Push-ups in 3 Steps
Dread Push-Ups? This is for You.
As you build your strength and muscle mass, one move that may feel out of reach is the classic push-up.
Push-ups are a fantastic bodyweight-only strength building exercise!
However, it’s common for women to have a hard time with push-ups, because they use a lot of upper body strength…
…not our strong suit. (I’ll take squats any day over upper body exercises!)
But contrary to popular belief, if you struggle to do them, “kneeling” push-ups are actually NOT a great alternative. 😏
JUST ONE THING
If you aren’t able to do a set of push-ups yet, I’ve got an easy 3 step process that will get you there.
Your JUST ONE THING for building up to push-ups: Treat your push-ups like “moving planks”.
When you zoom in on a push-up, you’ll notice right away that your body has to hold a plank position while your arms lower you down and up.
So, a push-up is essentially BOTH a core exercise and an upper body exercise.
Because of that, it’s important to not just build your shoulder strength, but also your core strength.
Which is also why kneeling push-ups aren’t the best idea… they circumnavigate the planking part.)T
hese 3 exercises will build up all the muscles needed to do solid, strong push-ups…at any age!!! 🙌
How you do it:
3-Step Process for Building Up to Great Push-ups
- Perfect Planks: Builds core strength & some shoulder stability - hold for 4-6 deep breaths
- Inchworms: Gently adds load to your shoulders to build their strength - do 6-10 reps
- Elevated Push-Ups: Allows you to practice the full push-up motion with far less load - do 6-10 reps
Extra Tip:
If your wrists struggle with being in the push-up position or even when doing inchworms, build their strength by only inchworm-ing out 10-16 inches to gently place pressure on to your wrists, then easing back off. This stretch also helps the wrists!
Did You Know...
- To avoid any shoulder/neck injuries, keep your elbows at a 45 degree angle as you lower down (not pointing out to the side!)
- Every 4-6 weeks, try doing your elevated push-ups at a slightly lower height (dining room table, armchair, stairs) to continue to challenge your strength.
- Push-ups are a “horizontal pushing” movement, one of the strongest and most essential movements that your arms should be able to do. Balance this move with a “horizontal pulling” movement, like rows or bent-over T’s.
Until next week... Be strong
