Kung Fu Kendra / Fitness
Push Ups
Strength Workout
Master Siu Lim Tao
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Overview
Push Ups
Push ups are an excellent strength and cardio workout that requires no equipment and is easy to do from home. In this blog, I will be covering many variations of push ups that will help you get stronger and stay strong. Push ups work many muscles (unlike weights) and can get the heart rate up and the blood pumping. A full body workout, push ups are the perfect at-home strength exercise.
Here is a video showing various push ups.
Push Up Variations
Hands shoulder width apart at head level, feet together. Bring yourself down as far as you can go while keeping the core engaged and tight. Do 5 push ups.
- Place hands shoulder width apart.
- Keep feet together.
- Lower your body down then up.
Place hands palm over palm above the head — right palm over left. This is a pulsing push up. It's not a matter of how far you go down, what is important is pushing all the way up. Do 5, then switch hand positions.
- Place hands palm on palm above your head.
- Place feet together on toes.
- Lower slightly and pulse push up from there.
A modified version for people building upper body strength. Hands shoulder width apart, feet crossed over each other, knees on the ground. Push up and down 5 times.
- Place hands shoulder width apart.
- Knees on the ground, feet crossed over.
- Lower your body down and back up.
Place one hand above the head and the other at chest level. Do 5 push ups then switch hands. Remember — push ups are a cardio workout as well as a strength exercise.
- One hand above the head, one below the shoulder.
- Keep feet together.
- Lower your body down then up. Switch hands.
Start in regular push up position. Move down then up, release one hand and patty cake diagonally across — holding your body weight with both legs and one hand. Do 5, switching hands each time.
- Place hands shoulder width apart.
- Keep feet together.
- Lower down then up.
- At top, release one hand as if patty caking.
Benefits of Push Ups
"Push ups are beneficial for the heart — when you engage large muscle groups simultaneously, your heart works harder delivering oxygen-rich blood to muscle tissue."
Push ups work the pectoral muscles, triceps, shoulders, lower back and core — a fast and effective full body strength exercise. One of the most underrated benefits is flexibility: as you lower yourself, your back muscles are stretched, and as you push up your biceps obtain a full stretch. Simultaneously engaging large muscle groups makes push ups an effective cardiovascular exercise that supports heart health and promotes reduction of stored body fat.
Improper posture can affect your spine and comfort level as you age. One of the most common reasons for poor posture is weak core muscles. When push ups are properly executed, the muscles responsible for supporting posture are strengthened. When you regularly do push ups, your body will naturally develop proper posture — one of the most influential benefits of this exercise.
If you have five minutes you can achieve a full-body workout with push ups. The many variations target different muscles from different angles. Increase the cardio aspect by doing them faster and longer. Push ups require no equipment, can be done anywhere, and are a great cardio workout as well as a strength exercise — which is why I've incorporated them into my Home Workout Program.