There are many variations of push-ups, but we are just going to talk about the standard military push up today.
I’m sure you have done push ups over your lifetime.
Push ups are one of the best single exercises you can do.
Also, push ups can be done anywhere so you don’t have to buy an expensive gym membership.
Here are just a few reminder steps before we get started.
Position
Start out by getting down on your hands and knees.
You will start with your hands positioned directly under your shoulders.
Extend your legs to the rear and raise up on your toes keeping your body in a straight line.
Your body is now in a plank position.
Lower yourself until your chest touches the floor and push back up to the plank position.
You’ll want to keep your body in a straight line while doing this.
That is one repetition.
Start out by trying for three sets of 10 repetitions.
You can add more reps and sets as these become easier.
If you are going to do push up every day, DO NOT go to FAILURE.
Your body needs time to rebuild and that happens when your are resting.
If you can’t perform a military style push up, do a MODIFIED PUSH UP.
Modified push ups are performed with your knees on the ground instead of your toes.
As these get easier, move to doing the military style push up on your toes.
Always seek medical advice before starting a new exercise program.
Also stretch and warm up before performing any push up exercises.
If you feel pain, stop immediately and check with your medical professional.
Pain and muscle soreness are two different things.
If you want to mix it up a little, try decline push ups by elevating your feet.
So let’s get on to the reasons to do push-ups everyday for your workout routine.
1. Builds Your Chest
So if you want to build your chest or pectoral muscles, you can place your hands farther than shoulder-width apart.
Be careful with this one, because you can put too much strain on your shoulders when you go wide.
As we get older, our shoulders are more susceptible to damage or injury.
I personally do not go wider than shoulder-width anymore and still get a good pump in my chest.
You will build other muscle groups besides your chest.
2. Builds Your Shoulders and Triceps
Start this movement with your hands directly under your shoulders.
These will work your shoulders and triceps.
If you want to work on your triceps more, put your hands closer together.
If you put your hands forward or to the rear of your shoulders, you will be putting more stress on your abs and back muscles.
This is beneficial also.
Just remember, the stronger your shoulders are, the less likely you will have an injury.
Keep your form strict and go all the way up and all the way down.
Also, it’s not a race.
The longer your muscles are under tension, the stronger they will become.
This is known as TIME UNDER TENSION in the fitness world.
3. Helps Your Heart
By doing push-ups, you are making your heart work harder.
This is a good thing.
And it’s even better when it becomes a daily routine.
When you are working hard, your heart pumps oxygen rich blood to your muscles.
This benefits your cardiovascular system all the way around.
Harvard testing has shown that men who did 40 plus pushups, had an over 90% healthier cardiovascular system over a 10 year period.
4. Strengthens Your Core
So here is where are your core muscles will become stronger.
This is the area between your pelvis and sternum area.
Start out by placing your hands shoulder-width apart but towards your beltline.
Not so much that you fall over though.
Next try moving your hands a little forward toward your neckline.
Try 10 repetitions this way.
These will add benefit to your core muscles, which helps keep your body erect.
A strong core also helps prevent injuries and promotes good posture.
Push ups will help straighten your posture by strengthening the muscles along your spine.
I personally have noticed the stronger my ab muscles are, the less lower back pain I have.
5. Burns Calories
Any exercise you perform will burn calories which causes you to lose weight.
That is, if you are burning more calories than you are taking in.
Are you aware of the “After Burn Effect”?
That is when your body continue to burn calories after exercising.
It is trying to return to the state of homeostasis, which is the normal resting state of your body.
This can result in weight loss since your are burning more calories.
This is also known as the EPOC effect which stands for Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption.
This is the amount of oxygen it takes to get back to homeostasis.
I would suggest maybe doing a HIIT routine (High Intensity Interval Training) to increase the calorie burn.
6. Better Balance
As we get older, balance is a key concern.
We tend to think of push ups only affecting the chest, shoulders and triceps.
They actually engage your legs and back also.
By doing push-ups, it will help with stabilization we need for our body’s basic functions.
I suggest doing other exercises for BALANCE also, but push ups will be a good start.
7. Stronger Joints and Bones
Push-ups will help build the muscles around your joints, because they are a multi-joint movement.
Right away you will notice they are hitting your shoulders elbows and wrists.
Your joints need a little bit of stress on them to keep them healthy.
Your bones will also get stronger from the stress placed on them.
It’s been suggested that stress will cause your bones to get more calcium deposits and make them stronger.
As we age, Osteoporosis is a major concern.
Push ups also help with your tendon strength.
Tendons are the connective tissue that holds your muscle to the bone. Yes you can get stronger with Push Ups Every Day!
Conclusion
I think push-ups are one of the best exercises that you can do.
You can be creative and not put your body under unnecessary stress and strain, but still stress your muscles enough to grow and maintain strength.
Along with pull ups and bodyweight squats, you can have a full body workout with minimal exercises.
This can become a complete workout program.
You may want to hire a personal trainer to make sure you are doing push ups with good form.
I try to do a hundred push-ups a day, but that doesn’t always happen.
I’ve noticed that when I miss out on doing my pushups, my attitude and everything else seems to be kind of negative.
Maybe you’re in the same boat.
Give Push ups a try and see what happens for you!
Just remember, Don’t Overdue It!