Push Up Workout

There are a number of different push up exercises listed below that you can use to create your own push up workout. I encourage you to do 4-5 different exercises for two sets. How many push-ups you do is up to you. Set a goal in your head and shoot for it.

Goals vary from person to person depending on fitness level and ability. Push yourself to do as many as possible without losing form. The key to being fit is producing quality exercises, not doing more reps of an exercise with bad form.

Remember, take your time, and do the best you can for where your fitness level is currently. In two weeks, it may be a completely different ball game. Just stick with it!

BEGINNERS TIP:
Push up workouts can be an extremely taxing in the beginning. If they are too hard for you, do them on your knees. There is no shame in starting your push up workout like that. Eventually you will gain enough upper body strength do them in the regular push up position.

Safety: Some people have wrist issues, so it may be beneficial for you to buy a set of push-ups bars to keep your wrists straight during your push up workout. Dumbbells work great too. I use a set of 15lb dumbbells as my push-up bars.

Standard Push-up:

Place your hands below your shoulders. Keeping your back straight, lower your chest to the floor and push back up. Simple.

This is a slight variation on the regular push up position. Place your hands wider than shoulder width apart. Lower your chest to the floor and push back up.

Place your hands directly in front of you with your thumb and index finger touching to make a diamond shape. Lower your chest to your hands and push up.



If these are too hard for you to do, spread your hands a little further apart. The closer together your hands are, the harder the push-up.

Placing your hands directly below your shoulders, lower your chest to the floor while keeping your elbows close to your body. Your elbows should not flair out like they do for a regular push-up.

Find a coffee table, chair or workout ball and place your feet on top of it. Keeping your back straight, lower your chest to the floor and push up. Like me, you may only be able to go half way down on these when you start. That's fine. Do your best.

If you are starting with these chest exercises, try giving yourself a minute to do as many push-ups as you can. Then take a break and work on the next exercise for maximum number of reps.

You can take advantage of your breaks by doing some chin ups or pulls ups between each of your push-up sets.

More Advanced Push-ups:

When you've mastered the above set feel free to start incorporating some of these moves for more advanced chest exercises.

BOSU Push Ups

This is a tough exercise because not only do you have to do a push up, but you have to balance yourself on a ball or a dome. Get into your push up position on top of the ball and lower your chest until it touched the ball or dome. Pause, then push back up.

Another variation on this exercise is to place one hand on the ball or dome, do a push up, then switch hands so your opposite hand is on the ball. This will require you to move your body from side to side.

Slow Push-ups:

With your body positioned for a standard pushup, lower you body slowly. It should take 4-5 seconds for you to reach the lowest part of your push up. Then push up, taking 4-5 seconds to return to regular position.

You are going to do 5 standard push-ups followed by 5 slow push-ups. If you can do two sets that great. If you can only do one, that's fine too.

This is a lot like the incline push-up except, instead of using your chair, bring your legs and hands together to form a V. Lower your chest to the floor and push up.

For this push-up, you will be moving one hand to the side before doing your push-up.

Start in standard push-up position. Move your right hand into a wide push-up position, lower your chest, push-up, and then return to standard position. Do the same thing for the left side. Keep alternating sides until finished.

Place one hand on the ground, and the other hand on a slightly higher surface. Lower your chest to the floor and push up. Switch sides after 5 reps.

This is a standard push-up except - you guessed it - you use one hand. Start on your knees if you have to. Remember correct form is better than being able to do 10 with bad form.

Get into standard push-up position and lower your chest to the floor. Now you need to explode up so your hands come off the ground. While in the air clap your hands together and land in push-up position.

The more height you get on these the more intense they are. Try even getting your feet off the ground if you can.

Those are the exercises I have used in my push up workouts. Start simple and work your way to the harder exercises. If you are looking for more body weight exercises you can do at home, check out the chin ups and pull ups exercises. This is a great way to work your back and arms using your body weight.

Pictures Provided by EverKinetic!