The Importance Of Push-Up

Push-ups are one of the most basic and important exercises that you can do. However, too many people don't do them the right way and therefore either can't or don't want to do them. There's no need to be afraid of the push-up! The push-up is your friend and will help you to get into great shape.

From my training sessions, I find the push-up, along with the pull-up, to be the bane of most people's fitness existence. From the time these exercises were introduced to us back in grade school, many of us have struggled to perform them, and way too many people - adults and kids alike - can't or don't do them. In this article I will share with you proper technique for a correct push up as well as some techniques if you can not complete a push up to

The "modified" push does not develop the core strength and balance that's required to do proper push-ups. If you haven't tried this "static hold" exercise, you'll be amazed at how difficult it can be. Your goal should be to do 3 to 4 sets of 30 second holds.

Once you meet this goal, progress from the start position static hold to a "bottom position" static hold. Your body will be in a position where your elbows are bent, arms are parallel to the ground and your body is hovering over the ground in a straight and tight position. Your chest does not have to touch the ground and should be a few inches off of the floor. This is a more difficult drill, so set a goal of 3 to 4 sets of 10-15 seconds in duration.

The next step, once the two variations of "static hold" push-ups have been mastered, is to progress to "negative" push-ups. The term "negative" is used to describe what is technically known as an eccentric contraction. During the down phase of the push-up the chest and the triceps muscles, or primary movers, are lengthening, which describes what occurs during an eccentric contraction. There is the belief that strength is built during the eccentric, or negative phase of an