THE Push-UP
A Part of Fierce Play’s Grounded Gymnastics Series
The push-up is an exercise in which the athlete lies face down on the floor and raises their body up off the floor by pressing down with their hands and then lowers their body back down to the floor while keeping their back straight. The push-up is an excellent exercise to strengthen the chest (pectoral muscles) and back of arms (triceps). Athletes will immediately feel arm muscles activated as they perform the movement, with the bulk of the exercise focusing on the use of the chest, core and triceps.
Watch the video clip below for a full explanation of technique, tips and tricks for performing the movement with efficiency, as well as precautions for staying safe.
MOVEMENT BASICS:
- Plank Position: Keep your body straight when you set up into the push-up position and do not let your butt sag down, or alternatively, stick way up in the air. Instead, focus on keeping your back and core nice and straight. The goal is to keep this good plank position from start to finish as you lower yourself down to the ground and back up again.
- Hands Shoulder-Width Apart: Keep hands just shoulder-width apart as you complete the movement. Athletes often place hands too far apart, which allows the elbows to flare up and outward. This not only puts strain on the joints and impinges the shoulder, but also prevents maximum strength building in the muscles we are trying to work, which are the triceps and pectoral (chest) muscles.
- Shoulders Over Fingertips: Keep your shoulders over your fingertips instead of back behind your hands. This will put your body in a good plank position, ultimately engaging your core and back muscles as you push yourself up off the floor and lower yourself back down.
- Push Like in Real Life: Think about how you’d push a car in real life. Would you push with your elbows way out to your sides? Probably not. Instead, you would keep your elbows close to your sides and push to get the maximum strength possible. This is essentially what we are replicating when we are completing the push-up.
TIPS + TRICKS:
- Worm Up: If you’re not able to keep that good plank position all throughout the push-up movement due to limited core or back strength, you can modify the push-up by doing a “worm”. Starting off in a good plank position, lower your chest to the floor first, then legs. Once on the floor, worm upward by lifting your chest first off the floor and then your knees until you’re back in the plank position. Over time you will find that your core strength and pressing strength improve, and you will be able to complete the push-up without worming upward.
- Scale: If you’re unsure about completing the push-up with proper form, talk with your coach about scaling in a different manner so that you can focus on perfecting the technique while gaining strength. It’s great to push yourself to the next level, so long as you stay safe and prevent injury!
QUESTIONS: Ready to get started, or curious to learn more about how Fierce Play can help you meet your health and wellness goals? Contact us for more information. Also feel free to check out more of our videos series to learn how to perform the basics with solid form and efficiency.
GROUNDED GYMNASTICS SERIES: Technique at Every Stage
Fierce Play’s Grounded Gymnastics Series focuses on proper technique, as well as tips & tricks, to master some of the foundational movements that will be integrated into many of the workouts you will perform. Start your next workout with the confidence and skills to do the movement safely and effectively.
