There’s something about pushups that make them one of the best of all exercises. They are a true sign of both strength and endurance. I’ve been helping people improve their upper body strength for almost 20 years. There isn’t one person without major limitations who wasn’t able to conquer this challenging but rewarding exercise. In some cases, I’ve helped people go from being able to do no pushups to 50 or more.
Pushups are also a great way to increase your metabolism so you can burn fat fast. One of the best ways to lose weight (fat specifically) and re-shape your body is to challenge your muscles a bit more than they are used to. And pushups do that as well as any other exercise. You’ll work the muscles in your chest, shoulders, triceps, and stomach!
Start where you are
Perhaps you aren’t strong enough to do pushups right now. That’s OK. You can just do what you can. At our Long Island Boot Camp, we’ve had people start doing pushups using their knees. In some cases they do them off a wall until they can progress. We also use boxes which are much easier to do pushups from than the floor.
Mix it up
Some people don’t do pushups because they think they’re boring. If you do the same kind each day, you may get tired of them. This is why it’s important to mix them up. Here are some different options depending on your fitness level. We use these same methods to help busy Long Island residents burn fat every day. Try them..
Off of an unstable surface like a stability ball – This will work your core even more.
With your hands closer together – This will target your triceps
With your feet elevated – This will work your shoulders more
Changing your tempo – For example, you might go down super slow which will increase the intensity
Nancy likes pushups now
One of our awesome Warriors Nancy used to love pushups but unfortunately started experiencing joint pain due to a past shoulder injury. She was frustrated because she really wanted to improve her upper body strength and knew how much push-ups helped in the past.
She was relieved when she discovered that she could still do pushups if she just made one minor change. One of our Transformation coaches, Bill Riccio had Nancy do pushups with her fingers slightly turned the other way. She was amazed that this version caused no pain and felt great. One of the benefits of having a coach is that they see things from a different perspective and can provide useful insight.
If you’re already doing pushups, keep it up! Perhaps just add some variety to your routine. If you aren’t doing pushups, give them a shot. You never know where a new challenge will lead you!
Schedule your free, no obligation Fitness Strategy Session now!!