Push-up

For the 2004 single by Freestylers, see Push Up

Animation of a full push-up (a better form would require elbows to be closer to the body)

Side view of a push-up

A push-up, or in British English a press-up, is a common calisthenics exercise performed in a prone position by lowering the body using the arms. Push-ups exercise the pectoral muscles and triceps, with ancillary benefits to the deltoids, serratus anterior, coracobrachialis and the midsection as a whole. Push-ups are a basic exercise used in civilian athletic training or physical education and commonly in military physical training. They are also a common form of punishment used in the military or in school sport.

History

The American English term push-up was first used between 1905 and 1910,^[1] while the British English term press-up was first recorded in 1928.^[2]

Muscles worked

While the push-up primarily targets the muscles of the chest, arms, and shoulders, support required from other muscles results in a wider range of muscles integrated into the exercise.^[3]

Primary muscles

• Anterior and medial deltoids ("delts")
• Triceps
• Pectoralis major and pectoralis minor ("pecs")

Secondary muscles (synergists or stabilizers)

• Rhomboid major and rhomboid minor
• Erector spinae
• Rotator cuff
• Posterior deltoids ("delts")
• Serratus anterior
• Rectus abdominus ("abs")
• Transverse abdominus
• Gluteus maximus ("glutes")
• Quadriceps ("quads")

Variations

In the "full push-up", the back and legs are straight and off the floor. There are several variations besides the common push-up. These include bringing the thumbs and index fingers of both hands together (a "diamond pushup") as well as having the elbows pointed towards the knees. These two variations are intended to put greater emphasis on the triceps rather than the shoulder and chest muscles. When both hands are unbalanced or on uneven surfaces, this exercise works the body core. Raising the feet or hands onto elevated surfaces during the exercise emphasize the upper (minor) and lower (major) pectorals, respectively. Raising the hands with the aid of push-up bars or a dumbbell allows for greater ROM (range of motion) providing further stress for the muscles. In any variation of a push-up, a person will be lifting about 65% of his or her body weight.

Planche push-ups

Another extremely difficult variation is to perform a push-up using only hands, without resting the feet on the floor, i.e. starting from and returning to the planche position. These are known as "planche push-ups". To do this variation, the body's center of gravity must be kept over the hands while performing the push-up by leaning forward while the legs are elevated in the air, which requires great strength and a high level of balance. The entire bodyweight is lifted in this variation.

Boxer's push-ups

Another variation often used as part of boxing training involves doing the push-up while wearing boxing gloves. The design of the gloves means that the person doing the push-up must do so on his or her knuckles and without bending his or her wrists. This method is also commonly used in martial arts, such as Karate and Tae Kwon Do, but without the boxing gloves.

The intent, aside from building the arms, is to build wrist strength for punching. These push-ups may also strengthen bones and build calluses upon the knuckles to reduce pain in punching.

Maltese push-ups

"Maltese push-ups" are a gymnastic variation of the push-up, in which the hands are positioned closer to the hips (as opposed to the pectorals), but with an extremely great distance between them.^[4]

Hindu push-ups

See also: Surya Namaskara

"Hindu push-ups" (aka Hanuman Push-ups, Judo Push-ups or Dive Bomber Push-ups, although the latter vary slightly in the second half of the movement) are a form of exercise prevalent in Indian and Pakistani physical culture and Indian martial arts, particularly Pehlwani. Hindu squats are called Uthak-bethak and the exercise regimen in Indian wrestling often consists of doing the Indian "jack-knifing push-ups", Indian club swinging and squats. The Hindu jack-knifing push-ups are part of the core exercises for building up of strength, stamina, and flexibility of joints.^[5] The dand was also a part of the exercise regimen of Bruce Lee.^[6] They are commonly called swallowdives in English speaking countries.^[7]

To execute a Hindu Push-up, one starts with feet and hands little more than shoulder width apart, forming the body into an upside down "V" and keeping the head, neck, and spine aligned.The arms are touching the ears in this position. From this starting position, commonly called Downward Dog in Yoga, one bends the elbows, lowering the head towards the ground and bringing the chest almost to the ground,while his hips are still about a couple of feet in the air then "swoops" forward to a "Cobra Pose", which means that the head and shoulders are high with unbent elbows but the knees and hips are almost touching the ground. To this point, Hindu Push-ups and Dive Bomber Push-ups are the same. To return to the Downward Dog position in a Hindu Push-up, from the Cobra Pose, raise the abdomen into a normal plank position, then push your hips up and head backwards into Downward Dog.Thus we see that in a Hindu push-up, the head and hips go in circles rather than up and down. In an Dive Bomber Push-up, from the Cobra Pose, bend the elbows again and reverse the execution back into Downward Dog. In a downward dog, you should be seeing your knees.^[8]

The simple set of exercises of dand-baithak (push-up and squats) practiced in the villages of India has a beneficial effect on the spine. It takes off the strain from the spine and makes it fit to fight the other strains on the spine caused by the adoption of an erect posture.^[9]

The American College of Sports Medicine (2000) recommends using a push-up test to examine endurance on the upper-body musculature. For a male subject, assuming a dand position, with back straight, head up, and hands placed shoulder width apart, lowering his body with his chin touching the mat; the abdomen should not touch the mat.^[10]

Guillotine push-up

The guillotine push-up is a form of push-up exercise done from an elevated position (either hands on elevated platforms or traditionally medicine balls) wherein the practitioner lowers his chest, head, and neck (thus the name) past the plane of the hands. The goal is to stretch the shoulders and put extra emphasis on the muscles there.

Backhanded push-up

The backhanded push-up is a form of push-ups performed using the back of the hands, rather than the palms. Currently the record holder of the backhanded push-ups is Bill Katham who broke the world record in 2010, by performing 1,940 on Valentine's Day.^[11]

Other versions

There are some less difficult versions, which reduce the effort by supporting some of the body weight in some way. One can move on to the standard push-up after progress is made.

"Wall" push-ups are performed by standing close to a wall and pushing away from the wall with the arms; one can increase the difficulty by moving one's feet farther from the wall.

"Table" or "chair" push-ups are performed by pushing away from a table, chair, or other object. The lower the object, the more difficult the push-up. One should be sure that the object is securely stationary before attempting to push up from it.

"Modified" or "knee" push-ups are performed by supporting the lower body on the knees instead of the toes, which reduces the difficulty. This is useful for warm ups/downs, pyramids/drop sets, endurance training and rehab. It can also be used to train in a more explosive plyometric manner (like clapping pushups) when one can't perform them with the feet. It can also be used with the 1-arm variations as a transition.

"Three phase" push-ups involve simply breaking a standard push up into three components and doing each one slowly and intentionally. Participants usually start face down on the floor with hands outstretched either perpendicular or parallel to the body. The first phase involves the arms being brought palms down on a 90 degree angle at the elbows. The second phase involves the body being pushed into the up position. The third phase is returning to the starting position. This technique is commonly used after a large block of regular push ups, as it poses less stress and requires less effort.

"Diamond" push-ups are done by placing both palms and the ground and touching together both thumbs and pointer fingers. This technique requires much more strength than regular push-ups due to the fact that all of the weight of your body being "pushed-up" is focused on one spot rather than spread out.

Plyometrics

Two platforms are placed beside the trainee, one on either side. The exercise begins with the hands on either platform supporting the body, then the subject drops to the ground and explosively rebounds with a push-up, extending the torso and arms completely off the ground and returning the hands to the platforms.

Another is simply an explosive push-up where a person attempts to push quickly and with enough force to raise his or her hands several centimeters off the ground, with the body completely suspended on the feet for a moment, a variation of the drop push. This is necessary for performing 'clap push ups' - i.e. clapping the hands while in the air.

With push-ups, many possibilities for customization and increased intensity are possible. Some examples are: One hand can be set on a higher platform than the other or be farther away from the other to give more weight to the opposite arm/side of the body and also exercise many diverse muscles. One can perform push-ups by using only the tips of the fingers and thumb. For increased difficulty, push-ups can be performed on one arm or using weights.

Non-training

Push up bars

They are also commonly used as a fitness test or as a mild physical punishment on the spot (whilst benefiting the punished), to show off physically or as demonstration of submission.

In a competitive or disciplinary context especially, it is not rare to use "nastier" variations, e.g., in mud, gravel, snow or dirt, hot ground, divested, and/or to make it physically harder, as by putting one's foot or a weight on the performer's back (possibly with sanctions if equilibrium is lost, such as spilling a glass) or to do the exercise resting on the knuckles or not use all fingers (not counting the thumb).

Software to count push-ups

A list of push-up based fitness software, running on Smartphones, laptops, and desktop computers has recently become available. The most basic tools require the user to physically touch the device with every push-up. More advanced software (e.g. the iPhone App "PushApp") detect the users body motion remotely using a combination of infrared sensors and cameras. The following table provides a list of push-up software:

Software Name	Device	Principle
PushApp [12]	iPhone	Advanced push-up counter and calories calculator, which uses remote proximity sensor
Pushup Counter [13]	Android	Push-up counter using remote proximity sensor
Push Up Trainer	Android	Advanced push-up counter that can use both the proximity sensor and the touch screen
365days Push-ups	iPhone	User must touch iPhone with nose/lips
PushUp	iPhone	Uses infrared proximity sensor
Push-Up Counter	iPhone	User must touch iPhone with chin
PushUp!!	iPhone	User must touch iPhone with chin

There are also online tools that help you build your strength in the supporting muscles, allowing you to increase the number of push-ups you can complete.

Record breakers and attempts

The record for the most push-ups non-stop was 10,507, set by Minoru Yoshida of Japan in October 1980.^[14]

The world record for most two-handed backhand push-ups in one hour is 1,940 by Paddy Doyle of the UK, set in 2007.^[15] Doug Pruden (Canada) performed 1025 one arm push ups on the back of the hand on November 8th, 2008.^[16]

In the animal kingdom

There are zoology observations that certain animals emulate a push up action. Most notably various taxa of the Fence lizard exhibit this display,^[17] primarily involving the male engaging in postures to attract the female. The Western fence lizard is a particular species that also engages in this behavior.^[18] (It may be noted that in Mexican Spanish push-ups are called "lagartijas", which means "lizards".)

Gallery

• 

  U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen do push-ups following a touchdown during Navy's football season opener against Virginia Military Institute

• 

  A recruiter for the Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) community, shows a young fan how to do a Navy push-up.

See also

• Bench press
• Calisthenics
• Handstand pushup
• Jumping Jack
• Plank (exercise)
• Sit-up (exercise)
• World Push Up Championships (in New Zealand)

References

1. ^ Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House (2010). "push-up". Dictionary.com. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/push-up. Retrieved 2010-12-03. 
2. ^ Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House (2006). "press-up". Dictionary.com. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/press-up. Retrieved 2007-09-04. 
3. ^ "Push-up". acefitness.org. American Council on Exercise. http://www.acefitness.org/exerciselibrary/41/push-up/. Retrieved 24 March 2011. 
4. ^ "Maltese Push ups". Xercise Factor. 2007-12-29. http://xercisefactor.com/view_video.php?viewkey=5e7efeb46db8f10a7405. Retrieved 2010-02-09. 
5. ^ Sudhir Kakar (1996). The Colors of Violence: Cultural Identities, Religion, and Conflict pg 83. University of Chicago Press
6. ^ Bruce Lee and John R. Little (1998). The Art of Expressing the Human Body pg 58. Tuttle Publishing
7. ^ http://www.bronzebowpublishing.com/images/various/HinduPU.gif?q=HinduPU.gif
8. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow5a3Y9dEek
9. ^ Dr. Krishna Murari Modi. Cure Aches And Pains Through Osteopathy: Adopting the Correct Posture.
10. ^ Vivian H. Heyward (2003 ). Advanced fitness assessment & exercise prescription pg 125. Human Kinetics
11. ^ Whitehurst, Patrick. "Grand Canyon record-breaker does it again - Grand Canyon News - Grand Canyon, Arizona". Grand Canyon News. http://www.grandcanyonnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=74&SubSectionID=101&ArticleID=8606. Retrieved 22 November 2010. 
12. ^ PushApp: push-up counter for iPhone by DanApps (2011) [1]
13. ^ Pushup Counter for iPhone [2]
14. ^ "World Record for Non-Stop Push-Ups". World Records for Push-Ups (Press-Ups). The International World Record Breakers' Club. http://www.recordholders.org/en/list/ulysses.html. Retrieved 30 October 2011. 
15. ^ "Most Push-Ups (Using Back of Hands) in One Hour". Guinness World Records. 2007-11-08. http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/amazing_feats/tests_of_strength/most_push-ups_using_back_of_hands_in_one_hour.aspx. Retrieved 2010-02-09. 
16. ^ Guinness World Records 2010. Guinness World Records. 2009. ISBN 1-904-99450-4. 
17. ^ Maurice Burton and Robert Burton (2002) International Wildlife Encyclopedia, published by Marshall Cavendish ISBN 076147272X
18. ^ C. Michael Hogan (2008) "Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)", Globaltwitcher, ed. Nicklas Stromberg [3]

External links

• "An Enduring Measure of Fitness: The Simple Push-Up" by Tara Parker-Pope, The New York Times, March 11, 2008
• "Variation Push-Up Instructional" by Richard Huntley, March 15, 2010
• Push-Ups Explained at ExRx

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