(This post originally appeared in the September 4, 2012 StrongFast Planet Newsletter.)
The venerable pushup has long been a staple of exercise routines and for good reason. It's easy to do most anywhere (do not try them in pools of molten lava) and provides a good workout to the triceps, shoulders, chest, and core stabilization muscles. There are also hundreds of variations of the pushup, most to make it harder or work some part of the body more intensely, and some to make the movement easier for those not quite ready to do the real thing.
You can find plenty of instructions and demonstrations online explaining how to do a standard pushup, with lots of conflicting advice on technique, particularly in the position of the hands and the direction of the elbow bend. So what is the "right" way to do them? I could tell you, but then you'd have to take my word for it (even though you know I'm a man of my word). Instead, I'll tell you how to figure it out for yourself.
To do this, you'll need a wall. Make sure it's a sturdy wall, not one made of balsa wood or thin drywall. (And make sure it's not in a pool of molten lava, of course.) Stand in front of the wall and put both hands on it as if you were going to push the wall into the next room. Now try to push the wall into the next room. Push as hard as you can. Drive with your legs, and keep applying a steady, unrelenting pressure for a good five seconds. Now stop pushing, but don't move your body.
Take a look to see where your hands are in relation to your shoulders, both vertically and horizontally. (Account for your forward lean which will make your hands appear higher because of the position of your head.) Now push hard again, and very slowly let your chest toward the wall as you bend your arms. Take a good five seconds to move six inches. As you do, notice the angle of your elbows in relation to your body. Are they out to the sides? Close to your ribs? Somewhere in between? Now push one more time, really hard. This time, notice your core, approximately from your ribcage to your upper thighs, front, back, and sides. Notice your body's alignment and what muscles are fully activated.
OK, now take a break. That was a lot of work! And if you actually moved the wall into the next room, take a longer break before moving it back. And next time, pick a different wall.
When you're ready, it's time to apply what you've learned to doing a pushup. Lay face-down on the floor (make sure it's a sturdy floor, not one made of balsa wood) and position yourself as you did when pushing the wall, except that both legs are straight and supported by your toes and the balls of your feet. Now do the movement just as you did when pushing against the wall.
You remember everything from the wall push, right? I mean, we just did it a minute ago! Well, in case any of it is now a blur, here's a tip to get back that same form while on the floor: instead of pushing yourself up from the floor, push the floor away from you. (Or, if you're Chuck Norris, push the Earth away.) Really exercise (get it?) your visualization skills on this one. This simple reframing of a pushup into a push-down can make a world of difference. Be sure you're going through the full range of motion (chest to floor at the bottom, elbows locked out at the top) and don't forget to squeeze those glutes and abs!
Once you have the vanilla version down, you can switch to all sorts of variations to make them more challenging. One simple variation is the single-leg pushup, which is just like it sounds: lift one leg a few inches off the floor while you do half your reps, then switch to the other leg for the rest.
And what if you're not strong enough yet to do a standard pushup? Find a strong, steady platform that won't slide or collapse (or burst into flames) and put your hands on it. The higher the platform, the easier the pushup will be. As you get stronger, use lower platforms until you're on the floor. No matter what angle you use, however, be sure to keep the same tight core posture and the "push-down" elbow positions.
And that's how you do a standard pushup. But of course, you've known all along. Just as you instinctively knew doing them in molten lava would be a bad idea. For some things, you don't need a trainer. [shameless plug alert] For the others, call StrongFast Fitness!