Today was the first day of my Chaska, MN Rapid Fat Loss & Fitness Boot Camp – Look Great at the Lake Boot Camp.  We had a great group and they all did really well.  I look forward to their potential.  By the way, there’s still room left – Get your FREE 2-week Trial here.

Anyway, what would a boot camp program be without push-ups? 

If you struggle with push-ups, like most beginners and even intermediate trainees, this post is definitely something you want to spend some time with.  It’s a long one, so go to the bathroom, grab your coffee, or whatever else you gotta do!

The Push-up.  It is probably the most basic and most popular exercise of all time – from gym class to group fitness classes around the world.  But being popular in this case doesn’t necessarily mean being well liked!  In fact, I think it is safe to say that the majority of people really HATE push-ups.  More specifically, the push-up tends to be the undying nemesis for people who carry extra body weight and for most females who feel they do not have the upper-body strength to ever be able to do anything but “wuss-ups,” or modified push-ups on the knees.

The goal of this article is to address everything you need to know about performing the push-up with proper form in addition to learning how to do more push-ups ASAP.  Remember, people only hate what they are not good at it.  In other words, I am confident that though you may currently hate push-ups, by following this program you will finally unveil your true push-up potential.  And though you may never be madly in love with push-up, you’ll at least be able to stomach them!

Benefits of Push-ups

Right next to pull-ups, a push-up is the greatest upper body exercise of all time.  In fact, I believe push-ups to be one of the best total body exercises around.

Push-ups work primarily your chest, triceps, and front shoulders.  However, they also place a great demand on your core strength and stability.  After all, your spinal stabilizers (transverse abdominis and spinal erectors) need to have the endurance to maintain that critical straight-line position throughout the duration of your push-ups for optimal safety and performance.  In addition, push-ups engage your scapular muscles (shoulder blades) in a way that most pushing exercises do not, thus providing some much needed mid and upper back work that most trainees are missing out on.  Furthermore, maintaining the proper push-up position requires that you tense and engage every muscle on the front side of your body from your feet to your shoulders.  Heck, if you squeeze your glutes (which you should as this helps protect your lower back), you even get your booty involved!

   

Finally, push-ups are the ultimate anywhere, anytime exercise that requires nothing but your body-weight and space the size of your frame to perform.

How to Perform a Perfect Push-up

Though nearly everyone reading this has attempted a push-up at some time in his or her life, the vast majority of people have never performed a full range of motion floor push-up with perfect form and technique.  If this describes you, don’t sweat it (there was a time when I absolutely sucked at push-ups).  It’s not your fault if no one ever taught you how to perform push-ups properly.  Let’s face it, you’re gym teacher probably wasn’t much help…

“Alright gimme push-ups NOW!  No, not like that, get lower!  What’s wrong with you?  

It’s just a push-up!
If you don’t do them right, we’re going to do them all day!  

I’ve got the time!”

But, what’s done is done.  Let’s move on.

Below is a complete list of technique and coaching points regarding how to perform a perfect push-up:

• Simultaneously tuck your elbows to your sides and pull your shoulders blades down and back:  It’s critical to keep your elbows close to your ribcage while performing push-ups.  Letting your elbows “sprawl” away from your torso puts your rotator cuff at a much greater risk for injury.  In addition, since most of us are so upper trap dominant, we tend to shrug our shoulders during push-ups.  This scapular elevation can lead to clicking and grinding of the shoulder (known as shoulder impingement syndrome).  To avoid these pitfalls, visualize trying to hug your elbows to your ribcage while cracking a nut between your shoulder blades during all push-ups.

• Simultaneously suck in your gut and brace your abs:  As mentioned earlier, the push-up is a great core exercise that requires good muscular endurance for your deep spinal stabilizers.  By pulling your navel to your spine and bracing your abs as if you were about to be kicked in the gut, you will best activate those key core muscles while performing push-ups.

• Simultaneously tense your thighs and squeeze your glutes:  The straighter your legs during the push-up the more stable you will be.  This is easily accomplished by tensing your thighs throughout the exercise.  Furthermore, tense your butt cheeks- this helps relax overactive hip flexors, thus alleviating unnecessary strain on the lower back.

• Power breathing:  In general, seek to focus on inhaling during the lowering portion of the push-up and then forcefully exhaling during the lifting portion of the push-up.  By filling your belly with air during the lowering portion of the push-up you make it easier to stabilize your spine, meaning that your core remains locked in thus allowing for a smooth and seamless transition from the down position to the up position.

• Spread your fingers:  Many people complain of wrist pain while they do push-ups.  This usually stems from a combination of a lack of mobility at the wrist joint and a lack of flexibility of the forearm flexors and extensors.  Plus, many people simply have weak wrists from a lack of weight-bearing exercises in their daily routine.  Think about it- we do not do as much as we used to do with our hands and are rarely in a position where our wrists our supporting our entire body weight (besides when doing push-ups).  One way to take pressure off of your wrists during push-ups is to focus on spreading your fingers as far apart as possible.  This expands the surface area and thus dissipates some of the excess strain on the wrists.  Furthermore, doing fist push-ups or push-ups with your hands on a dumbbell (or push-up handles) tends to significantly alleviate if not eliminate any unwanted wrist issues.  This neutral grip allows you get all of the benefits of push-ups so that your wrists do not continue to be the biggest limiting factor for your push-up goals.  In addition, the neutral grip also makes it easier to keep your elbows tucked to your sides and shoulders down and back for optimal shoulder safety.

• Be flat as a diving board:  Throughout the entire movement, the key is to maintain a straight line from the heels through the shoulders.  You must not let your hips sag, as this will put undue strain on your lower back in the form of hyperextension.  Furthermore, you must avoid raising or “piking” your hips because this not only takes away much needed core work, but also results in a rounding of the upper back that potentially results in unwanted shoulder issues (impingement, rotator cuff strains, etc.).

The Official Push-up Boot Camp Program

Step #1- Find your current Push-up Total

Assuming a regular floor push-up position, perform as many reps as possible (AMRAP) with perfect form and technique in 60 seconds.  Be sure to place a tennis ball or yoga brick on the floor- your chest must make contact with this object to count as a full rep.  Record your rep total and then take 60 seconds of rest (no longer).  Repeat by performing one more set of AMRAP in 60 seconds and then record your second set total.  Add both your set one and set two totals and then divide by two.  This is your current push-up total.

Step#2- Follow the custom push-up boot camp program based on your current push-up total:

The following program will systematically take you from level I to level IV six weeks at a time (not including a week of rest between levels).  It is important to note that you must be following the appropriate fat loss training (total body strength circuits and cardio interval training) and nutrition plan to lose unwanted body fat that is weighing you down and literally halting your push-up totals in its tracks.  In addition, be sure to change up the selected push-up variation at each and every strength workout to best prevent training plateaus.  Here’s an example of how to switch things up for one week of training:

Day 1- Close-Grip Push-up Variation – emphasizes the triceps and front shoulders to improve push-up lockout

Day 2- Loaded/Band-Resisted Push-up Variation – improves strength and thus makes it easier to perform body weight push-ups

Day 3- Stability Ball Push-up Variation- Hands Ball – to build trunk and scapular strength stability to prevent injury and maximize force output

Remember, the better you get at every push-up variation the better you will get at regular push-ups.  Once you achieve a current push-up total of 30 reps or more, you will notice the focus now will be on getting stronger by mastering the 1-arm push-up.  Improving maximum strength automatically improves your muscular endurance, though it doesn’t work the same the other way around.

Please note that you should only follow this program if you have healthy shoulders.  In addition, since you will be performing extra pushing movements, it is critical to add in some scapular retraction (pulling your shoulder blades together like in a row exercise) and depression (pulling your shoulder blades down like in a lat pulldown) work to prevent unwanted strength imbalances.  Please note the addition of a certain amount of reps of Body Weight Prisoner or Y Squats following each set of push-ups for your “Extra Push-up Work” to achieve this end.  The Body Weight Prisoner or Y Squat was selected because it simultaneously works your upper back and opens up your chest while working your lower body to boost metabolism.  Plus, it’s an exercise you can do anywhere.  Lastly, the “Extra Push-up Work” is best performed throughout the day to be fresh and allow for full recovery.

At the end of each 6-week training block, take 5 full days of rest from your push-up program before re-testing your new push-up total exactly as previously outlined in step one.  Record your new push-up total and then take the rest of the week off for recovery before moving on to the next level of push-up boot camp.

Well, you now know everything you need to know to safely and effectively perform more push-ups than 99+% of the world.  Remember, the leaner you are the better you will be at push-ups, and the more push-ups you can do the better you will look- time to master the push-up!

Have Faith & Take Action!

Justin Yule

P.S. – Be sure to let me know how you’re doing on your new push-up program by commenting on this post.