Exercise Challenge: The Push Up

Hi everyone,

Today was your day to choose your own workout.  You could pick absolutely anything active that you'd like to do.  Today, I decided to do 50 Perfect Push Ups.  When I do push ups, my perfect form tends to falter at around 10 reps and then I have to drop to my knees to keep my form.  I would like to be able to do many more plank push ups before my form suffers. 

Push ups are a full body workout.  Not only do they work your chest, shoulders and triceps, but they also work your abs, upper back, lower back and glutes.  To make it even better, large muscles like your chest, back and glutes are major fat burners long after your workout is over!  Push ups are an exercise to master. 

So I gave myself a challenge to do 50 push ups with perfect form throughout the day.  Here and there throughout the day I would drop down and do 10 push ups, focusing all of my attention on form.  In most of my workouts I power through my reps, with speed as my goal.  I liked taking my time today, really feeling the movement, moving slowly through each rep, adding more resistance to each move by doing so.

What is perfect form?  Start in a plank position: Place hands slightly wider than shoulder width distance apart, legs straight, weight on your toes.  Keep your back straight, tighten your glutes and brace your core.  Keep your hips lifted throughout the movement--don't let them drop because once they do then you have lost your form and you should stop that set.  Inhale and lower your body until your chest is almost touching the floor, pause for a moment, exhale and push your body back up quickly.   This is one rep.  Note: If you have issues with your wrists, you can use dumbbells (pictured above) to brace your wrists and keep them straight.

I encourage you to do more push ups and do them with perfect form.  The benefits push ups have on your body far outweight the pain. ;-P  And if you need to, you can start on your knees.  Just do them everyday and you will notice them get easier and easier.  This is one exercise you won't regret spending your time on.

Enjoy the burn!
Monica