How To Do Pushups

Assume the pushup position with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Your hands should be angled in a way that feels comfortable to you. You can also turn your hands inwards slightly if it’s less stressful on your wrists

Your feet should be set up in a way that feels right and comfortable to you. For some, that might be shoulder-width apart. For others, it might be that the feet are touching.  Generally speaking, the wider apart your feet, the more stable you’ll be for your pushups.

Clench your butt, and then tighten your abs. Your core will be engaged, and your body should be in that straight line. Think of your body as one giant straight line – from the top of your head down through your heels. Your butt shouldn’t be sticking way up in the air or sagging.

Your head should be looking slightly ahead of you, not straight down If you’re doing them right, your chin should be the first part of your head to touch the floor, not your nose.

At the top of your push up, your arms should be straight and support your weight. You’re now ready to do a pushup.

 

Lower yourself and keep elbows them relatively close to your body. Letting them flare-out much past 90 degrees put stress on the shoulders. Once your chest touches the floor, pause slightly and then explode back up until you’re back in the same position.

Pushup Tips

Keep the core tight, and squeeze your butt. The movement gets a lot harder like this, but also much more effective. Your body should be rigid like a plank.

Wider grips put more emphasis on the chess, and close grips work more triceps. Elbows out stress the shoulders.

Keep your head in line with your body, stiff, planking.

Bring your shoulder blades together as you come down, drive them apart as you come up.

Flex all the muscles involved, including quadriceps, abs, lower back, upper back, etc. Flex them all and move with purpose. If you’re new to this you should find you cannot do as many pushups this way. If that bothers you, stop being stupid.

By Michael Edwards

Michael Edwards is the founder, owner, editor-in-chief, and janitor for Organic Lifestyle Magazine. At age 17, Michael weighed more than 360 pounds. He suffered from allergies, frequent bouts of illness, and chronic, debilitating insomnia. Conventional medicine wasn’t working. While he restored his health through alternative medicine he studied natural health and became immersed in it.