A man doing a Push Up
A Pushup, Push-up or Press-up is a conditioning exercise. It is very helpful in Parkour and Freerunning training, as it is an excellent way to build upper body strength. Pushups primarily work the abdominals, deltoids, the pectoralis, and the triceps.
Technique[]
- Lie down with the hands beneath the shoulders (do not put your hands ahead of your shoulders). Keep your elbows tucked in (at no greater than a 45º angle from your body). Keep your entire body in a straight line; do not arch your back or bend at the hips, knees, or neck. Keep your shoulders down (do not shrug them towards your ears).
- Exhale as you push your body up. Keep the weight on the outside edge of your hand, not the bottom part as this can lead to overuse injuries. Come all the way up.
- Inhale as you come down. Do so slowly and in a controlled manner. Go all the way down (so that your chin and chest almost touch the ground).
Variants[]
- Diamond or triangle pushup Similar to the regular pushup except with the hands touching or close to each other underneath the body. Puts extra emphasis on the triceps.
- One-handed pushup A more difficult variant, using only one hand.
- Raised foot pushup Performed with the feet elevated. If the feet are elevated enough it becomes a handstand pushup.
- Fingertip pushup A pushup performed on the fingertips rather than the palms to work the hands and forearms. Less fingers can be used for increased difficulty.
- Planche pushup An extremely difficult variation in performed from a planche position (where the body is held horizontally only by the arms).
Tips[]
- If a push-up is too difficult, try doing it on your knees instead of your feet, or with your hands higher than your feet, until you have developed enough strength to do it normally.