photo by luis-quintero
Are you doing pushups but not getting the desired results? You won’t believe but there are many who complain about pushups not giving gains or that ripped look. There may be reasons like improper diet and less sleep, but incorrect pushups are the most likely ones. Let’s know how to improve your pushups.
Also, check out: 6 Cardio Exercises You Should Be Doing
1. Proper Form
Pushups are the simplest and yet one of the most effective bodyweight exercises out there. It trains multiples muscles at a time. If your pushups are not good, then you won’t be able to achieve what it can offer. Foundation of a body will define how it will look when you start to pack on some weight and pushups is one of those exercises that help you significantly in defining that. The proper form of improving and performing pushups is keeping your back and neck straight. With your torso and hips in line, inhale while you go down and exhale while you lift yourself up. Make sure that you focus your weight on the outer side of your hands, a fact which is usually ignored and could lead to wrist injuries.
2. Variations
For some, it has been some time in the gym and it is now about taking a step ahead. After mastering yourself in pushups, it is time to bring in some variations or experiments. Variations could mean anything. The number of sets or reps per set to slight changes in placement of your hands, can help you achieve bulging triceps. You could go with close-grip pushups or heart shape hand formation pushups, while you rest your legs on a bench or a chair, instead of the floor this time, because it will increase the intensity of the workout as well as the muscle engagement, resulting in better formation of the muscles in a short amount of time.
3. Strong Core
While you exercise, you need every bit of the energy to get you through the last set. You have to make sure that energy is not wasted. Sometimes un-necessary movements conserve your energy and you lose out on your goal. The same is the case with pushups. You have to make sure that your body is rigid and doesn’t allow excess energy to escape. Your biceps and triceps may be strong enough to hold your upper body, but your legs may be weak and they might drop after a while, resulting in bad pushups.
4. Harder, the better
Lastly, you need to push yourself and your muscles beyond limit every time through variations already mentioned above. You need to increase the weight or sets, keeping in view that the harder you exercise, the better will be your strength. At the same time, you need to make sure that you are also working on muscles such as the upper back muscles, which will also facilitate you in performing better pushups. Such muscles altogether provide you with the strength and form to give you that ultimate set of pushups every time.
