Push-Up Help!

you get better at them by just doing them. :-) when i first started I had a hard time doing the girl ones on my knees. Now I can do about 20 REAL pushups....combination of classes and my trainer just making me do them and chest/back exercises :-)

It is something you have to build up to. Pushups is not just upper body strength but you also have to work on your core. The ones on your knees are easier than using your toes because using your toes mean you have to engage your core more. That means keeping your back straight and not putting your butt in the air or having a dip in your back.

There is an alternate way of doing them on your knees to help strengthen up your arms. Get on all fours and using just your arms, go down in a pushup. You will just be using your arms but in a sort of rocking motion. Try and go all the way down to the floor using only your arms to push your weight up. You will feel it in your shoulders and arms.

Once you feel stronger, move to the next type. Stay on your knees but straighten the body out. Tighten your stomach (but breath) this will engage your core. Make sure you don't have a dip in your back and your butt isn't in the air. Go down into the pushup where your chest is almost touching the floor and don't look at the ground, look in front of you. Breathing correctly helps you tremendously so don't hold your breath. I breath out on the way down and breath in on the way up. Control it. It's okay if you can't do more than a couple but when you feel you've did your last, push out one more. Start off with about 5 in the morning and before you go to bed. Before you know it you will be a pro at this style and ready to move onto the next, doing them on your toes.

Again, you need to engage (tighten your abs) your core. Get into a plank position (butt down, no dip in back) and go down into the pushup. If you feel pressure in your lower back, you have a dip, lift your butt a little more until the pressure goes away. If you don't feel some tightness in your abs a little then your butt is too high. Lower your butt until you can feel a little pressure in your abs.

All in all practice makes perfect. Work on your core (doing full body exercises such as planks, burpees, etc). A strong core makes pushups a bit easier.

Hope this helps.

Angela

Start off doing push-ups by pushing off against a wall, counter top,etc. three days a week. You should build up the strength to do the "knee" push-ups soon and regular push-ups after that.