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The Pushup

Master this eternal muscle builder, The Pushup.

by Zach Even-Esh

You can’t keep adding plates to your bench press and squat forever. Ultimately, you’ll just max out (although with MF’s help, that promises to be a long time from now). Not when it comes to pushups, though, which offer nearly endless ways to progress and add strength, endurance, and power to your chest, shoulders, arms, and core. MF adviser Zach Even-Esh, a strength coach in Edison, N.J., gives some tips on perfecting your pushup technique, as well as some variations of the move to help you keep pushin’.

1
PLACE YOUR HANDS shoulder-width apart on the floor, and straighten your legs behind you so that your feet line up. If you haven’t done many pushups, spread your feet wide apart for better support. Otherwise, place them together. Focus your eyes on the floor, but do not allow your head to bend forward—your body must form a straight line from your heels to your head.

2
TIGHTEN YOUR ABS, bend your elbows, and lower your body until your chest is about one inch above the fl oor. Again, every part of your body must move in unison—do not allow your butt to stick up in the air or your hips to sag as you move downward. Press yourself back up.

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Pushup 2.0 - Try these advanced variations on the classic exercise.

Feet-elevated pushup: Try these when the regular pushup feels too easy—the angle allows you to increase the resistance without adding any weight.

Medicine-ball pushup: Place one hand on the ball to train shoulder stability, which leads to stronger bench-pressing.

Plyo pushup: Push yourself up so fast that your hands come off the floor, and clap in midair. You can also immediately follow 8–10 reps of plyos with a set of regular pushups to failure, which will improve your endurance quickly.

Pike pushup: (below) This move preps you for a handstand pushup, perhaps the toughest pushup of all.

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READERS COMMENTS:

how many times in a week to do push ups? every day or every other day or 5 days a week etc.
-- Deon Berrien

The pushup is a great exercise that can be done anywhere, and these variations will keep me interested, thanks!
-- Bruce Bond

Will doing the pushup on your knuckles help.
-- Obed Cristhian Lebron

ya need tips for weight lifting workouts
-- dat boyy

I try to stay in a routine with my pushups, 50 when I wake up 50 before I go to sleep everyday.
-- Dee Walker

I like to assist myself by performing the Plyo's in the nude. This way my erected penis can absord some of the impact, in result, spring me back up in a faster and smoother motion. I urge all to try it!
-- Billy Cunningham

I try to do 50 pus ups in the evening during every commercial break.
-- olubello

Bill Cunningham is hilarious
-- NJdevil

is it better to do pushups after a run or before?
-- wade

A pushup is great for finishing up a workout, so 3 sets of pushups after a run should be OK
-- CanesHockey

Thanks, i'm sure this will help me a lot
-- Liam

if you want to get creative, try diamond push-ups, they're great for your chest.
-- Oscar Vigil

i play rugby and the pusch up is one of thekay workouts were instructed to do so if you in america play football then i reccomend this workout as it builds the core and you bi's tri's and delts
-- Sam

Anyone out there a Ranger? Tell us the way to do Ranger push-up. How elevated are the feet?
-- James

i tried the pylo's in the nude thing and it really is painful. i dont recomend trying it.
-- broken dick

Any tips? I am 39 and just started going to the gym again, but I can't do any push ups.
-- Any

There is no set, specific standard elevation for ranger pushups, James. It's just a common tradition for squad leaders to make their privates pound out their punishment pushups with their feet elevated. Usually the feet are elevated on a wall locker at about belt buckle height.
-- Josh

I'm considering buying a product called the "Perfect Pushup" because I'm hoping to maximize my the value of doing pushups. Will enabling my arms to rotate during the pushup movement make the pushup more beneficial?
-- Jon

i haven't noticed a big difference with the "perfect pushup" except being able to go lower b/c your hands are elevated and just getting away from the "standard" push up with the rotating.......something different. personally, it's worth buying
-- Joshua

The "Perfect Push" equipment is awesome. The amount of push ups I can do has nearly doubled since using for a month. Recommened to everyone!
-- to big

ive noticed great results on my arms and chest with the perfect pushup
-- jim

I agree with using the Perfect Pushup. I went from maxing 30 to 50 in six months using the Pwerfect Pushup and I can do about 100 without them, and I hadn't done regular pushups in six months. I weight about 270, so that is no easy feat.
-- JC

i agree the perfect pushup equipment is really good, buying it from walmart or so is cheaper than ordering it . It gives great results in a week if you follow the plan
-- Alexis

For the gentleman that can't do push ups: Start doing table push ups, stand a few feet away from the edge of a table and place your hands on the edge, start pumping, the higher the table, the lesser resistance
-- Milton

The Pushup

Master this eternal muscle builder, The Pushup.

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