Proper push up form

[jane6672]

This has always puzzled me.

Most fitness videos/articles/etc. that I've seen show you should have hands wider than your shoulders (sometimes really wide), and your elbows go out the sides when you drop down.

Chaturanga pose (yoga) - you are supposed to have hands under the shoulders, elbows go straight back as you lower, in order to protect the shoulders. It seems like the same should apply to push ups then, right?

School me.

[Wines Not Whines]

I'm not an expert by any means, but I do two types of pushups: (1) regular pushups that work the chest, shoulders, and triceps; these are done with hands wider than shoulders and elbows pointing out as you lower; (2) tricep pushups, where hands are shoulder-width apart and elbows go straight back as you lower; these are similar to chataranga pushups.

I don't think one is right or wrong, but they work different muscles.

[jane6672]

Apr 30, 2014 10:29:06 GMT -5 Wines Not Whines said:

I'm not an expert by any means, but I do two types of pushups: (1) regular pushups that work the chest, shoulders, and triceps; these are done with hands wider than shoulders and elbows pointing out as you lower; (2) tricep pushups, where hands are shoulder-width apart and elbows go straight back as you lower; these are similar to chataranga pushups.

I don't think one is right or wrong, but they work different muscles.

That would make sense.

[wambam]

The standard in my world is hands under the shoulders, elbows go more back than out, chest hits the floor, but thighs don't.

[mainewifey]

Apr 30, 2014 11:24:12 GMT -5 wambam said:

The standard in my world is hands under the shoulders, elbows go more back than out, chest hits the floor, but thighs don't.

Every time we do push ups I always wish I had bigger boobs so it would hit and I wouldn't have to go down so far!

I agree that your standard is my standard, and anything else is a variation on a push up. During group training our trainer always works on getting everyone to do elbows back rather than out. If he wants a different muscle group he calls out a different variation.

[wambam]

Apr 30, 2014 12:20:52 GMT -5 mainewifey said:

Apr 30, 2014 11:24:12 GMT -5 wambam said:

The standard in my world is hands under the shoulders, elbows go more back than out, chest hits the floor, but thighs don't.

Every time we do push ups I always wish I had bigger boobs so it would hit and I wouldn't have to go down so far!

I agree that your standard is my standard, and anything else is a variation on a push up. During group training our trainer always works on getting everyone to do elbows back rather than out. If he wants a different muscle group he calls out a different variation.

Having huge knockers helps on the way down, but it's more weight to push back up. Same with C2B pull-ups. All the girls at the gym brought this up when I was having my surgery and thought my boobs were an advantage. Definitely not so!

[mainewifey]

Apr 30, 2014 12:22:52 GMT -5 wambam said:

Apr 30, 2014 12:20:52 GMT -5 mainewifey said:

Every time we do push ups I always wish I had bigger boobs so it would hit and I wouldn't have to go down so far!

I agree that your standard is my standard, and anything else is a variation on a push up. During group training our trainer always works on getting everyone to do elbows back rather than out. If he wants a different muscle group he calls out a different variation.

Having huge knockers helps on the way down, but it's more weight to push back up. Same with C2B pull-ups. All the girls at the gym brought this up when I was having my surgery and thought my boobs were an advantage. Definitely not so!

I had never really considered coming back up! I can see how that would be harder with bigger boobs. The other day I'm pretty sure we were on pushup 8,345 and I shut my eyes to try to concentrate and power through, but I let my head drop and I hit my forehead on the floor before my chest. I bust out laughing at myself.  So score 1 for small boobs - it forces you to maintain proper head alignment.

[sugarbear]

Apr 30, 2014 11:24:12 GMT -5 wambam said:

The standard in my world is hands under the shoulders, elbows go more back than out, chest hits the floor, but thighs don't.

This. I think that putting your hands wider than your shoulders puts pressure on your shoulders and elbows and, over time, can injure you.

Hands directly under shoulders, elbows hugging the ribs, chest to the floor.

[kjh]

Hands under shoulders with elbows hugging ribs targets tris

Hands wider than shoulders with elbows to the side is standard and will not wear on shoulders if you don't go too low. Chest to elbow height is target

[kjh]

Oh, and if it makes a difference I am group fitness certified