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Push Up Til You Can’t Anymore
By Christina | October 27, 2008
I was recently scanning the internet for ideas that I could incorporate into my group exercise classes or boot camp workouts and came across a push up workout. I don’t love push ups, let me be more precise, I hate push ups.
Push ups work the shoulders, pecs, abs, back, heck even the neck muscles are involved in a properly aligned and executed push up. For this reason, they are an excellent exercise to do on a regular basis. When you also factor in that a push up is done with no equipment necessary and with virtually no space required, this is one exercise you just cannot pass up. The following is a mini workout based on the push up:
Start by checking with your doctor that you are good to go with any new workout plan. Once you are cleared, get your workout clothes and let’s go. Begin by warming up because even though a push up seems like an easy movement to master, there are a lot of muscles involved and the majority of you out there have some type of back problems. Walk, jog, do step ups, anything that increases your body’s temperature and helps you to feel a bit limber for about 10 minutes.
Now you are ready. Lay face down with your hands at shoulder level, palms flat on the floor, feet together and eyes looking slightly out not down. Now straighten your arms as you push away from the floor keeping your body in a perfect line. That is a push up. We are now going to do variations of that movement for a total upper body workout.
Do each exercise below for 45 seconds with 45 seconds in between sets:
- Wide hand position push ups
- Regular push ups
- Close hand position push ups
Do each exercise below for 35 seconds with 35 seconds in between sets:
- Wide hand position push ups
- Regular push ups
- Close hand position push ups
Do each exercise for 25 seconds with 25 seconds in between sets:
- Wide hand position push ups
- Regular push ups
- Close hand position push ups
Looks easy I know but try it and see if you are sore the next day!
