Push-up power

Because push-ups do not require any special equipment, they can be performed almost anywhere at any time.

The basic push-up involves placing your hands just outside of shoulder width apart. Your legs are extended parallel to the ground with your feet flexed. The only points of contact to the ground are your hands and the balls of your feet. The start position is with arms extended in a plank position. You should tilt your head slightly so you are looking forward instead of directly at the ground. Lower yourself in a controlled fashion, keeping your body straight, until your chin or chest just barely touch the ground (you should not lay down), then extend your arms again to return to the start position.

People with difficulty performing a traditional push-up can modify the exercise by bending the legs and placing the knees on the ground. This decreases the amount of body weight your arms are required to support. If you cannot complete a full push-up, start with the bent-knee push-ups until you gain sufficient strength to tackle the traditional form.

If you wish to emphasize your arms and triceps over your chest, you can place your arms close together and form a diamond with the thumbs and index fingers of both hands. This push-up forces the arm to bend at an exaggerated angle. The result is less tension on the chest and more tension on your upper arms.

Placing the palms farther apart puts more tension on the shoulders and chest. A push-up can also be performed with one arm placed behind the back. This one-armed push-up is an advanced movement that will place more tension on the supporting arm. Another interesting push-up variation is the one-legged push-up. As you lower your body, kick one leg high into the air, then lower it again as you raise up. This not only works the leg muscles, but also involves the abdominal muscles.

A special variation of the push-up can be used to train your abdominal muscles. Lay on your stomach, but instead of having your palms next to your shoulders stretch your arms straight over your head. Then, bend the arms slightly so you are supported by your forearms. Raise your torso as if performing a push-up but instead of pushing with your arms, use your abdominal muscles to pull your stomach from the ground. This unique exercise is great for working your core muscles.

To make your push-ups plyometric, push off the ground and clap your hands together before planting again. This 'clap push-up' trains the chest explosively. Another variation of the push-up can turn it into a shoulder exercise. By elevating your feet using a chair or bench, you shift some of the tension to your shoulders when performing the push-up. The extreme case is performing a handstand (with the help of a partner or using the wall for support). This is almost entirely a shoulder exercise (basically an inverted military press).

As you can see, the push-up is a versatile exercise. You can create several variations to help progress based on your skill, strength, and the muscles you wish to target. Because a push-up can be performed almost anywhere, it is also a great exercise to use when traveling, on vacation, or simply to augment an existing routine.