The Push-up: Scaling the Difficulty Level

The push-up is a classic exercise that should really be a part of any one's fitness routine.  While it targets the muscles of the chest, shoulders and arms, the push-up require other muscles to help support the main three areas, thus integrating a fairly good amount of the body.  Push-ups can be made easier and harder, depending on your fitness level.




Push-ups against a wall: Instead of laying on the floor, just do your push-ups against a wall.  Do them until your muscles are tired, but not completely exhausted.  Keep control of the going down - don't just collapse.  Keeping things controlled is the key.

As you get stronger, do your push-ups against the back of a chair, and then the seat of a chair, then a low stool.  Eventually, you'll be doing them on the floor.




Push-ups on Knees:  More demanding than wall push-ups, but easier than on-the-toes push-ups.  Again, do as many as you can until the muscles are tired, not until complete exhaustion.  When you can do a good number of them, say 25, it's time to graduate to on-the-toes push-ups.


Push-ups on-the-toes: The classic exercise that has been used by sports figures, military, and school kids around the world.  There's a reason: they work! Just get down on the floor, feet out and close together. Lower yourself till your chin (or nose) just barely touches the floor, and push yourself back up.  Again, keep everything controlled, from the raising to the lowering.  One perfectly controlled push-up is better than 10 sloppily done push-ups.




And when you are strong enough, start doing them on chairs, so that you get a deeper stretch in the chest as you go down.  These are pretty advanced, so don't do them until you have mastered the on-the-toes push-up.

Look at that young man on the right.  Yeah, he's still got it even today.  Feeling lucky, punk? Yes? Then get to some push-ups, and make your day,