FITNESS m Quick-Start guide The Ultimate Pushup Guide: Master this classic move
FITNESS m Quick-Start guide The Ultimate Pushup Guide: Master this classic move and 25 new variations W hile exercises like the pushup and the bench press both work your chest, shoulders, and triceps, the pushup also trains your abdominals, lower back, upper back, and glutes. So it bestows a bevy of total-body benefits. What’s more, unlike the bench press, the pushup helps you sculpt healthy, stable shoulders, by training both your scapular muscles and your rota- tor cuff muscles. The bottom line: Pushups not only build up the facade in front of your physique, but also develop the support system behind those muscles, too. And if you like this ultimate pushup guide, check out The Men’s Health Big Book of Exercises—for new variations of all your favorite gym moves. In fact, you’ll find full-color photos of more than 600 exercises, hundreds of useful fitness tips, and dozens of cutting-edge workouts from the world’s top trainers. All to give you thousands of new ways to sculpt the body you’ve always wanted. Learn more about the book at mhbigbookofexercises.com WHY THE PUSHUP IS KING w w w. m e n s h e a lt h . c o m Quick-Start guide w w w. m e n s h e a lt h . c o m These exercises target your pectoralis major. However, they also hit your front deltoids and triceps, since these muscles assist in just about every version of the movements. What’s more, your rotator, trapezius, serratus anterior, and abdomi- nals all contract to keep your shoulders, core, and hips stable as you perform the moves. Main Move Pushup A • Get down on all fours and place your hands on the floor so that they’re slightly wider than and in line with your shoulders. Brace your abdominals—as if you were about to be punched in the gut—and maintain that contraction for the duration of this exercise. This helps keep your body rigid, and doubles as core training. Your arms should be straight. Your body should form a straight line from your ankles to your head. Straighten your legs, with your weight on your toes. Set your feet close together. Squeeze your glutes and hold them that way for the entire movement. This helps keep your hips stable and in line with your upper body. B • Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor. • Pause at the bottom, and then push yourself back to the starting position as quickly as possible. • If your hips sag at any point during the exercise, your form has broken down. When this happens, consider that your last repetition and end the set. Tuck your elbows as you lower your body so that your upper arms form a 45-degree angle with your body in the bottom position of the movement. Don’t drop your hips. Your head should stay in the same position from start to finish. Keep your core stiff. 2 spare your wrists If it hurts your wrists to put your hands directly on the floor, place a pair of hex dumbbells at the spots where you position your hands. Then grasp the dumbbells’ handles and keep your wrists straight as you perform the exercise. Quick-Start guide w w w. m e n s h e a lt h . c o m Your body should form a straight line from your head to your knees. variation #1 Incline Pushup • Place your hands on a box, bench, or step instead of the floor. This reduces the amount of your body weight you have to lift, making the exercise easier. variation #2 Modified Pushup • Instead of performing the exercise with your legs straight, bend your knees and cross your ankles behind you. This is another way to make the classic pushup easier. variation #4 Single-Leg Decline Pushup • Place one foot on a box or bench and hold the other in the air. variation #3 Decline Pushup • Place your feet on a box or bench as you perform a pushup. This increases the amount of your body weight you have to lift, making the exercise harder. The higher the surface and the more upright your body, the easier the exercise is. Don’t let your hips sag. If you feel strain on your lower back, you’re not keeping your core tight. push away fat The pushup is a good indicator of whether or not you’re exercising enough now to avoid fat later, according to a Canadian study. The researchers found that people who perform poorly in a pushup test are 78 percent more likely to gain 20 pounds of flab over the next two decades. You can do this exercise on a staircase, moving to a lower step as your strength improves. Strengthen your shoul- ders Researchers in Texas found that the decline pushup works the muscles that stabilize your shoulders better than a traditional pushup. 3 Quick-Start guide w w w. m e n s h e a lt h . c o m The Pushup Spectrum easiest hardest 9. swiss-ball Pushup 8. Bosu pushup 7. single-leg decline Pushup 6. Pushup with feet on swiss ball 5. Decline Pushup 4. Stacked- feet pushup 3. Pushup 2. Incline Pushup 1. Modified Pushup The instability of the ball forces your core to work harder, increasing the difficulty of the exercise. variation #7 Weighted Pushup • Have a workout partner place a weight plate on your back, at the level of your shoulder blades. variation #6 Stacked-Feet Pushup • Place one foot on top of the other so that only the lower one supports your body. variation #5 Pushup with Feet on Swiss Ball A • Perform the movement with your feet placed on Swiss ball. You can also increase the amount you’re lifting by wearing a weighted vest or placing a heavy chain on your back. b • Lower your body as far as you can, without allowing your hips to sag. 4 65 Percent of your body weight you lift when you do a modified pushup. Quick-Start guide w w w. m e n s h e a lt h . c o m Pause when your chest is just off the floor. Pause at the halfway point on both your way down and your way up. As you push yourself back to the starting position, pause just before the point you straighten your arms. variation #8 Triple-Stop Pushup A • Do a standard pushup, but pause for 2 seconds at the positions shown. make time for this move Pausing briefly at each point increases strength at that joint angle and 10 degrees in either direction. So this method eliminates any weak point you might have. It also increases the time your muscles are under tension, stimulating growth. b c d variation #9 Wide-Hands Pushup • Place your hands about twice shoulder-width apart. variation #10 Close-Hands Pushup • Place your hands directly under your shoulders. Placing your hands closer together works your triceps harder. Keep your elbows tucked close to your sides as you lower your body. Setting your hands wide puts a greater emphasis on your chest. The downside: It also increases the stress on your shoulders. 5 Quick-Start guide w w w. m e n s h e a lt h . c o m variation #11 Diamond Pushup • Place your hands close enough together to make a triangle with your thumbs and forefingers. Placing your hands closer together works your triceps harder. variation #12 Staggered-Hands Pushup • Place one hand in standard pushup position and your other hand a few inches farther forward. Staggering your hands increas- es the challenge to your core and shoulder muscles. Alternate which hand is placed forward each set. variation #13 Spiderman Pushup A • Assume the standard pushup position. B • As you lower your body toward the floor, lift your right foot off the floor, swing your right leg out sideways, and try to touch your knee to your elbow. • Reverse the movement, then push your body back to the starting position. Repeat, but on your next repetition, touch your left knee to your left elbow. Continue to alternate back and forth. 6 75 Percent of your body weight you lift when you do a standard pushup, according to research by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Quick-Start guide w w w. m e n s h e a lt h . c o m 7 chisel your abs When you place your hands on a Swiss ball or a medicine ball, the instability causes your core muscles to work 20 percent harder than when you do push- ups on the floor, report New Zea- land researchers. variation #14 Swiss-Ball Pushup • Place your hands on a Swiss ball instead of the floor. variation uploads/Voyage/ men-x27-s-health-pushup-guide.pdf
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- Publié le Apv 09, 2022
- Catégorie Travel / Voayage
- Langue French
- Taille du fichier 2.1450MB