more on the floor

[platinum_angel]

i've decided to put this article in from my health magazine so be glad.


how pushups build more muscle logic says the pushup won't build strength unless youre kind of weak to begin with. its benefits lie elsewhere. if you do pushups correctly, you develop your scapular muscles and you rotator cuf muscles to stabilize your shoulders. if you do bench presses instead of pushups you don't have to use those muschles as much, says michael clark a physical therapist and president of the national academy of sports medicine inother words, pushups not only build upl the facade in front of your physique, but also develop the support system behind those muscles too.

here's why thats important. inevery physical action, some muschles act as the engine and some act as the brakes. if the brakes aren't strong and durable enough to counterbalance the engine, you've got and injury waiting to happen. when a guy comes up with a chronically sore shoulder from bench pressiing, for example, the problem is usually that the chest and shoulder muscles are too strong relative to the muschles behind hem.

soit makes sense that pushups help improve muscular balance, which is important for developing serious strength. and with strength comes muscle size.

how muscles save your back perfect form in the pushup is the same as perfect upright posture, says jolie bookspan and orthopedist in philly who has helped the us military develop back friendly exercise programs. and bad pushup form too much arch in your lower back resembles bad everyday posture. if you learn how to do pushups correctly and hold that posture in and out of the gym you reduce you chances or experienceing back pain.

the key to posture rests in your pelvis more specifically, in learning to tuck your hips. at the start of a crunch, when your abs contract, your back flattens. hold it right there. notice thta your lower back is flat and your midsection i pulled in. this is the best and safest position for your back

get hip: hit the floor and try this posture perfent workout progression.

weeks 1-3: before your regular workouts, do the plank. Start with 10 5-second holds the first week, then do four 15-second holds the second week, and one 30-second hold the third week

weeks 4-6: hold for 30 seconds in the pushup position in week 4, then hold for 30 seconds in a knuckle-pushup position in week 5. finally, in week 6, do slow motion pushups, maintaining perfent posture. Take 2 seconds to descend, hold 2 seconds, and push yourself up for 2 seconds. Work up to 10 at this speed.

And and time you feel your back start to sway when you aren’t exercising, do the pelvic tuck and flatten your back. The more you focus on flattening you back. The more you’ll spend significant time flat on your back.

You could use this in your school mousel and like I’ve been always saying you don’t need anything but your body

[platinum_angel]

oh yeah and don't forget to do a variety of different pushups not just the same one.

if you want me to i can describe them for you.

[Lizard]

A description would be very helpful although it can be difficult to describe a physical action in words. I find pressups hard but I'm not sure why, perhaps my balancing muscles are weak. My elbows used to hurt when I did pressups. There are ones where you clap, ones where you make a diamond with your hands, and knuckle push ups. Those are the ones I know.

[briggfoot]

if you could describe some variations that would be great. i have been doing pressups for afew months and can now do the same number of reps as i could when i first started training. the only variation i do is changing the distance between my hands.

andy