A Push-up is an exercise performed in a prone position –chest down and back up – to achieve functional movement in the larger muscles of the human body with a person’s own body weight providing the required resistance. Involving controlled and coordinated motion, this popular training is commonly perceived as toning up the pectorals, deltoids and triceps.
If you want to be an online personal trainer, it’s important you learn these basics in face to face becuase teaching online is much more difficult. When I created my online personal training coaching program I told myself that I wanted to have everything 100% correct in my 1-1 personal training first.
However, continuous and varied push-ups when executed using proper technique condition the whole body improving its strength, agility, and flexibility.
Although apparatus-free and simple-looking, there’s a lot more to a press-up than meets the average eye. A personal training expert with his in-depth knowledge of physiology and hands-on experience in instruction helps comprehend the nuances of this rhythmic drill, provides the much-needed motivation for persistence in trials and leads toward the eventual attainment of perfection in form, that which is replicated in every rep.
Below is a brief one-to-one explanation of the technique.
Step #1 – Starting pose (Plank)
Grip the floor well with both hands – palms facing down, fingers forward – aligning the arms below the shoulders. Keeping feet together drill the toes into the ground to create a firm base that will support the frame throughout the activity. Engage the core, squeeze the glutes and flatten the spine. At the end of it all, the entire trunk – right from the head down to the toe – should be stiff and straight.
Step #2 – Going down
Fix the gaze at a point on the floor about 7 to 8 inches ahead of the fingertips so that the torso and neck are kept neutral. Maintaining this gaze, draw the shoulders back and pull down the chest. Continue the restrained drop up to a point of where the thorax is inches away from the ground, ensuring deep inhalation all along.
Step # 3 – Coming up
Keeping the upper body taut, the abdominal muscles activated and hands firmly planted, create torque by twisting the palm on the floor. Exhale – quickly, completely – to tighten the core and power up to the original position.
Do’s and Don’ts
Lock the hips and stiffen the leg to ensure top-to-bottom straightness.
Maintain steadiness of the head.
Avoid a chin tuck-in.
To make the trunk rigid create tension in the lats by compressing the armpit
Neither arch nor sag the back.
Keep the arms pulled away and down, not shrugged up.
To engage the core, don’t just suck in the belly. Instead, tense up the deepest abdominal muscles as if you’re about to cough or receive punches.
Focus on the breath from start to finish.
Word of caution
Though aimed at imparting education on ideal push-up method, the above info can’t replace the technical inputs supplied by a personal training professional nor can it deliver the practical pointers quintessential to the mastery of this wonderful workout. If you are not sure, visit Online Fitness Profits Personal Training and become an expert!
It’s therefore imperative to avail yourself of the services of a specialist whose insight, personalised attention and valuable guidance will make repeated push-ups safe & effective.