All about push ups

In line with the push up competition being run this month I thought “why not take this opportunity to talk about push ups?” So here we are!

If you are like me, you probably have a love hate relationship with this body weight staple. I remember as a kid being tested by coaches and P.E. teachers to see how many push ups I could do, or how fast I could do them. In my martial arts training push ups were used as punishment! At this point I despised such testing and the exercises involved, but I was young and they were older, wise and more informed, so I did them. But something changed. I started to like it. I liked the feeling, the changes and the pressure to be better. Before long I would do push ups and crunches every single day. Fast forward to today and push ups are still part of my training week. Are they a part of yours? Maybe they should be.

A push up is  calisthenics exercise performed in a prone position by raising and lowering the body using the arms. Push ups exercise the pectoral muscles, triceps and anterior deltoids, with ancillary benefits to the rest of the should complex and the midsection as a whole.

They are typically done in 2 formats – the toe push up and the knee push up. Both variants provide similar benefits, although the toe push requires more strength as the body is lifted off the ground.

 

 

PUSH UP COMPETITION

How many can you do?

The highest scoring male and female each WIN a personal training pack worth $120!

See any staff member to enter – simple!

1-11 April

PUSH UP COMPETITION RULES

• The chest of the participant is to touch the ground at the bottom of the movement
• The elbows are to fully lock out at the top of the movement
• Complete as many as possible
• Beat your PB: have as many attempts as you like
• Females on knees and Males on toes