How To Improve Your Technique To Do More Pushups?

Applying the correct technique when doing pushups will improve your overall form and strength.

Pushups are one of the basic exercises that everyone has tried at least once. It is a bodyweight exercise that strengthens shoulders and core muscles in both men and women. Often, it is the basic exercises that are underrated or misunderstood because of gender bias. Strength and power do not mean building big muscles. And women should also do pushups regularly to improve their overall strength.

Disclaimer: All content in this post is for general health information only. Please consult a specialist physician before trying any new exercise, diet, or health advice. There are no affiliate links attached to this post. 

In this article, we will try to understand:
What is strength training?
The myths about pushups
The correct technique to do basic pushups
Increase the number of pushups.

Strength training vs Muscle building

When thinking about pushups, the picture of a huge man in a gym comes to mind. However, strength is not only developed in the gym or is restricted to bodybuilders. 

What is strength training?
There are three things to consider:

“Strength defines your ability to create maximal force during one contraction, size relates to muscle volume and appearance and endurance dictates your ability to sustain a specific muscular activity over time.”

When you focus on improving your overall strength, it’s called strength training. You do not necessarily want bulky muscles or a certain type of look or size. You are aiming for a leaner goal to activate your current muscles for strength without adding bulk. Strength training brings more stability to your overall body without compromising flexibility.

Aiming for muscle building is mostly for people who want to go to professional bodybuilding competitions or are models. Whether male or female, they want to show off a certain type of look. Of course, it also increases their overall strength without prioritising flexibility. The biggest difference is in the training sessions, with more weight lifting and more exercise repetitions.

You may also like to read: 5 Plank Mistakes To Correct Immediately

The myths about pushups

1 Pushups should be done daily.

The myths about pushups clarify many mistakes people often make while performing pushups.Stew Smith, a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association, recommends doing pushups three times a week, or most probably once a week. Improving your pushup technique is more important than doing more pushups. When you do pushups every day, you are simply taxing your muscles. It will initially increase muscle mass, but as the muscles tire, there will be a sudden decrease due to muscle weakening. 

2 Rest between the sets is not important.

Pushups should be done once a week, mixed with other exercises like cardio and yoga, because to gain maximum benefit from pushups, the muscles need rest and recovery. For a beginner, starting slowly with the best form is better than aiming to do more pushups. For people who workout on a daily basis and already incorporate pushups into their weekly routine, resting between the sets is important, depending on the intensity of the pushup.

3 Women should not do pushups because it will give them a bulky look.

Genetically, women have a narrower chest frame compared to men. As I mentioned above, strength training is different from bodybuilding. Pushups improve functional strength, which tones and strengthens women’s chest, shoulders, and arms. 

4 Pushups increase or decrease the size of the breast.

Pushups done in moderation tone the upper body very well. It does not increase or decrease the size of the breast. However, the chest muscles around the breast may expand as the strength increases. 

5 Pushups are not for everybody.

If you have weak wrists and a lower back, you should definitely avoid doing pushups. To improve strength, start with a plank exercise. Gradually, increase the duration of plank exercises. Perform a basic bear crawl body weight workout to learn about weight shift and core engagement. Most importantly, consult your physician before trying any new exercise. 

6 People who use barbells and weights do not do pushups.

Pushups may be the most basic callisthenics to start with, but they also improve the stability of the upper body and core muscles. Fitness enthusiasts may focus on size, but pushups are a good exercise to check your basic core strength and correct form.

7 Pushups are too easy.

If you think pushups are too easy, then you may be doing them incorrectly. It’s always a good idea to go back to the basics to improve your foundation of exercise. Check out the technical details mentioned below to see if you are able to maintain the correct form. Or add variations to your pushups to make them more interesting. 

8 Keeping the arms away and elbows out while doing pushups will give you a wider chest.

This is the biggest mistake every beginner makes. The idea of a pushup is to engage your chest and shoulder muscles correctly. The wider elbows and arms will not work properly to improve your strength or strengthen your muscles. 

9 More muscles mass means more strength.

There are different types of strengths. A bodybuilder may pull a heavy tire, but a gymnast who has expertise in body weight training can do different tricks using a prop that a body builder cannot do. Or a body builder cannot run long distance which needs strength and endurance but of a different level. There are different ways you can use your strength, and size definitely does not mean more strength. 

10 Only one variation of pushup without equipment is necessary.

The basic pushup is a great way to correct your form and check your core stability. Push-up crawls can help you understand how your body’s weight shifts. You can also try one-handed pushups to add a slight variation to your exercise routine. 

You may also like to read: <strong>Discover The Amazing Benefits of Bear Crawl Bodyweight Exercise </strong>

The correct technique to do basic pushups

The easiest way to check your pushup form is to check the position of your joints. In a basic plank position, the joints that are holding your body are your shoulders, elbows, wrists, hip joints, knees, and toes. You may notice that a basic push-up covers the entire body. And that is the beauty of the basic pushup exercise. If you feel any pain or hear a clicking sound in these joints while doing pushups, then you should stop immediately. 

Try to keep your body stable with no stagger or discomfort while doing pushups. Remember to breathe evenly.

The most important thing is to engage your core and avoid the feeling of a loose body while doing pushups. 

The alignment from the top of your head to your toes should form one line, which means that your head should not be dropping down, your shoulders should not be slouching forward, and your hips and knees should not be dropping towards the floor.

To improve grip and stability, you need to keep your elbows at shoulder width, which should be in parallel alignment with your chest. 

A pushup variation does not imply keeping your hands tilted inward. To gain maximum benefit from your pushups, you should spread out your fingers wide to get a good grip of the floor. At the same time, keep your hands parallel to your shoulders.

Always keep your hips and knees up and parallel to your spine. Dropping or not stretching properly at the hips and knees is the incorrect form of pushups. 

You may also like to read: Improve Gut Health With A Combination Of Cardio And Yoga

Try these tips and variations to increase the number of pushups

It’s always a good idea to start slow. Gradually increase the number of pushup sets you are doing. Rest when in pain or feeling uncomfortable. Start with 5 more every week, and then add 10 more the next month.

If you can easily do planks for a longer time, then try to do slow pushups, which are more effective than increasing the number of pushups. This is a contrasting exercise to improve strength. Use a timer to see how slowly you can complete each push-up without rushing. Repeat 10 times. 

Try performing a weighted pushup while wearing a backpack. Just like the army people who run carrying a bag with essential things, try putting some weighted stuff in a small backpack, and then try doing the basic push-ups. Perform 10 backpack pushups. Take a rest for 60 seconds, and then try again.

Another great way to increase strength, improve technique, and do more pushups is to try an eccentric pushup. It works by testing your strength at different variations of speed. From the basic push-up position, slowly go down in five seconds, and before touching the floor, explode up to the starting position. Take a 90-second break before trying again.

You can do a volume of 20 quick pushups and then rest for 90 seconds. Try again and take a rest or stretch your muscles.

You may also like to read: The Importance Of Keeping A Fitness Journal

Conclusion

Technique is more important than the number of pushups. If you are getting tired, you lose your form, and instead of improving, you are decreasing your strength, which may lead to injury. 

If you are taking part in a pushup challenge, then it’s even more important to listen to your body first. If you feel breathless or uncomfortable, then it’s time to take it slow.

Consistently doing 10 basic pushups in the correct form is more beneficial than doing more pushups.

In your weekly exercise routine, include a mix of cardio, yoga, and flexibility with your pushup routine.

If you want to focus more on shoulder stability, try keeping your feet in a slightly elevated position, like putting your feet on stairs and doing pushups. 

Set a timer and a fitness journal to check your progress. 

References

Difference Between Strength Training & Muscle Building, By Mandy Ross.

https://www.livestrong.com/article/327732-difference-between-strength-training-muscle-building/

Why You Shouldn’t Do Push-ups, Pull-ups and Sit-ups Daily, Military.com, By Stew Smith, CSCS®

https://www.military.com/military-fitness/general-fitness/daily-pushups-pushups-situps-etc-why

How to Do More Push-Ups in Just Two Weeks , BY THE EDITORS OF GQ, May 29, 2020.

https://www.gq.com/story/above-average-joe-two-weeks-pushups-challenge