Keep Calm and Push Up

The push up. The press up. The dip. Call it what you like. It’s one of the best things your body will ever do. And one of the hardest to master, in the beginning. Particularly for us girls.

This single exercise shapes the shoulders, triceps and butt while strengthening the chest. And incinerates calories. Win-win.

Us ladies, we’re perfectionists. We’d rather not do a push up, than do it all wrong. So here’s a rough guide to how we can rock ‘boy’ pushups and make them look good!

1.     Start with wall pushups. Graduate to counter pushups. (Wall pushups are killer for the calves too) This will make your upper body stronger and prepare you for the full push up. To start with, do as many as you can before you fatigue. Then set a goal. Take breaks but complete your set.

  Wall or Counter Pushups: Hands wider than shoulders. Lift your heels and drop your chest towards the wall. Push the wall away to return. Drop heels. Repeat. 

2.     Next try knee pushups: Form is everything. Keep your hips low and pushed forward. Anything else is cheating. Complete your pre-determined set. (If you need, get help with your form. I've posted some pictures, but you can't see yourself when you're belting out a set. Your body needs to learn what the correct posture 'feels' like.)

  Knee Pushups: Keep your hips low and forward. Drop your chest between your elbows. Press the ground away to return. Repeat. 

3.     Alternate between knee and full push ups: Try a full push up. Even 1 is great. Get on to your knees and complete your pre-determined set. ALWAYS complete your set.

  Full Pushups: Hips are low. Belly is braced in. Hands are wider than shoulders. Keep the chin tucked in. Drop chest down. Keep the elbows in towards the body, and not flying outwards. Press the ground away to return. Repeat. 

4.     Before you know it, you’ll be doing more full push ups than knee pushups. Keep training till you reach the goal you set for yourself. After that… there’s no turning back.

As a former fearer of pushups, I know now that our bodies are much stronger than we think. And the ‘f**k-yeah’ feeling you’re left with, every time you achieve a milestone, is so much better than any pain or soreness you’ll ever feel.

And to my friend who wants to hit 35 pushups by 35, I’m rooting for you J

*Pictures courtesy different websites I researched and Google baba. I don't own any of them :)