Proper Push up Technique
When I was browsing the internet, it dawned to me that a lot of people have many different definitions with regards to the proper push-up technique. Push-ups aren’t just for buffing or for army trainees; they are in fact awesome, low cost upper body exercise that anyone who wishes to be fit can do anytime. If you’re looking to just tone up and gain some strength but not too much of body mass, these are definitely a great workout option for you. The best thing about this is that you can do it absolutely anywhere, you don’t need a gym for this to be done, and you can do this in your room, on a mat in your office or even in your living room!
Here’s how you do it.
Lie chest down with your hands at your shoulder level. Palms should be flat on the mat or the floor and your feet parallel to each other. Your hands should be placed just outside your shoulders. If you were to draw a rectangle with your shoulders as the edges of that, your hands should be outside of that rectangle.
Look forward instead of looking down and the one that makes contact with the floor should be your chin, not your nose. Your body should be properly inline during the whole duration of the exercise. The head should be still and not moving while you are doing the workout for it not to be strained or anything.
Straighten your arms slowly as you push your body away from the floor. Keep your palms fixed on the same position and your body should be straight. Inhale air while you are pushing yourself. Try not to arch or bend your back as you push yourself up so the back will not be strained. While you are on top, your arms should always be straight but not locked in the elbows. If you do not make the elbows to lock, your muscles will be contracting the whole time.
Slowly lower your body down, keeping your knees from bending and exhale while you do it until the inside of your elbows form something similar to 90 degrees. Keep your body and feet straight the whole time. You can choose to go all the way down of you like. Pause for a moment and try pushing yourself back up again. Exhale now as you try to raise your body again. Experiment with timing. I found out that about 30-40 push-ups in 60 seconds is a very good compromise. You can get more info about pushup techniques at mens health.