Push Up - CrossFit Workout

Push up

A push up is a common body-weight exercise or we can call this a calisthenics exercise too. A push up is very effective exercise for the whole body. This can be done by anyone from beginner to advanced athletics. This exercise performed in very variation but the most popular style is classic Push up. Plus point of this body-weight exercise is that you can do anywhere without any equipment. But to get maximum benefits from push up it should be done with proper form you can check your quality of push up by clicking here. Push up is full body workout but primary muscles target is Pectoral Major (Chest muscles) and Triceps. You can change the pressure by changing the angle this method call is variations. Push ups performed in a prone position (laying down on ground with chest touch ground and back face upward) by raising and lowering the body using the arms. 

Muscles Involved 

Chest Muscles

•  One of the primary muscle targeted by push up is the chest muscles.  Pectoralis major and pectoralis minor  are the two large chest muscles act as main pushing muscle group.  As a result, these muscles become very strong and can become more muscular. click here for push up workout routine for chest.

Triceps Muscles 

• Secondary muscle target by push up is Triceps. The triceps also control the speed of elbow-joint flexion during the downward phase of the exercise. The closer together the hands are placed during a push-up, the harder the triceps work. There is a special sub-set of the diamond push-up. The special version of this push-up is when the diamond is placed directly below the nose instead of the solar plexus. The nose must almost touch the floor in the center of the diamond.

Biceps 

• During the push-up exercise, the short head of the biceps brachii muscle acts as a dynamic stabilizer. This means the muscle activates at both ends the elbow and the shoulder to help stabilize the joints.

Abdominal Muscles 

• The rectus abdominis and transversus abdominis contract continually while performing push-ups to hold the body off the floor and keep the legs and torso aligned. Both muscles compress the abdomen, and the rectus abdominis also flexes the spine forward, although it does not execute this function when performing push-ups.

Forearms

• Forearms worked as stabilizer to maintain a proper plank position in the standard prone push-up.

How to do Push up

Step 1. Start with the plank position place your and directly under shoulder in aligned.

Step 2. Engage your Abdominal muscles , Hamstring, Glute and also take care of lower back. (don't make arch)

Step 3. Go down slowly about 2-3 inch above ground. 

Step 4. Take care of proper form your elbow should be in "V" shape. Don't make arch with lower back. Look forward.

Step 5. Return to starting position. (take care of posture)

Posture Mistake

1. Body Position

2. Arm Position

3. Range of Motion

4. Shoulder Blade Movement .

Variations 

Knee Push up

• The easiest way to do push up in Knee push up you lay down on knee by this your lower body goes in rest position so, you only push your upper body.

One arm push up

• One of the hardest variation in One arm push up you push your body weight with only one hand which make push up harder. 
• trick - the more you flatter your leg the more it gets easy.

Hindu push up

• Hindu push up is a yoga variation of push up originated in India. This Indian style of push up is great exercise for whole body mobility and also for chest muscles.

Diamond Push up

• Diamond push up also known as Triceps Push up because this style of push up target primary on Triceps. You need more strength in your triceps then normal to perform Diamond push up.

Superman Push up

• Push your whole body with full power in air and do flying superman pose.

Fist Push up

• In this you do normal push but use Fist instead of flat palm.

Handstand Push up

• One of the hardest push up in this you have to do push up in handstand position.

Clap push up 

• At the peak of the push-up, push yourself up off the ground and quickly clap in midair. The fast jolting force of clap push-ups will help develop explosive power while also bulking up the pectoral muscles for a more defined chest.

Incline Push up 

• Put your hands on higher place about 2-3 ft. aligned in straight line.

Decline Push up 

• Put your foot  on higher place about 2-3 ft. don't make arch. 

One leg Push up

• Lift one leg up off the ground and do a set. Switch legs on the next set.

Medicine Ball push up

• Push up using medicine ball. This increase your core stability  strength.

Planche Push up

• An extremely difficult variation is to perform a push-up using only hands, without resting the feet on the floor

There are tons of variations of push like 360 push up, backhanded, double clap and 3 clap push up.

If you have further question just leave a comment.

Let me known if you like some other variations.

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