Without doubt push-ups are the most popular bodyweight exercise. They strengthen almost the entire body, especially chest, shoulders and arm muscles, they are available in many variations, you can do them without any equipment and the technique is quite easy to learn. Yet, it takes some basic knowledge to do push-ups correctly, because like with any other strength training exercise, also push-ups bear the potential of mistakes that may lead to injuries and pains. Therefore read this guide to a correct push-up training technique.
Push-up Benefits
Strength
Working with your own bodyweight requires great effort and makes push-ups the a perfect exercise for strengthening the muscles of the torso.
Muscle Growth
Anyone who does push-ups on a regular basis may soon be pleased to develop some muscles. Push-ups mainly build chest, front shoulders and triceps muscles.
Effectiveness
Besides the dynamically active muscles push-ups also put high demand on many stabilizing muscles, which an almost total body workout out of this exercise.
Simplicity
A great advantage is the simplicity of push-ups. You can do push-ups almost anywhere and anytime.
Push-up Technique
Place your hands slightly more than shoulder-wide apart on the floor.
Then extend you body, place feet with toe tips on floor as well and hold your body above the floor while keeping your arms almost extended.
Now bend your elbows and lower your body until the chest almost touches the floor and your elbows are bent about at right angles.
Press your body up into the starting position, elbows remain slightly bent.
Repeat as often as possible, provided a correct training technique.
Push-up Setup
Hands
Place the hands slightly wider than shoulder-wide apart, not too far away. Let the fingertips point forward.
Wrists
Placing the palm flat on the floor can occasionally lead to pain within the strongly extended wrists. In this case, it is better to do the push-ups on the fists or with handles, which allows the wrists to stay straight.
Upper Arms
Hold your upper arms between almost perpendicular to the upper body or close to the upper body, depending on the type of push-up.
Waist
Keep the abdominal muscles tight. Shoulders, hips and ankles form a straight line. Do not allow the body to sag.
Glutes
Also keep the gluteal muscles tight. Along with the abdominal tension it prevents the body from sagging.
Head
Keep the head aligned to the spine in a neutral position and look down.
Push-up Variations
There are a variety of push-up variations that make this exercise either lighter or heavier or have that shift the demand on different muscles involved.
As mentioned before, some people may experience pain from overextended wrists. In this case it is better to perform the push-ups on the fists or with special push-up grips.
Sagging body
.
Head Leading
During push-ups keep neck and head aligned to the body. Move your chest to the ground and let your head follow the motion.
Looking ahead
To avoid unfavorable strains or injuries in the neck, it is very important to look down in a neutral fashion while doing push-ups.
Upper Arm Abduction
For the shoulder joints secure the upper arm angles are between slightly below perpendicular to the body and near besides the body.
A sensible diet along with regular exercise is the key to a healthy life. The following 10 diet tips primarily aim at athletic or physically active people. But everyone else can also benefit from this. Maybe the increased level of energy, as result of a healthy diet, sooner or later leads to an interest in (strength)training.
Nutrition Rule 1: Eat Regularly
The intake of several small meals throughout the day has the following advantages:
Less Hunger: The stomach is elastic. Large meals stretch it, which ultimately leads to a delayed feeling of fullness. After switching to several small meals in regular intervals, they very soon saturate as effectively as the previous large portions.
No Cravings: People who avoid to eat for a long period time over the day, increases the chance of binge-eating in the evening, which is in most cases satisfied with candy instead with healthy foods.
Nutrient Supply: Regular meals give a steady supply of energy an nutrients to the body, which results in steady performance and good muscular development.
Fat Loss: The body rather tends to cut excess fat, if it recognizes it as superfluous due to a regular energy supply .
A certain timing of the daily meals is of great advantage. Have a meal or at least a snack every 3-4 hours between waking up in the morning and going to bed in the evening.
Nutrition Rule 2: Eat Consciously
This is a very important point, which is very often neglected in the course of a stressful day. Concentrate on what you eat. Make yourself aware of it and maybe write what you eat down in the beginning of a dietary change. Once you consciously deal with the issue, you´ll recognize bad habits, which makes it easier to control them.
Nutrition Rule 3: Eat Slowly
"We don´t live by what we eat, but only by what we digest." (Hufeland). The prerequisite for an ideal digestion of the food taken in is an adequate preparation in the mouth. To do that, you have to chew long and calmly. Every single bite swallowed in a hurry is a challenge for your stomach, at the cost of your own life energy and health. Also, eating too fast is always a breach of Nutrition Rule 2.
Nutrition Rule 4: Have a Breakfast
Breakfast is often declared as the most important meal of the day. That's true, but there a few things to be considered:
Drink a Lot: Besides the often obligatory coffee, a large quantity of water or tea belongs to good breakfast. Why? During nighttime the body is quite busy regenerating and detoxifying the body. These processes need to be supported with lots of extra fluid in the morning.
Don´t Fill up Completely: This advice may sound a little strange, but we all certainly made the following experience before. After a large, heavy and energy-rich breakfast, instead of a having a dynamic start to the day, a sudden tiredness and lethargy, caused by the enormous work of digestion the stomach has to do in this a case, makes us want to return to bed again. Eat a light breakfast, avoid the intake of large amounts of indigestible foods such as whole grains and cereals. Instead eat fruits and vegetables (bonus: they contain a lot of water), low-fat dairy products other light sources of protein and carbohydrates.
Nutrition Rule 5: The Right Proteins
People who follow a routine of strength training have an increased need for protein. The limited digestive capacity of the stomach makes it necessary to take in a little portion of protein with each meal to eat the recommended daily amount. Basically, it is recommended to take in 1.5 - 2 times the body weight in kilograms in grams of protein per day, e.g. people with a bodyweight of about 80 kg need a daily protein intake of 120-160 g, provided a regular strength training. There are publications speaking of much higher amounts, but these numbers can be classified as unhealthy, especially because with the consumption of animal protein many by-products such as bad fats, purines, and the accumulated toxins from the individual animal are also being taken in. A significant part of the daily amount of protein should be of plant origin.
Low-Fat Protein Sources (selected):
Animal Origin
Protein per 100 g
Plant Origin
Protein per 100 g
Chicken breast
23 g
Noodles
12 g
Turkey breast
24 g
Potatoes
2 g
Beef
22 g
Soybeans
37 g
Alaska Pollock
19 g
Lentils
24 g
Tuna
25 g
Peas
20 g
Trout
20 g
Beans (white)
21 g
Mountain Cheese
29 g
Oat flakes
12 g
Cottage Cheese
29 g
Spelt
13 g
Low fat quark
14 g
Millet
11 g
Eggs
13 g
Buckwheat
12 g
Egg-white
11 g
Mushrooms (dried)
17 g
Nutrition Rule 6: The Right Carbohydrates
As during the "low fat" hysteria of the past many foods were labeled correspondingly and to taste at all were fortified with carbohydrates, with the still growing fatty degeneration of the population we came to the realization that the increased carbohydrate intake must be responsible, leading to a "low carb" hysteria.
A little education about the different types of carbohydrates and their purpose and effects takes away much of the fear of his excellent source of energy. Basically there are two types of carbohydrates:
simple carbs, that are digested very quickly and rapidly release their energy, and
complex carbs, are digested slowly and therefore their energy is provided uniformly over a longer period of time.
The intake of simple carbohydrates leads to a very rapid rise of blood glucose levels. Now the body is seeking for a normalization of these values. If this excess energy is not burned inside the muscles by physical activity, the body stores them as fat. Complex carbohydrates release their energy uniformly during the digestion process, which increases the possibility of burning it by muscular or mental activity and reduces the risk of storage of body fat.
Examples of simple and complex carbs (selected):
Simple Carbs
Complex Carbs
all simple sugars
all whole grain products
fruits*
vegetables
white flour products
rice (whole grain)
marmalade
noodles (whole grain)
honey
muesli & cereals
* Fruits occupy a special position here. Fructose or fruit sugar is indeed a simple sugar, but is slower digested than white sugar.
Nutrition Rule 7: Healthy Fats
They are one major supplier of energy, they support fat loss, they are slowly digested and they are part of many vital functions of the body. A daily intake of 60-80 grams of fat is recommended. When doing a regular strength training, one can also take in a little more, people wanting to loose weight should take in less. More important than the quantity is the type of fat. An increased intake of animal fats should be avoided. But even in the league of vegetable fats, there are "good" and "bad", depending on the relation of fatty acids. Here´s a selected overview:
Sources of "good" Fats of Plant Origin
Sources of "bad" Fats of Plant Origin
Linseed oil
Sunflower oil
Olive oil
Thistle oil
Rapsöl
Walnut oil
Salmon oil
Wheatgerm oil
Sources of "good" Fats of Animal Origin
Sources of "bad" Fats of Animal Origin
Butter
Margarine
Fish
Meat and Sausage
Nutrition Rule 8: Fruit and Vegetables
These two foods are one of the most fundamental basics for a healthy diet. They provide vitamins and minerals and can be eaten fresh and in large amounts. Fruits, due to the high content of fructose, should not or only in small doses be taken in the evening.
Nutrition Rule 9: Natural Food
Processed foods should be avoided. Their ingredients are often difficult to understand and in most cases they contain an excessive amount of sugar, salt, flavor enhancers and preservatives. There is a very simple rule: the more colorful the packaging, the unhealthier the content. Foods should be eaten or form the basis of self-prepared foods the way nature provides them to us.
Nutrition Rule 10: Drink a Lot
To supply the body with oxygen and nutrients and to ensure a proper detoxification, the blood needs to be as fluid as possible and to circulate freely. Therefore be aware to drink about 2-3 liters of fluid per day. The following table shows the kind of drinks to be considered or not.
This post is for all those among you who ever wondered how it looks like to have 500 different fitness exercises summarized as a 10-minute video snippet :-)
Bench press is one of the most popular weight training exercises. It is a basic upper body exercise for the chest muscles.
Due to its compound mechanics, bench press enables you to lift relatively large weights and to develop great upper body strength.
A widespread prejudice is that bench press is a "dangerous" exercise, which is not true at all. Bench press, in all its variations, is as safe as any other free weight lifting exercise.
Occurring difficulties or even injuries in the shoulder joints can usually be traced back to a wrong training technique, inadequate preparation or the use of too much weight.
Benefits
Development of Strength
Bench Presses let you lift relatively large weights, which makes it one of the most effective upper body exercises to build strength.
Muscle Growth
Bench Presses can help building an impressive torso. It is a great exercise for developing chest, front deltoids and triceps.
Effective Training
Doing Bench Press and few Bench Press variations basically provides an adequate training for the muscles involved. There´s no urgent need to experiment with a lot of other exercises. Improve your Bench Press performance, and so will your physique.
Bench Press Instructions
Lie supine on the bench of a bench press rack.
Grasp the bar with the desired fashion, dismount it from the rack and, with arms extended, hold it above your chest.
Lower the weight in a straight line down to your chest while forearms travel perpendicular to torso, looking from the side.
Then press the weight up until arms are extended. , that is a Bench Press.
Bench Press Variations
There are several grip options and bench angles available to add versatility to your bench press training:
Gripping too close shifts workload to the triceps and weakens the pushing force. Gripping too wide compromises the range of motion. A good estimation is vertical forearms as bar touches chest.
Grip_Setup
Place the bar in the palm of your hands and secure it with your thumbs.
Torso_Posture
Always keep your chest up. Tense your back, bring your shoulder blades together and pull your shoulders back to create a safe and solid foundation to lie on and to press the bar up from. Don´t let your shoulders roll forward.
Feet_Position
Place your feet wide apart and put them flat on the floor. Keep your knees bent about right-angled and shift the weight on heels.
Head_Position
Keep your head in neutral position on bench. Don´t press it into the pad to prevent the neck from being overstressed.
Range of Motion (ROM)
The Bench Press range of motion is a controversial issue. Science has proved that a limited range of motion for the negative as well as for the positive part of the movement are the safer choice for the shoulder and elbow articulations and offer the same training effect as full range of motion. This insight leads to the following consequence for your Bench Press training: Avoid any extreme joint positions. Don´t lock your arms at top of motion and don´t let your elbows travel far below height of shoulders at bottom of motion.
Bottom Position
Top Position
Full Range of Motion
Limited Range of Motion
Bench Press Safety
Warm_Up
Before doing Bench Presses with high resistance, have an initial overall warm up followed by a short local warm up of 15-20 repetitions with about 40-50% of the estimated maximum weight you Bench Press.
Weights
Learn the correct technique first and begin with light weight. Progressively add weight, always under the prerequisite of a proper training technique.
Posture
Keep your buttocks on the bench and prevent them from lifting off, because that will increase the risk of overextending your lower back.
Thumbs
Use your thumbs to hold the bar, otherwise it may slip out of your hand.
Spotter
It is recommended to Bench Press with a training partner or any other spotter. They will offer support if you´re unable to lift the bar off the chest.
Bench Press Injuries and Pains
Shoulder Problems
Posture: If you have slouching shoulders caused by long-term seated or other one-sided positions, you should stretch your chest as well as your front shoulders. Also train your middle back and rear deltoids on a regular basis.
Imbalances: Bench Press, besides almost any other chest exercise, also trains your front shoulders, which may lead to an imbalance between the strong front and weaker rear shoulders. Consequently and permanently your upper arm bone is slightly being pulled out of its natural position within the shoulder joint, causing pains and making it less resilient. Again, stretch the muscles of the anterior torso be stretched while the muscles of the rear torso have to be strengthened
Lower Back Problems
Posture: Keep your Gluteus on the bench to dis-burden your lower back. To relieve the lower back from any pressure, raise your thighs up perpendicular to the floor and bend your knees. Consider that this position costs some stability.[/bold]
Common Mistakes
Inefficient Dismounting: Dismount the barbell from the rack with straight arms, because that let´s you carry most weight. Lock your elbows and move barbell above your chest.
Pressing to Shoulders: Move the barbell up and down above your chest, not towards or above your shoulders.
Upper Arm Position: Keep your upper arms perpendicular to your torso or, when doing close grip bench press, close to your torso. Raising the upper arms above perpendicular to your torso forces your shoulder joints into a weak and vulnerable position.
Bent wrists: Keep your wrists as straight as possible and hold the bar close to your wrists.
Overextended back: Lifting your Gluteus will limit the range of motion. Worst of all, it moves your lumbar spine into an overextended position causing unusual high pressure that may lead to back pain.
It's that time again, a new year begins and incredibly many people follow an ancient ritual: they make “New Year´s Resolutions”, which is a number of events or habits that in the current year are supposed to be made better than the in the previous one. That is a good thing, especially because it mostly involves bad habits that need to be banished from life. But man is a creature of habits and finds nothing harder to change than once deepened life strategies, no matter how counterproductive they are. Studies have shown that only about 12% of people are able to translate their good intentions into action. However, the other 88% can use a few simple methods to significantly increase their success rate.
1. Set achievable goals: This is one of the most obvious and most important strategies and yet, it the one that often goes wrong. Unrealistic goals will quickly lead to frustration and the feeling to have failed, causing, at worst, a negative programming of the own thoughts, which ultimately lets even easy goals appear as very difficult.
2. Take small steps: Divide large and long-term goals into as small portions as possible. Do it in relation of time or events. Celebrate each day as a small success and to look no further than a day in the future. The 24 hour waiver of a bad habit is a possible action even for the most weak-minded character. Voila, a partial success! After being so successful, a further 24 hours is certainly possible. And so on. This strategy is often more promising than the absolute (and psychologically difficult) decision to never go back to smoking, or to never again sneak to the refrigerator at night. Of course, don´t lose sight of the long-term goal, but following it this way makes you reaching it almost on its own.
3. Self-Motivation: It is always more motivating to do things for yourself and out of your own motivation than for others or because of external pressures. Do not stop smoking because your partner wants it so. Do not lose weight in order to please others. Do it all solely for your own wellbeing and for your own health. Be careful towards your mind and your body. Consider the respect and love of fellow human simply as being a beautiful by-product of self-love and self-esteem.
4. Visualizations: People´s behavior is rarely of rational nature, usually they act based on emotions. The decision to link positive or negative emotions to one particular goal is based on the prevailing thoughts you have on this very topic. Anyone who considers himself as being overweight and who cannot stand himself, keeping the picture of "I'm too fat" visualized every day, is guaranteed to stay right there. When you want to achieve a goal, you have to live and behave as if you already had it. Imagine how great it feels to wear many dress sizes less and how much happiness it means. Any occurring obstacles can easily be overcome if the goal is associated with a positive visualization.
5. Stay on the course: Setbacks are an important part of life. Consider each of them as a good teacher and never ever give up. Striving for perfection will make you unhappy. Persistence and the will to become a little better human being every day are the keys to immediate success.
Ultimately, good intentions should not need a New Year or birthdays with a zero at the end. Make such decisions independently of external circumstances and events. Work on yourself just because all you will ever really own over the complete span of lifetime is yourself.
A happy new year to all of you! Let 2010 be a great year. Live it with joy and passion, decide to be as healthy and fit as you can be and follow your bliss.
Best regards,
Stephan
Very soon all content here on www.sports-db.com will be available in two languages: ENGLISH and GERMAN! Technical and contentwise there is still some work to do, but I am very confident that within the next 14 days we´ll be able to re-launch bodytrainer.tv.
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The time has come. In addition to several new features here at www.sports-db.com, all revealed in the upcoming weeks, there is finally a blog that will mainly deal with the themes of fitness, training techniques, nutrition and wellness.
I look forward to the first entries and of course your comments!
Best regards,
Stephan
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