Exercising is an essential task that our body demands to function in a fine and healthy shape. There are many exercises that one can perform to become stronger and healthier. Many people believe that only the gym and its machines can make you fit and active. But bodyweight exercises are efficient too (in some cases, they overpower gym exercises!). With a large variety of such workouts, pushups are one of the most common.
What Is A Perfect Pushup?
A pushup becomes ‘perfect’ when you keep in mind the following points-
- Get in the regular pushup position.
- Place your hands directly under your shoulders.
- They must be shoulder-width apart as well.
- Bend your elbows till your chest almost brushes the ground.
- While bending, the elbows must form an angle of (approx.) 45 degrees.
- Now while going up, remember to pull your body up as a whole. (Don’t pull your shoulders one by one; pull them up together).
Although it is one of the simplest and common exercises, people struggle to perform it. There can be multiple reasons for this. But don’t worry, we’ve got 10 effective methods that can help you master a pushup.
10 Points To Remember For A Perfect Pushup
1. Wall Pushups
It is the most basic variant of a pushup exercise. All you need to do is get in front of a wall, place your hands (shoulder-width apart) on the wall and perform a pushup while standing against the wall. Once you complete three sets of 25 such pushups, you’ll be able to proceed to the next level.
2. Knee Pushups
Get in a regular pushup position. Now, all you need to do is place those knees on the ground and perform a pushup. Again, three sets of 25 such pushups will allow you to enter the next level.
3. Incline Pushups
Now, this is something that demands more effort than the other two. Find a sturdy and fixed piece of log or a bench (that reaches your waist). Place your hands on the bench and get in the same pushup position. Now, as you already guessed, the next step is to perform the pushup. Once you find no difficulty performing three sets of 25 such pushups, lower the level of the bench to your knees.
4. Focus On The Weaker Parts
A pushup focuses mainly on your upper body i.e., the triceps, chest, shoulders, and core. If all (or one) of these muscles are weak, it will be harder to perform pushups. So, it is better to train these muscles individually.
5. Quality Over Quantity
It is much better to focus on the quality of an exercise. Doing it in the right way can maximize your output and results. Once you focus on the perfection of the exercise, the quantity of the reps will automatically increase. So, focus on the correct form of pushups, and in no time, the number of reps will increase.
6. No Elbow Flaring
One of the most common mistakes that beginners commit is the flaring of elbows. If your elbows form a right angle while bending, it is known as flaring. Although flaring might make it easier to perform a pushup, it can cause (sometimes even longer or permanent) shoulders injuries. So, as discussed earlier, it is way better and effective to form 45 degrees of angle.
7. Take Plenty Of Rest
If you don’t take a day off between your workout sessions, you will feel more tired every day and your results will decrease. Resting allows your muscles to become stronger and bigger. Proper rest will allow you to achieve your goal much faster. Overall, your workout will become more effective and will deliver a feeling of accomplishment.
8. Eat Healthily
There is no point in learning different exercises if you are a fast-food lover. To fulfill the amount of energy required to perform any exercise, our body absorbs the nutrients received from our daily diet. Now, if you eat fast food in higher quantity, it will not provide you sufficient nutrients. As a result, you’ll find it very hard to perform pushups or any other exercise.
9. One Extra Rep
While performing pushups when you reach the level where you find it hard to perform any more reps, try to give an extra rep to your body. It is not compulsory to complete the movement. Just go down and bring your body back up with the support of your knees. It will allow your body to push farther. Also, your body will become stronger. As a result, you will get closer to performing some perfect pushups!
10. Try Different Varieties
There are a lot of pushup variants that target different muscles. Mastering a normal pushup doesn’t end the story. If you feel like getting on an advanced level in the pushup world, try some more difficult variants like the one-arm pushups or the diamond pushups. All of these variants will allow you to build a stronger physique.
Conclusion
To master even the basic activities, we need to practice. Also, you’ll find it much easier once you start performing pushups. Whether you exercise on gym machines or practice calisthenics, performing pushups can help you develop a strong base. Or, even if you don’t prefer exercising much, 10-20 pushups with some other light exercises can help you stay in a healthy shape.
