoid muscles well. To do this, you need to raise your pelvis and legs as high as possible, that is, stand upside down and press yourself off the floor. In other words, inclined and vertical push-ups are aimed at developing shoulders.

You should only undertake them when you have already worked out the chest and triceps exercise options to perfection. Supporting your weight on your arms is much more difficult than on your legs, so you need to be especially careful here. When performing vertical push-ups, the legs are placed high on a support, which may well be a wall.

Strengthening your fists, hands and fingers

So, above we looked at three main groups of push-ups, differing in the width of the arms and the position of the body relative to the floor. But the scope of the exercise is not limited to training the chest, triceps and shoulders.

Now let's move on to narrower points, for example, targeted strengthening of the hands and fingers. This aspect is extremely important when practicing martial arts and any sports that involve striking with fists, palms or fingers.

To strengthen the striking surface of the fist and ligaments of the hands, they are also used on the back of the palms. Push-ups on your fingers will help make your fingers strong and strong.

Explosive Strength Development

Explosive strength is the ability to do maximum work in a minimum period of time. This quality is necessary when practicing CrossFit and many other disciplines. Explosive strength exercises already presuppose the athlete’s good endurance and developed muscles. Therefore, they are not recommended for beginners.

Plyometric exercises include clap push-ups, Spartan push-ups (one hand is placed slightly in front and the other slightly behind, changing their position as you jump) and any other variations that involve a dynamic change in posture during the movement.

A great example of a multifunctional plyometric exercise that combines jumping jacks with push-ups is the burpee.

Complex exercise options

Listed below are exercises of a high degree of difficulty designed to demonstrate a good level of physical training athlete. Namely, strength, muscle development, the ability to maintain balance and coordinate the work of the whole body.

Here are some of these exercises:

Hindu push-ups.
Planche (a version of push-ups without legs or in the horizontal).

In addition to complicating the push-up technique with own weight you can increase the load by doing the exercise with additional weights. For example, you can ask your partner to place a barbell plate on your back. If you do push-ups at home, the load can be an ordinary backpack. A special weighted vest would also be a good purchase.

When doing push-ups with weights, you need to especially carefully monitor the technique of performing the movement.

Simple options for beginners

In most cases, trained athletes, even without outside help, know what exercises to perform and how to ensure the load on certain muscle groups. But what should those who are just starting their journey do?

You can start by mastering push-ups from the “chest” and “triceps” points, just do them with emphasis on your knees and not on your feet. In this way, it will be much easier to hold your body and gradually your muscles will become strong enough to move on to the usual, and then to the more complicated technique.

Aim to increase the number of repetitions to 10-15 for at least three sets. Then increase the load, for example, by starting the first approach using the standard technique, and the next two from your knees.

How many repetitions should you do?

The number of repetitions and sets depends largely on the role push-ups play in your training program.

If push-ups are one of the exercises you use to bulk up your chest or arms, then do 8-12 reps in 3-4 sets. When performing this volume freely, perform the exercise with additional weight or master more complicated variations.
If you need relief and burning excess fat, perform 15-20 relatively fast repetitions in 3-4 sets, in combination with other exercises.
If push-ups are your main thing training exercise on the upper body, and the goal is not so much to gain weight, but overall strength and endurance, do the maximum number of repetitions and approaches. There are various programs and techniques aimed at increasing the number of push-ups.

Summarizing everything said above, we can say that push-ups from the floor are far from being an outdated atavism with school lessons physical education, but a whole range of various functional exercises that allow you to effectively work the muscles of the upper body, develop strength and endurance. Have fun training and the results will not take long to arrive!

This 17 push-up workout to failure will test your endurance and tone your pecs, triceps and shoulders.

Are your pecs or shoulders lagging, or maybe your triceps need a serious shake-up to get them growing?

Or perhaps you'd like to improve their shape and size while maximizing your metabolism while reducing your fat percentage to the single digits? Do you want to know what types of push-ups are for different muscle groups?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the program and methodology below may be just what you need.

The workout described is challenging and will require you to exert your utmost physical strength, but in the end, every drop of sweat will be worth it.

Before the methodology high intensity training() came to the rescue of the legions of desperate jocks who spent countless hours on slow-tempo, low-intensity exercise, bringing them the desired fat-loss relief while maintaining muscle mass, for many, trying to maintain this balance ended in metabolic collapse and disastrous results.

Now, by combining short, ultra-intense bouts with short periods of rest and/or active recovery in 15-20 minute periods, dedicated athletes can achieve phenomenal results in both maintaining muscle mass and losing weight quickly. And although cardio often plays a leading role when it comes to losing fat, for many it does not provide the desired effect when it comes to quality muscle volume.

If you perform rapid series strength exercises on different groups muscles to failure one after another, interspersed with rest only sufficient to recover for the next approach, the muscles are forced to work with greater efficiency, more blood is supplied to the target muscle groups, and the metabolism receives a strong impulse to accelerate. If you apply this approach wisely, you will certainly achieve a leaner and more muscular body.

The following workout uses HIIT principles to primarily target the chest/shoulders/triceps.

Give it a try. Get used to it. Use it wisely, and your pectorals will have no choice but to get stronger.

Video - types of push-ups and their functions

We've already covered the topic in detail, now it's time to use the right technique to pump up your muscles.

Training program

Types of push-ups	Approaches	Repetitions
1. With cotton	1	To failure
	1	To failure
3. With weight transfer on one hand	1	To failure
4. On an inclined surface reverse grip	1	To failure
5. Weighted	1	To failure
	1	To failure
7. Spiderman push-ups (Spiderman)	1	To failure
8. On a surface with a negative slope	1	To failure
9. With cross lift	1	To failure
	1	To failure
11. With a pause	1	To failure
12. With a wave of your hand up	1	To failure
13. On fists	1	To failure
14. With a bend in the lower back	1	To failure
15. On an inclined surface with a wide grip	1	To failure
16. On one leg	1	To failure
17. Narrow grip	1	To failure

Follow different kinds push-ups as one giant set, resting 45 seconds to 1.5 minutes between each exercise (depending on your skill and recovery speed).
Each exercise should be performed for as many repetitions as you can (AMRAP). Twenty reps per set will mean you have excellent endurance.
This workout is designed for those who have at least a year of good training experience.
If you are not yet so experienced (or just starting out), it is better to modify the workout for safety reasons. If you are a beginner, you should reduce the number of repetitions, eliminate some movements and/or increase the rest time between sets.
Always start with a warm-up.

1. Explosive clap push-ups

These types of movements help develop explosive power in the arms, chest and shoulders, it concentrates on fast muscle fibers, the development of which will give you an impressive increase in volume.

To perform this movement, you'll need to add some elements to your regular pushup.

Plyometric (explosive) push-ups mean that you need to accelerate in the eccentric phase (the negative phase of the movement, that is, the downward movement). Don't pause at the bottom. Instead, move from the eccentric to the concentric phase as quickly as possible, that is, try to push your body up as quickly as possible so that at the end of the movement you gain maximum speed and have time to clap your hands. Instead of stopping at the end, accelerate, lift your hands off the ground and perform a clap. Land in the starting position and continue with the exercise while maintaining control.

2. Push-ups with feet on a fitball

3. One-arm push-ups

In this push-up variation, one hand has to stabilize the body while you bring the other hand under your working hand. This way you need to maintain balance and prevent your shoulder from twisting.

To perform it, take a standard lying position; perform one repetition, lift your hand off the ground and bring it behind the opposite (supporting) one, touch the ground and return it to its place. Complete one repetition and do the same on the other side. Perform until you reach the desired number of repetitions. The number of repetitions for this movement can be reduced due to its difficulty.

4. Incline push-ups with reverse grip

This exercise is performed in a lying position, but inner part hands should look forward, this variation works more muscles compared to normal. Along with the chest, the work includes the shoulders, arms, legs, core muscles and upper back.

To perform it, grab the bar, your body should be inclined at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the surface, your toes resting on the floor. Take a reverse grip, slowly lower your body towards the bar and push up.

5. Weighted push-ups

This is an advanced version of the regular push-up that has been around for a long time. Weighted push-ups use the same muscles, but put more stress on them. With added weight, this movement better replicates a traditional bench press than a simple push-up. Additionally, since the weight must be kept in balance, more stabilizer muscles are recruited to perform the movement.

Get into a standard prone position and have your partner place a barbell plate on your back. Trying to maintain your balance, perform a regular push-up.

6. Sideways push-ups

This movement, which requires more coordination and flexibility compared to simple push-ups, uses the external and inner side pectoral muscles, and also loads the core muscles.

To perform this, take a standard prone position, but place your hands a little closer to each other and your legs wider. Do a push-up. Then spread your arms wider and bring your legs together. Do a second push-up. Alternate until you have completed the desired number of repetitions.

7. Spiderman push-ups

In addition to working the key muscles for push-ups, this movement also improves flexibility and mobility of the pelvis, as well as promoting good posture and mobility throughout the body.

To perform this, do a regular push-up from a standard bench position, but spread your elbows slightly on the way down. As your body lowers to the ground, pull your right knee toward your right elbow, straighten it, and rise into the starting position while lying down. Repeat for the other side. Changing sides, perform the desired number of times.

8. Push-ups on a surface with a negative slope (with your feet resting on the wall)

Negative incline push-ups focus on the upper pecs to work that stubborn area. This movement can be challenging at first, but as you get the hang of it, you'll appreciate how well it works your upper body (since your legs aren't involved in the work).

To perform, place your feet against the wall and your body should be at a 45-degree angle to the ground. Lower your body until your forehead touches the floor. Do push-ups.

9. Push-ups with cross lift (arm/leg)

This movement is even more demanding on the stabilizing muscles of the core, since the arm and opposite leg leave the ground at the same time. It must be performed slowly, with perfect plank technique.

To perform this, do a regular push-up, but on the upward movement, pull forward left hand, while simultaneously pulling back and up right leg. Lower your arms and legs to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side. Switch sides and do required amount repetitions.

10. Shoulder touch push-ups

This movement works the muscles throughout your upper body while challenging your core to stabilize you at the top of each rep.

To perform, assume a standard push-up position, push up once, then hold your torso in a prone position with your arms fully extended. Stretch your hand across the body and touch the opposite shoulder; perform the next repetition. Change sides as many times as desired.

11. Push-ups with a pause

By pausing at the bottom of a standard push-up, you prevent the spring reflex (the tendency of the muscles to return to a neutral state), which otherwise would help you on your way up.

To perform this, do a standard push-up, but instead of immediately pushing your body up from the bottom, hold at the bottom for two full seconds. Then explosively return to initial position.

12. Push-ups with an arm swing

This movement develops rotational strength in the core muscles while working the pecs, shoulders, and arms one side at a time.

To perform, start with your body lowered to the ground, as in a simple push-up. Explosively lift your body to arms outstretched, but instead of stopping, allow one arm to lift off the floor. Raise this arm towards the ceiling, turning your body completely towards it. Keep your entire body straight and roll onto the side of your foot as you repeat. Repeat the same for the other side and perform the desired number of times, or better yet, until failure.

13. Push-ups

This movement is great way avoid breaking the hand, which to one degree or another occurs with all other variations of push-ups (instead of the base of the hands, the load falls on the fists).

To perform this, take a standard push-up position, but press your fists rather than your open palms onto the floor. Do push-ups in this position.

14. Push-ups with a bend in the lower back

The backbend push-up (or Chaturanga Dandasana) requires more force in the combined movements of the core compared to other variations. In particular, with each repetition you need to use the pelvis and the entire shoulder girdle. The mobility of the thoracic spine also improves.

To perform, take a standard lying position, lower your body completely down so that your pelvis touches the floor, push up and transfer your body weight to your heels. Push your pelvis up as high as possible, extending your arms until your chest is fully extended, hold this position for a second, then repeat.

15. Incline push-ups with wide grip

This movement is a great way to engage all of the large sections of the pectoral muscles, focusing on bottom part. In addition, thanks to a wide grip, more stress is placed on the chest and less on the shoulders and triceps.

To perform, rest against the bar on the Smith machine so that your body is at an angle of 45 degrees, as wide as you can, remembering to control your body movements in all phases. Lower yourself slowly and explosively return to the starting position.

16. One-legged push-ups

This is a great way to work your stabilizer muscles while also targeting your pecs, shoulders, triceps, and core.

To perform, take a standard position while lying down, placing one leg on the floor and lifting the other up. For the first repetition, keep one leg suspended, for the next, change to the other, repeat.

Remember to keep your glutes and entire core tight to prevent your body from swaying from side to side with each repetition.

17. Close grip push-ups

This movement is effective method work your triceps to increase their strength and volume. Compared to wide-grip push-ups, it involves keeping the body as compact as possible. Keep your elbows close to your body and your shoulders tense.

There are many types of push-ups, and this is a big plus, since you can work different muscle groups.

All types of push-ups can be divided into two large groups: push-ups without objects and push-ups using objects.

Objects are benches, balls, chairs, etc. Push-ups vary in difficulty, effectiveness, and the muscles they work.

Push-ups without additional objects

When performing these exercises, the distribution of the load depends solely on how a person places his hands and positions his body.

The general rules for performing such push-ups are as follows:

The wider your arms are, the greater the load on the pectoral muscles.
The closer your hands are (maximum position is palm to palm), the more the triceps are tensed.
To strengthen your fingers and hands, you need to do push-ups on your fists or fingers.
You can increase the load by doing push-ups on one arm.
To reduce the load, you should lean on your knees.

By adhering to these rules, you can work out your muscles well with different degrees of load without the use of additional devices.

To perform push-ups, take a lying position, straighten your back, do not lift your pelvis up. By bending your arms, lower your body towards the floor, but do not lie on it. Then, with muscle effort, unclench your hands and return to the starting position.

There are many different variations of push-ups that load different muscles, depending on the position of your arms and legs relative to your body and the working surface.

A separate group includes the so-called plyometric push-ups: exercises whose main purpose is to create the effect of explosive force. These push-ups are useful for those who want to gain speed and agility, but they are ineffective for muscle growth.

Perform polymetric push-ups from the same position as regular push-ups. When lifting your body, you need to push off the floor as hard as possible so that your upper body is in the air. The most popular polymetric push-ups are the clap push-up and the change-height push-up.

Push-ups

The presence of supports is the only way this exercise differs from classic push-ups. It is best to use stools or chairs.

It is important to choose the correct distance for your hands, because overloading can cause damage. shoulder joints. The optimal position is for your hands to be slightly wider than your shoulders. Your feet can be placed on the sofa or on any other support - the same chair will do.

The essence of the exercise is that the upper body in each push-up should fall below the level of the palms. It is advisable to perform the exercise smoothly, maintaining correct breathing- while inhaling, we lower ourselves down, and as we exhale, we squeeze the body up.

Push-ups with additional objects

In such exercises, the load is adjusted through the use of additional objects, for example, a bench, chair, weighting material (weight vest, barbell plate, several books, etc.).

Push-ups using a bench are performed in a very simple way. Feet are placed on a bench, not on the floor, the center of gravity shifts, and the load on the arms increases.

Instead of a bench, it is permissible to use a sofa and even a window sill. The basic rule of this type of push-up is that the higher your legs are, the more difficult it is to perform a push-up.

Chairs can be used for effective stretching muscles. Three chairs are installed as support - two chairs for the arms and one for the feet. When doing push-ups, your chest should be lowered below the level of your hands. This exercise effectively engages the chest muscles. Chairs must be very strong and installed correctly - otherwise there is a risk of injury.

Weights are needed in order to increase body weight during push-ups and, accordingly, force the muscles to work with greater efficiency. A weighting object is placed on the back, slightly below the shoulder blades. When performing such exercises, it is important not to overstrain yourself by using weights that are too heavy for yourself.

Handstand push-ups

One of the most difficult types of push-ups is the handstand push-up. This exercise is designed to develop the upper body and involves the chest, shoulders and triceps.

To perform the exercise you do not need any additional equipment. If you learn to do 3 sets of 15 times this way, you will notice how much your shoulder girdle will change in the direction of growth and strengthening.

Correct performance of push-ups while standing on your hands:

Bend over, place your hands on the floor shoulder-width apart.
Push off the floor with your feet and stand with your arms fully extended. You can touch the wall with your feet.
The body and legs must be kept straight throughout the entire exercise.
Your gaze should be directed at the wall, not the floor.
You should lower yourself slowly until your head touches the floor. Just as slowly you need to straighten up.
Low execution speed is the key to success. If you rush, you can easily get injured.

When performing push-ups while standing on your hands, the following muscles are used:

Deltoid;
Supraspinatus muscle;
Trapezoid;
Triceps;
Top of the pectoral muscle;
Serratus anterior;
Coracobrachialis muscle.

Don't do too many repetitions this exercise: Staying upside down can have a negative impact on your health.

Narrow push-ups

The so-called narrow push-ups (or push-ups with narrow setting arms) involve many muscles, the load on which can be adjusted by changing the position of the arms and body. Narrow push-ups are classified as moderate exercises. The strength emphasis shifts to the triceps, and the pectoral and deltoid muscles are also well worked out.

The hands should be positioned so that the thumbs and index fingers touch, the remaining fingers should be fanned out. When performing the exercise, you should lower yourself slowly, and at the highest point, strain your triceps for a couple of seconds - this will increase the load on them. When performing it, it is important that the buttocks and thighs do not stick out or sag.

Push-ups with narrow arms are performed as follows:

Keep your body as straight as possible.
We take the standard position for simple push-ups.
We place our hands so that they are under the central part chest and touched each other with their fingers.
We begin push-ups with our chest almost touching the floor.
When moving upward, fully straighten your arms.

One-arm push-ups

Exercises such as one-arm push-ups are performed to increase endurance and strengthen many muscle groups: shoulder girdle, chest, triceps. Of particular note is the strengthening of ligaments.

Push-ups of this type are difficult to perform, but with their help you can develop powerful muscles.

You won't be able to do push-ups on one arm right away. First you need to learn how to do push-ups from the floor using the classical method.

To perform one-arm push-ups, it is important to develop a sense of balance. A “clean” exit is achieved through the arm and shoulder girdle, but at first the oblique abdominal muscles will certainly be involved. An excellent result for push-ups on one arm is fifteen to twenty exits.

A very important point is the position of the legs during push-ups. The wider your legs are, the easier it is to perform the exercise. By gradually bringing your legs together you can achieve perfect execution. The knees should be straightened so that they do not participate in the pushing. The pelvis cannot be protruded; the lower back must be held tighter, without bending.

One-arm push-ups generally do not allow for arching or swaying of the body from side to side. The tension is very high and a person may well get injured.

It is better to hold your free hand behind your back, but if this is difficult to do, it is permissible to extend it along the body.

It is extremely important when performing push-ups on one arm that the hand of the working hand is strictly under the shoulder. This way the muscles of the chest and shoulders develop better.

You can hold your head freely while performing the exercise, but it is better not to lift your head up. Relax your neck.

Push-ups with clap and jump

Also a difficult method of push-ups, but much easier than the previous one. It is necessary to lift your hands off the floor when moving your body up. At the same time, you should try to clap your palms. This exercise develops “explosive strength” and strengthens the blow.

In technical terms, push-ups on fists are practically no different from classic push-ups. The fulcrum in this case is the phalanges of the fingers. When performing push-ups on your fists, the muscles of the shoulder girdle, chest, pelvis and torso are tensed.

The exercise is performed as follows:

We lie down on the floor.
We bend our arms at the elbows (90 degree angle). Clenching your fists, we lean on the floor so that the weight transfers to the knuckles. The main weight should be on the knuckles of the index and middle fingers.
We clench our fists tightly and begin to lift our body off the floor. It is not advisable to stop at the top point; you need to keep your arms tense. The back should be kept straight, the body and legs should form a single line. When lifting, the shoulders go up first; the waist should not arch.

Fist push-ups– the exercise is quite complex and should not be performed without prior preparation. The number of repetitions should be reasonable. The load must be increased gradually.

At first, the skin in the knuckle area will certainly make itself known and you will feel discomfort, but then the skin will harden and the knuckles will get used to the load. To reduce the pressure, use a special mat.

Benefits of fist push-ups

Such exercises are useful for people involved in boxing, kickboxing and other striking sports.

Positive aspects of push-ups on fists:

strengthening tendons;
prevention of hand injuries upon impact;
strengthening the knuckles and skin on the fists;
strengthening the muscles of the chest and arms;
strengthening the metacarpal bones.

Push-ups with fists do not cause any harm - it is only important not to overload the body, working exactly as much as necessary.

If doing push-ups on your fists is difficult at first, you can do the exercises on your knees.

Push-ups from the floor are valued not only in purely male species sports. Today, fitness and aerobics trainers are increasingly including push-ups in their programs for women fair half humanity. Push-ups strengthen not only the muscles of the arms and back, but also the pectoral muscles and abdominal muscles.

The main feature of push-ups is their fantastic efficiency. Increasing endurance and strength is not so difficult if you know about all types of push-ups.

These are classic, well-known push-ups. In this case, the middle pectoral muscles, triceps and deltas work.

Technique: Take a lying position, placing your hands strictly shoulder-width apart. The body should be parallel to the floor, legs together. The head does not bend, it is held straight, like an extension of the spine. Then we bend our arms, smoothly, without jerking, and return to the starting position. At the lowest point you need to linger for a few seconds. When bending, we inhale, when unbending, we exhale.

Push-ups with wide arms

When performing push-ups with arms wide apart, the main load is placed on the chest muscles. Triceps and deltoids only receive additional stress.

Technique: take an emphasis lying on the floor. Place your arms one and a half times shoulder width apart and bend to the lowest point, after a pause return to the starting position. When performed correctly, increased tension in the pectoral muscles is felt.

Narrow push-ups

The exercise is aimed at working the triceps. To a lesser extent, it affects the development of the pectoral muscles and shoulders.

Technique: lying position. The hands must be brought closer so that the thumb and index fingers of both hands touch. After smoothly lowering to the bottom point, you need to push yourself to the top position.

One-arm push-ups

One-arm push-ups - physical difficult exercise, requiring special training. You should not immediately include it in the training complex. When working, the load is transferred to the triceps and chest muscles.

Technique: lying position. The legs are spread wide for additional support. One leg is pointed to the side - provides balance to the body. Support on one hand, the other behind your back. The push-up is performed smoothly, without delay in the lower position.

Push-ups on your fingertips

This method helps strengthen the phalanges of the fingers. This type of load is especially useful for strengthening tendons and ligaments. Popular with rock climbers. Particular stress falls on the chest, hands and forearms.

https://youtu.be/s7CVpV5U-94

Technique: Lying emphasis. Hands slightly wider than shoulders. Reliance on the fingers - palms do not touch the floor. Bend your arms to an angle of 90 degrees, pause a little, and straighten. Repeat a small number of times.

Knee push-ups

The best option for beginners. Fully consistent with classic push-ups. Just need to lean not on your feet, but on your knees. Works the upper pectoral muscles, triceps and deltoids.

Technique: Stand upright, lying down with support on your knees. The feet should be crossed. Push up smoothly and hold in the lower position. Softening material should be placed under the knees to avoid overexertion and microtrauma.

Plyometric push-ups

Push-ups with a lift off the surface. Promote the development of explosive muscle strength, fast response and work. The load occurs on the muscles of the shoulders and chest.

https://youtu.be/yf2lYCnW3aU

Technique: lying position. Classic placement of hands shoulder-width apart. After a few regular push-ups, quickly lower yourself down and with a sharp push lift your hands off the surface. Land carefully and continue the exercise.

Diamond push-ups

A method of push-ups that is extremely close to push-ups with a narrow position of the hands. Loading occurs internal muscles chest and mostly triceps.

Technique: take a lying position. Attention is paid to the location of the hands: they should be close to both the index and thumbs touch. The result is a figure similar to a diamond (hence the name). Watch your breath! As you take a deep breath, bend your arms so that your chest touches your hands. As you exhale, smoothly return to the starting position.

Fist push-ups

A popular push-up technique that avoids spraining wrist ligaments. For comfort and to prevent injury, place it under your fists. soft cloth. This exercise works the chest and triceps muscles. Not huge pressure on deltas.

https://youtu.be/otBq1Sgx1TU

Technique: lying position. Feet together, hands shoulder-width apart. Stand on your fists, which are placed vertically and parallel to each other. Bend your arms to a right angle elbow joint, hold for a couple of seconds and return to the starting position.

One-legged push-ups

Performing this type of push-up allows you to increase the load on your legs. The muscles of the chest, triceps and deltoids work.

https://youtu.be/L8k1gXO_NTI

Technique: stand upright lying down. Hands shoulder-width apart, one leg raised. For comfort in the first stages, you can place your foot on the supporting leg. When performing push-ups, maintain balance and avoid falling.

Head up push-ups

A simplified method of push-ups. Available for beginners and experienced athletes. Choose a reliable support - determine the height yourself, depending on your own feelings. During work, the lower pectoral muscles develop.

Depending on the chosen support, they differ slightly.

Fitball: All muscle groups of the upper and middle parts of the body are involved in the work. When performing the exercise, the hands are far enough apart and the task of maintaining balance is simplified.

Medball: except power load, allows you to improve body control and muscle stability. When working, it is recommended to spread your feet to the side to maintain balance.

BOSU: When working, your hands should be placed on opposite sides of the bosu. Helps develop balance.

Bench: When performing the exercise, watch the bend of your wrist so as not to provoke injury and sprain.

Chair: allows you to increase the angle of inclination and regulate the degree of load on the muscles. The muscles of the upper chest work.

: Push-ups are popular due to the practicality of the machine. When performing the exercise, maximum load on the arms occurs, which contributes to the development of the triceps.

Technique: Lean on the emphasis. Feet together. Push-ups are performed as standard, with a delay in the lower position.

Push-ups with your head down (with your feet resting on a fitball, medicine ball, BOSU, bench, chair, TPX loops)

When performing push-ups, in which the head is directed down and the legs are placed on a support, the upper part of the pectoral muscles is worked out. A fitball, medicine ball, bench and other objects that provide solid support are used as support.

Fitball: the load allows you to develop the muscles of the chest, back and triceps. The abdominal muscles are also loaded. After bending your arms to a 90-degree angle at the elbow, you should hold for 2-3 seconds and return to the starting position.

Medball: placing your feet on a medicine ball requires a lot of muscle tension in your mid and lower body. When working, you should carefully monitor your balance.

BOSU: put your feet on the dome and do push-ups. It is not difficult to maintain balance, but the load goes to the upper body.

Bench: allows you to intensively train your arms and upper muscles breasts

Chair: The tilt height is large, so a large load falls on the hands.

: It is convenient to adjust the height, so when performing the exercise you can set the optimal inclination. Balance should be carefully monitored.

Technique: completely corresponds to the standard one, with the difference that the legs are higher than the head.

Circular push-ups

The circular push-up technique allows you to shift the load to the triceps. deltoids and abdominal muscles. In addition, this method develops balance and body control.

Technique: lying position. Lower yourself down and transfer your body weight to one hand. After this, without rising, move to the other hand and return to the starting position.

T-push-ups

A complex exercise that works the entire core. The work involves the muscles of the abs, chest, and arms. When performed regularly, it significantly strengthens all the muscles of the core.

Technique: take a standard lying position. Hands shoulder-width apart, feet together. Bend your arms to a right angle and return to the starting position. After this, extend one arm forward, then straighten it up and turn the body towards this arm. This way you will create something like the letter T.

Jackknife push-ups

Exercise develops flexibility and lateral muscles press. The triceps, deltoids and pectoral muscles also work actively. When performed correctly, it develops all the core muscles, putting stress on the hips.

Technique: Take a lying position, but move your legs closer to your hands, so that your body forms a right angle. After this, bend your arms until your chin touches the floor. Next, raise your head and lower your hips to the floor. Bend over and return to the starting position.

Spiderman push-ups

A useful and challenging exercise. It combines physical activity and flexibility. During work, the muscles of the deltas, chest and arms, as well as the lateral abdominal muscles, develop.

Technique: take a lying position. Hands shoulder width apart. Legs are brought together. Bend your arms to an angle of 90 degrees. Hold in the lower position and bend your leg until your knee touches your elbow. On extension, return the leg to its original position. Do the same with the other leg. Perform the exercise with alternating legs.

Dips

A popular exercise that gives excellent results for the development of pectoral muscles and triceps. Simple to perform, push-ups develop the entire chest muscles. Requires a gradual transition and an increase in the number of approaches.

Technique: Stand between the bars, leaning on your hands. Hang on the uneven bars and, while inhaling, lower vertically down. After reaching a position where your elbows are bent at a right angle, hold for a couple of seconds and return to the starting position. The depth of the lowering and the speed of execution contribute to the development of various muscles. Therefore, the standard exercise can be modified for individual purposes.

Handstand push-ups

A challenging exercise for advanced athletes. Requires special training and special attention to technique. When working, the deltoid muscles and triceps are loaded.

Technique: Stand on your hands against the wall. Place your feet on the wall and control your balance. Then slowly lower yourself vertically on your hands. Determine the bend angle of the arms depending on physical ability. Carefully monitor the condition of the body.

Conclusion

Push-ups are included in the training program of all athletes, from bodybuilders to track and field athletes. This kind physical activity attracts attention due to its obvious advantages:

Simple technique.
The ability to practice in any conditions, without special equipment.
Achieve excellent results quickly.
A variety of ways to load different muscle groups.

Development correct execution push-ups guarantee an improvement in the general condition of the body and the physical strength of individual muscle groups. To start training, you do not need to consult a trainer - you start training on your own, and during the training process you adjust the work to suit your case.