Pushups – The best allround exercise for the upper body.
Pushups. Each one of us has at some point of time atleast attempted it once. Some of us have gone further and made it a part and parcel of our exercise regimen.
Benefits of Pushups
Yes, Pushups in one of the few exercises which works out the upper body in its entirety. The entire set of muscle groups are involved in this exercise. Nearly all the armies in the world have incorporated pushups into the routines for their fighting men. It gives flexibility, strength, overall power to the men.
Different kinds of pushups.
We will not be able to talk about all the different types of pushups. I shall however deal with some basic pushup styles which you can incorporate into your daily routine.
1) Normal pushups.
– Keep your feet together and your hands shoulder width apart.
– Maintain the posture in your body such that the head, shoulders, back and your legs make a straight line.
– Slowly go down until your just touch the floor with your chest and return back slowly to the starting position.
2) Close hand pushups (also called Diamond pushups).
– Keep your feet together, and your palms close together such that the forefinger and the thumb touch.
– Ensure that the hands are placed just below your chest.
– Slowly go down and return back to the starting position.
3) Wide pushups.
– Keep your feet together and your hands apart (just enough to ensure that you do not injure your shoulder).
– A typical distance of 4 feet or a handspan each on either side from the normal shoulder distance should ensure a good distance between your hands.
– Slowly go down and return back to the starting position.
4) Hindu style pushups (called jor/ hanuman pushup/ diving pushup)
– Keep your palms/ hands at the shoulder level.
– Pull your body back to straighten the hands.
– Go down until you nearly touch the floor with your chest
– As you come up, arch your back and return to the starting position.
5) Chair pushups.
– You can take two chairs and ensure a gap in between.
– Place your hands, one on each chair and go down completely.
– Ensure a stretch in your chest (pectoralis minor).
– Return back to the starting position.
6) Other Variations
– You can place your legs on an elevated support and do pushups to make it more complicated and challenging.
– You can also use the medicine ball and place your legs on them to continue your pushups challenge.
What is important?
– Ensure proper breathing (inhale, complete one pushup and then exhale or inhale as you go down and exhale as you come up)
– Ensure form (jerking and using cheating methods do not work. You may be able to do 100 pushups, but it will not give satisfactory results. It is important to do it slowly to get that feeling of stretch. This will ensure a good blood flow to the concerned body part which will stimulate growth).
– It is the best exercise for your upper body.
So, do away with your lazy attitude. You need no equipments. Hit the floor and build a super physique at your own home. Results guaranteed.
Hurry up!!!
Refer to the Link below for a video on the basic pushup styles (Normal pushups, Close pushups, and Wide pushups).
http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-do-Pushups-32265743
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