19 Dec 2017

It is the holiday season, and many of us are traveling. That may mean being away from our gyms. I know I will be about a half hour from a location of my gym, and I have gone there before when I went home to the Pittsburgh area to visit my family. My particular gym is located in a very busy plaza, and that is one of the last places I want to be during last minute holiday shopping. I have family and friends I want to see, but I want to get a workout in. I can entertain my 2 1/2 year old niece and do different types of exercises right next to her. In fact, she has some fun being an extra 25 lbs for me to work with doing my Squats and Weighted Push-Ups. You can do the same thing as well. I will show you five types of Push-Ups that will help work your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. Those are all exercises you can do right where you are staying.
 
1.) Push-Ups:
 
Push-Ups are a very basic exercise that everyone knows. However, many people do struggle with the proper form. Push-Ups can not only work your chest, triceps, and shoulders, but they are a good exercise for strengthening your core as well.
 
To do a Push-Up correctly, lie prone on floor with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width. You can turn your hands slightly inwards to help take pressure off of your wrists. Raise your body up off the floor by extending your arms while keeping your body straight. Do not let your lower back sag. Then, lower yourself down, keeping the body straight with your chest touching the ground. Keep your glutes squeezed and your core tight to help you out.
 

 
2.) Incline Push-Ups:
 
I will backtrack and talk about an easier exercise next. Some people may not have the upper body strength to do a regular Push-Up, but almost everyone can do an Incline Push-Up. The great thing about Incline Push-Ups is that you can start at various heights according to your capabilities. You can start with Wall Push-Ups or you can start on any surface, like a park bench, a counter, a sturdy table, and so on. The lower the surface, the tougher the Incline Push-Up will be. The higher the surface, the easier it will become. Tip for those of you doing these at the gym: Find the Smith Machine in the gym, and you can do Incline Push-Ups on there. I like to program dropsets starting from the bottom most position, to an almost horizontal position. Assume your Push-Up position described above at the elevation of your choosing.
 



 
3.) Triceps Push-Ups
 
Triceps Push-Ups (also known as Close Grip Push-Ups or Diamond Push-Ups) are a great exercise to help you strengthen your triceps, shoulders, and chest. They place emphasis on the triceps, and they are one of the key exercises we use to strengthen your triceps. Triceps Push-Ups are a little more advanced than the regular Push-Up. Start in a prone position (face down). Your arms will remain close to your body. Make a diamond shape with your hands underneath your chest, (This will help take the pressure off of your wrists.). Lower yourself until your chest hits the ground. Make sure you are in a plank position, keeping your body straight. Do not let your lower back sag or your hips stick out in the air. Then, push up to your starting position to complete the repetition, exhaling on your way up as well. Repeat for the prescribed amount of reps. Also, do not let your arms flare out to the side. Keep your arms close to your body to keep the emphasis on your triceps.
 

 
4.) Uneven Push-Ups:
 
Uneven Push-Ups are more of a challenge than Triceps Push-Ups are. You get into push-up position, but you support your body with one hand on the ground and one hand on either a basketball, soccer ball, or a medicine ball. Bring your chest down to at least the level of where your hand is on the ball, keep your back flat, and your core engaged. If your right hand starts out on the ball and your left hand starts on the ground, then after that set is done, switch over so your left hand is on the ball and you right hand is on the ground. This is bringing you a step closer to the one arm push-up.
 

 
5.) Pike Push-Ups:
 
Pike Push-Ups target the shoulders more directly than the other Push-Ups on this list. Start out with your hands on the floor, your feet on the ground while your hips are in the air so your body forms an upside down V. Your arms should be straight and your hands should be shoulder-width apart, slightly in front of you.
 
Keep your arms and legs as straight as possible throughout the whole exercise. Bend your elbows and lower your upper body until the top of your head nearly touches the floor.
 

 



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