Pushups: Something I Bet You Didn’t Know

I’m sure many of you do pushups as part of a daily set of exercises. They’re practically the classic exercise! They’re great exercise, and are great for your core. Doing exercises with body weight is my favorite, since they help tone without bulking up too much. Sure, bulk may be what you go for, but I’m looking more for a lean toned body, since extra muscle weight makes running and dancing more difficult.

But enough of me harping about pushups – what I want to share with you is something I learned recently. It was actually very interesting – when I went to practice dance about a week ago, it so happened that a fitness instructor was exercising in the room before me, and gave me a few tips. And of course, I feel compelled to share them with you! Basically, most of you have been doing pushups wrong! Usually, you put your hands out about shoulder width apart and bend at your elbows. This is pretty standard stuff – but the key is what way your elbows bend. Usually your elbows bend to the side. What you want however is to have your elbows bend down towards your waist instead of out perpendicular to your shoulders. Really, when you do this you should bring your hands in closer than otherwise. You’ll know you’re doing it right when it gets much, much harder than usual. You have to feel the burn!

So if it’s so much more difficult, why do it? Well, there are several benefits. First, due to the difficulty increase, you’ll work out your arms and pecs much faster! The body positioning also helps your triceps much more than regular pushups. It has the added benefit of being easier on your rotator cuffs. What I recommend is trying these pushups for a week – if you commit to just ten a day, then I’m sure you’ll notice a change within this week. And of course if you got for more, you’ll see more results faster. And of course it’s even better if you pair it up with some cardio and ab exercises you’ll strip pounds and work on your entire core. Like I said, it’s a classic exercise which should be part of every workout!