How to Learn to Do Full Push-Ups
Push-ups are a classic exercise for building strength, even if you don’t have exercise equipment, but not everyone can do rep after rep—sometimes you have to work on other exercises to build up the strength to start doing push-ups. This is what I will take you through today. And if you remember doing push-ups on your knees in gym class, well, that’s fine , but it’s not the best option.
To perform kneeling pushups, you place your knees on the ground (or on a pad, if that’s more comfortable) and otherwise perform a standard pushup motion. Knee push-ups are better than nothing, but they have a few disadvantages compared to other types of push-ups. The main one is that they are much easier on your core muscles, so while your arms and chest are getting a workout, your abs aren’t getting the strength they need to stabilize your body during a full pushup. Knee push-ups also allow you to get lazy in your lower body position. In short, knee push-ups require less effort from the glutes and core, making them more of an upper-body exercise than a full-body exercise. Here are a few options that I like better.
Option 1: Full push-ups in very short sets.
If you can do a few full pushups with good form, you can build your workout into one-rep sets. Good form means your body is as tight as a board, without your belly sagging or your hips pointing upward like a downward dog. Your hands are approximately under your shoulders, and your elbows are tucked toward your body rather than at a 90-degree angle. If you can do two or three exercises, you’re in good shape to build on that.
Instead of doing sets of, say, 10 reps (which you can’t do yet), do sets of just one or two reps. Then rest (or do another exercise) and return to another push-up or two. You may want to do more sets than you would if you were training push-ups with higher reps. Try, say, 10 sets of one rep, or five sets of two reps. Over time, you can add reps and then, if you want, reduce the number of sets. Working towards three sets of 10 reps is a good goal.
Option 2: negative push-ups
A “negative” push-up starts at the top and slowly moves down. But instead of then pushing yourself up again, you get on all fours to push yourself back up to the top position. Lower yourself slowly each time, completely under control, as many times as you can. When you find yourself falling rapidly downward, your approach is over; take a break.
Negative exercises use eccentric contractions , which build muscle just as well as their concentric or positive counterparts. You can use the same strategy to perform other compound exercises, such as pull-ups . Be careful, though: negatives are notorious for leaving you sore the next day, so be careful with them the first time. Once your body gets used to them, you can do them regularly.
Option 3: moving up the ladder
If these options are still too difficult for you or you just want something more flexible, try walking the stairs. You can use a real ladder or choose surfaces of different heights: a wall, a table, a chair, a stack of books.
Start by keeping your hands on a high surface. This could be a wall, feet a few steps back, or a high table top. Engage all the muscles in your core and legs so that your body resembles a rigid board, and maintain the same good form as if you were doing push-ups. Perform a set of push-ups this way.
If the wall or countertop is too light, rest your hands on something lower, such as a chair. (If you’re using a real staircase, just start with your feet flat on the floor and your hands on the high step; eventually move your hands to the lower steps.) Over time, you’ll be able to perform full sets of push-ups. takeoffs from the floor. Then go in reverse: start placing your feet on higher and higher surfaces. Ultimate goal: handstand push-ups. Good luck and keep moving!