14Jan 2018 by Angelo

Push ups for building muscle

Everybody knows what a push up is but very few people realize how powerful push ups are for building muscle.

If you currently do some Push ups or are thinking of starting to do Push ups but are wondering if it’s a waste of time, I’m telling you know that’s it probably the best exercise you can do.

This article is an in-depth look at the anatomy of the Push up, all its benefits and why its such a powerful exercise.

Push ups are probably the most widely recognized exercise and the first exercise we ever learned in physical education class as young kids at school.

It could be for that reason push up are considered Child’s play and not taken seriously as a muscle-building tool but in my opinion the humble push up gets massively underutilized.

We all crave that bigger chest and T-shirt hugging arms but most think that this look is only exclusive to our bench pressing brothers and sisters.

Well I’m here to tell that is not the case, and that with push ups alone, you CAN build a bigger chest and arms.

Push ups are the exercise that I use the most and have been doing them as far back as I can remember.

Because of the amount of reps I’ve done over the years I’ve become really good at them which has translated to my upper body strength being my strong point.

Why YOU should be doing push ups

No equipment needed – All you need is your body and a bit of motivation. This study tested the muscle recruitment of the primary muscles involved in the push-up (deltoid, pectorals, triceps) and found that when performing a regular push-up you are pushing 64% of your body weight. Because the weight is a lot less than you would be pressing on a bench press, the general misconception is that you will not be able to build a well-defined upper body with just push-ups. Admittedly you will not win Mr. Olympia on push-ups alone but that’s not what we’re about here. If you want a bigger, stronger, more defined upper body then body weight push-ups are more than up to the task.

Quick and effective – As I previously mentioned, the push-up is the exercise I do the most. The reason for this is that I can get a great upper body workout in just a few minutes . Lack of time is never an excuse for not working out when you can do push-ups.

Convenient – Because you don’t need any equipment and they take minutes to do, you can throw in a few sets of push-ups throughout your day. Most mornings before I jump in the shower I’ll perform a circuit of push-ups to get my day started or sometimes late at night before I go to bed. You might prefer to drop down in between the ads of your favorite TV program. It doesn’t matter when you do them. The point is that you’ll have multiple opportunities throughout the day to have a quick workout. There really is no excuse.

Compound exercise – In my experience, most people think of the push-up as just a basic chest exercise not realizing that there’s a lot more going on. Being a compound exercise, it targets multiple muscles at the same time making it an effective upper body workout .

What muscles do push ups work

Unlike the pull-up which is a pulling exercise and predominantly works your posterior (back) muscles, the push up, as the name suggests is a pushing exercise and therefore, mainly works your anterior (front) muscles. The main protagonist is the pectorals (chest), deltoids (shoulders) and triceps (upper arm). In addition you have serratus anterior and corocobrachialis which are also important in the development up a strong upper body.

To a lesser extend your still hitting various muscles in the back such as the rhomboids, trapezius, lats and erector spinae.

Isometrically your also working your joints, tendons and stabilizer muscles in elbows, forearms, wrists and fingers and surprisingly the biceps brachii.

The group of muscles I never realized played a major role in the push up was the core.

It is only when I got serious about push ups and started treating it like a proper muscle-building exercise that I started seeing the connection between the two.

For a long while now planking has become the go to exercise in the fitness world for building a strong core. If you look at a push up closely though, it is essentially a plank on steroids.

The core is what connects your lower body to you upper body and what allows you to have good posture when performing a push up.

The transverse abdominis, internal and external obliques, rectus abdominus, pelvic and lower back muscles are all activated to keep good posture during the movement.

It has always been traditionally thought that the best way to build a strong core is by performing heavy deadlifts and barbell squats but a study by McBride et al. 2006 showed how it is actually the push up which is by far the best exercise for external oblique and rectus abdominus activation (your 6 pack).

How to do push ups (Properly)

We all know how to do push ups, but very rarely do I see a beginner do them properly. With a few simple tweaks you can easily improve your push ups and get much better results and reduce the risk of injury. The biggest mistake people make are:

Wrong hand positioning

Fingers should be pointing forward.
Elbow should be in line with middle finger.
Arms should be shoulder width apart (not too wide and not to narrow)
Palms should be just below the shoulder line.
Elbows should be tucked in and not flaring out.

Too Fast

Don’t try to do as many pushups as you can as quick as you can because you form will definitely suffer.
Try and keep a steady enough pace that will allow you to go through the full range of motion (All the way up and all the way down)

Not using full range of motion

Just like with any exercise, you have to use full rom, otherwise you’re just cheating yourself into doing half a job and your going to get half the results.
Make sure you go all the way down till your sternum touches the floor and all the way up till your arms are fully extended.

Bad posture

Do not arch your back.
Do not drop your hips to the floor.
You need to engage your core by pulling your belly button in and your back should be straight throughout the whole movement.
Do not look up or down but forward to further reinforce correct posture.

Push Up Progression

Full range of motions pushups can be challenging especially for beginners or anyone who isn’t strong enough yet. It doesn’t mean that you can’t do them. There are many progressions that if you stick to will lead you to being able to perform proper pushups with no problem.

Push Up Progression #1

Plank – One of the reasons you are struggling to do a proper push up could be your lack of upper body strength. Another reason though could be a weak core. Working on getting stronger in the plank position will help you perform a better push up.

Push Up Progression #2

Knees – If you’re struggling with lifting yourself up from the push up position, a great way to start is from your knees. The previously referenced study found that doing pushup from your knees reduced the amount of body weight used to only 49% which should be enough to allow you to now work on your pushups.

It’s very easy to only concentrate on using your upper body in that position but remember to engage your core, even front the bent knee position.

Push Up Progression #3

Static hold at the top – Merely being able to hold yourself in the pushup position with your arms fully extended is a good start. Work on holding that position for as long as you can, and you will slowly find that you will be able to hold it for longer and longer.

Push Up Progression #4

Static hold in the middle – Now your able to hold yourself for a while with your arms extended, you can now move onto holding yourself mid way. Remember to keep your core tight and you should be looking forward to help maintain good posture.

Push Up Progression #5

Static hold at the bottom – Now your ready for a challenge. Hold yourself at the bottom of the movement just above the ground and try to stay there as long as you can. Just as before, keep you abs tight and look forward.

If your ready to get started, my advice for now is to keep it simple and build a solid foundation with the classic push up.

Work on the 3 sets of whatever number you are able to do. It could be 3 sets of 10 reps for example.

Make it hard enough where it is a challenge but don’t work to failure.

If you can’t finish your set then you are doing too many.

Remember to always have good posture, squeeze in your Abs and always use full range of motion.

Get into the habit of doing them most days and make it one of your daily habits. It won’t take you longer than 2 or 3 minutes.

I hope this first blog of many on push ups has opened your eyes up enough to the power of this exercise that you will start taking it more seriously.

If your goal it to look better, leaner stronger and more defined then the pushup is the perfect tool.

I highly recommend pushups for building muscle because it is a compound exercise that targets your whole upper body and is scientifically proven to be the best exercise for your Abs.

Push ups take just minutes to perform and are done purely using your own body weight allowing you to have a great workout anytime and any place.

There are endless amounts of push up variations that will keep you challenged forever, but for now I want you to master the basic pushup.

Stay consistent and you will realize how powerful pushups are for building muscle.

NOW GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR AND GIVE ME TEN !