How to Do Push Ups

Video Transcript

"Alright, so the first exercise that we're going to talk about is a simple exercise that everyone knows its one of the best exercises for the chest muscle and that's a push up. Now there are different ways we can do push ups and I'll demonstrate that. But if you're a beginner and can't quite do a regular push up, then you may want to get against a wall or if you're outside, you can even use a tree and you're going to do push ups against the tree. Now it may seem like elementary or really simple but when you're just starting out you want to take it slow and you want to gradually grow into the more difficult versions of the push up. So when you're against the wall or tree you will perform it similar to how we're going to do it on the mat except you're in an upright position and you're going to push up against the wall and brings your body in and out, you're against the wall. So if you're more advanced then the wall or tree push up, then you can do a modified push up on the mat. A modified push up is simply you on the mat with your knees on the mat, you want to pop you legs up in the back, hands are about shoulder width apart and you simply push yourself down, push up, lower yourself down and push up, just like that. That's a modified push up. Next if you're more advanced than that, then you may want to do the regular push up which is similar except no knees are on the mat. You're going to kick those legs out behind you, these arms are in a position where they're shoulder width apart, lower yourself and push yourself up. That's a regular push up. And if you're more advanced than a regular push up, then you can start doing things like a decline push up. That's where your legs are up, you can put them up on, if you're outside, a rock or a bench, or if you're at home, you can use a chair. Your legs are up and then your body's down and all you do is lower yourself down and back up, down and back up with your legs behind you, up in a position where your body's in a decline. And then if you're more advanced than that, you can add things like doing a clap in between your push ups or you can really push yourself up and then hop to another side. There's so many variations of a push up but push ups are excellent for an excellent way to really strengthen the pectoralis major."