Ishita Roy

How To Master Push-ups The Right Way?

Doing Pushups the right way

Push-ups, a generic exercise that every one wants to excel. Even if people do not know how to do it well, they do not shy away from trying it. But did you know it has a long history?

The history dates back to thousands of years in India, where it was done by warriors. This was a strenuous exercise that warriors do to get stronger and to be ready for the next dight. A few evidences also point its Roman origin, where the Roman emperor Constantine did push-ups to stay in shape.

Push-ups however did not become a regular exercise until 1900s. This was when Jerick Revilla coined the term and introduced the exercise to public. It was soon caught on and became one of the most popular exercises for working the upper body. It also helps develop core strength and stabilizes your core. The best part, you can do it anywhere, without special equipment. 

There is also a dark side of the exercise and was doled out as a punishment in the military. We can still see in the movies and series where a sergeant orders a military recruit to do 100 push-ups. Well, it used to be a real thing. In fact, it soon became an important part of the military career, where evaluation for strength and fitness occurred twice a year. Among many tests were <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/fitness/master-burpees-with-these-6-easy-to-follow-steps-article-151143954" data-type="tilCustomLink">burpees </a>and push-ups. As per Military Times, among candidates in the Ranger School, more people failed the push-up test than the 5-mile run or the chin-up test.

For the United States Army, it is the only test to measure one's upper body strength and requires one to do as many push-ups as possible in a 2-minute period. To pass the test, you must do 42 push-ups, and the highest number has been 71. 

In Air Force, for women, 27 is the minimum number, for men, it is 45. To be a cost guard, men must do 20 push-ups and women must do 15, in less than a minute.

ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/fitness/master-burpees-with-these-6-easy-to-follow-steps-article-151143954" data-type="tilCustomLink">Master Burpees With These 6 Easy-To-Follow Steps</a>

<h4>How To Do Pushups The Right Way?</h4>

Here is a step-by-step guide on how must one do a push-up the right way:

<ul><li>Start in a plank position with your arms extended and palms on the floor, your toes on the floor in lines with your legs.</li><li>Engage your core muscles, glutes and legs to align your spine.</li><li>Keep your back straight and gaze just a few feet in front of you and bend your elbows in a controlled motion until you chest grazes the floor. </li><li>Exhale and push your palms towards the floor to lift yourself up and focus on your chest and triceps muscles while keeping your core tight. </li><li>Repeat.</li></ul>

When you do a push-up, it benefits mostly your upper body and your core. It is also categorized as a compound bodyweight exercise. Here are the muscles it focuses on:

Pectoralis Major - This is the largest of the chest muscle, right under the breast tissue. During a push-up this muscle controls the descent of your torso towards the floor and also pushes your body back up.

Pectoralis minor - This is also found in your chest, but are significantly smaller in size. During a push-up, the muscle allows a correct posture of the shoulders and upper back.

Triceps - It is a large, thick muscle in the back of your upper arm, known as triceps brachii. The prefix "tri" means it has three heads that form this muscle, mainly medial, lateral and long heads. It helps stabilizes the torso and is also the primary mover of the exercise. 

Anterior deltoids - They are large shoulder muscles and helps bring the arms inward towards the chest.

Core Muscles - Push-up is known for strengthening the core muscles, which are a group of muscle in the abdomen. It helps your spine to be straight and to allow a good posture while you are working out.

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Push-ups, a generic exercise that every one wants to excel. Even if people do not know how to do it well, they do not shy away from trying it. But did you know it has a long history?Origin of Push-upsThe history dates back to thousands of years in India, where it was done by warriors. This was a strenuous exercise that warriors do to get stronger and to be ready for the next dight. A few evidences also point its Roman origin, where the Roman emperor Constantine did push-ups to stay in shape.Push-ups however did not become a regular exercise until 1900s. This was when Jerick Revilla coined the term and introduced the exercise to public. It was soon caught on and became one of the most popular exercises for working the upper body. It also helps develop core strength and stabilizes your core. The best part, you can do it anywhere, without special equipment. There is also a dark side of the exercise and was doled out as a punishment in the military. We can still see in the movies and series where a sergeant orders a military recruit to do 100 push-ups. Well, it used to be a real thing. In fact, it soon became an important part of the military career, where evaluation for strength and fitness occurred twice a year. Among many tests were burpees and push-ups. As per Military Times, among candidates in the Ranger School, more people failed the push-up test than the 5-mile run or the chin-up test. For the United States Army, it is the only test to measure one's upper body strength and requires one to do as many push-ups as possible in a 2-minute period. To pass the test, you must do 42 push-ups, and the highest number has been 71. In Air Force, for women, 27 is the minimum number, for men, it is 45. To be a cost guard, men must do 20 push-ups and women must do 15, in less than a minute.ALSO READ: Master Burpees With These 6 Easy-To-Follow StepsHow To Do Pushups The Right Way?Here is a step-by-step guide on how must one do a push-up the right way:Start in a plank position with your arms extended and palms on the floor, your toes on the floor in lines with your legs.Engage your core muscles, glutes and legs to align your spine.Keep your back straight and gaze just a few feet in front of you and bend your elbows in a controlled motion until you chest grazes the floor. Exhale and push your palms towards the floor to lift yourself up and focus on your chest and triceps muscles while keeping your core tight. Repeat.What Muscles Are At Work?When you do a push-up, it benefits mostly your upper body and your core. It is also categorized as a compound bodyweight exercise. Here are the muscles it focuses on:Pectoralis Major - This is the largest of the chest muscle, right under the breast tissue. During a push-up this muscle controls the descent of your torso towards the floor and also pushes your body back up. Pectoralis minor - This is also found in your chest, but are significantly smaller in size. During a push-up, the muscle allows a correct posture of the shoulders and upper back.Triceps - It is a large, thick muscle in the back of your upper arm, known as triceps brachii. The prefix "tri" means it has three heads that form this muscle, mainly medial, lateral and long heads. It helps stabilizes the torso and is also the primary mover of the exercise. Anterior deltoids - They are large shoulder muscles and helps bring the arms inward towards the chest.Core Muscles - Push-up is known for strengthening the core muscles, which are a group of muscle in the abdomen. It helps your spine to be straight and to allow a good posture while you are working out.