- It may seem easier to begin a push-up with your arms relaxed and your belly on the ground, but according to Stronglifts.com the classic starting position is with your elbows locked. The point is that there is greater resistance when you are forced to prevent your body from hitting the floor rather than having to push your body up from a relaxed position. Place your feet no more than 12 inches apart, place your hands just outside your shoulders, and keep your back and legs in a straight line. Once you have locked your elbows into place you are in the push-up starting position.
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The two important parts of the push-up are the resistance given when you lower your body to the floor, and the exertion you give when pushing your body back up. The resistance on the way down is gathered when you prevent your chest or nose from touching the ground.
The Health and Fitness Advice website suggests you have reached the stopping point when your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Do not allow your back to droop or your elbows to lower your body any further. Make your downward inhale a robust one you can hear and feel. When you have reached the parallel position with your upper arms, exhale and use your shoulders and your arms to bring your body back up. -
The variations to doing a push-up are traced back to two general categories. One of the variations involves holding the downward position for a count of five or 10, and then slowly bring yourself back up to the starting position again.
In a blast push-up, bring yourself to the down position, hold it for a count of two or three, then launch back up attempting to elevate off the ground. The blast's variations include the hand-clap push-up, in which you elevate from the down position and then clap once while in the air. You may also opt for elevating yourself and landing on one arm for each alternate leap.
