Push Ups exercise:

How to do push ups

For beginners, doing push ups is a good compound exercises. It works almost all the upper body and it doesn't require any equipments that you can't find (a chair or some bricks etc).

push ups
  • Keep your back straight, if you don't, you lower back is likely to get strained (injured). If you've a weak back or even if you are new to it and want to get into the form first, you may try lying on your knees (instead of toes).
  • The distance between your hands matters. The more far apart your hands are, more your pecs and anterior delts get worked.

If they are near enough, your back will get the exercise. Of course, don't be a dope to keep your hands too far (or near). Shoulder length distance is ok.

  • And try to get all the way down and don't lock.
  • Positive reps work triceps and negatives work biceps. Breathing doesn't much matters but you may try inhaling while going down and exhaling while going up. When you cross the 30 pushups boundary, they become more of stretching and warm up exercises. Some people put weight on their back to increase the resistance (like you saw in that zorro movie) but it strains your back too much, so you better go for bench presses.