Submitted by: Joycelyn Graydon

If you’re looking for a great way to improve your upper body strength without forking out a fortune for gym memberships, push ups are your best bet. They tone your chest, shoulders and arms without bulking you up. Because push ups can be done anywhere without the need for any equipment, they are cost-free and convenient.

But proper form takes time to perfect. Push ups aren’t easy to begin with. It takes practice and dedication. For the newbie, these two traits are essential for success. Before you begin your push up routine, always warm up first to avoid strain and injury. Pay particular attention to your arms and wrists as these joints are going to be used a lot during the exercise. Be sure to give them a good stretch. Then follow these steps below:

1. While you can do push ups anywhere, make sure that you’ll be performing them on a flat and level floor.

2. To begin your push up, lie on your stomach with your palms flat underneath your shoulder, fingers fully extended. Put your feet together with your toes bent underneath. Keep your legs straight and your face forward rather than down on the floor.

3. Push your body up by straightening your arms. As you do this, your back and leg must remain straight and your palms fixed at the same position. As you push up, don’t bend or arch your upper or lower back. Exhale as your arms straighten out.

4. Pause for a second before lowering yourself slowly back towards the floor until your chest is only about a couple of inches from it and your elbows are bent at 90 degrees. Keep body straight and feet together as you lower your body down. Your chin should make the first contact with the floor.

5. Beginners can start with 10 push ups. As you gain more strength, you can increase your push ups by 5 every time you feel you’re up to it. If you want to do more than one set, give yourself time to rest between sets.

6. If you want to work your triceps more, keep your hands closer together. To concentrate on your chest muscles, place your hands further apart.

As a beginner, it might be very difficult for you to do the regular push up. Modify your position a bit by bending your knees instead of keeping your leg straight. This will take some of the weight off your body and reduces pressure on your arms. As you become more comfortable, you can do the regular push ups. Continue with this routine so you build stamina. You can then add more intensity by putting your feet up on a chair. The higher the chair, the more challenging it’s going to be. If you still want to bring your workout to a higher level, you can do push ups with one leg up or with your little sister or brother (or both) riding on your back. Don’t forget to cool down by stretching your chest and shoulder muscles.

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