Components of push-ups.

It can be difficult to give an example of the perfect powerful push-up, because different techniques can vary. But we can discuss a number of principles that describe most of the movements in this series of exercises.

Elbow position.

This is the first point. Hand position is very important because elbows in an exercise series such as push-ups move behind the hands and shoulders move behind the elbows. The secret, as always, is the naturalness of the movements. Avoid overly wide arm positions-it doesn't build optimal power and makes the shoulders vulnerable. At the same time, if you constantly use a narrow position for explosive exercises, too much stress is put on the wrists, forearms and elbows. Try to find a middle ground. For normal push-ups, I personally prefer a shoulder-width or slightly narrower hand position if I want my elbows to lightly touch the broadest muscles of the back. As for explosive push-ups, most people find it easier to do them with their hands slightly wider than their shoulders, which allows them to push off the ground as hard as possible. In doing so, the elastic ligaments of the shoulder girdle can absorb a little more load than the elbows.

Hand position

A few recommendations for hand position. Some guys with pumped wrists do push-ups on their fists, even on the back of their hands. Believe me: trying to perform explosive push-ups this way is a direct road to a fracture. Even if you have strong fists like a karate fist one unsuccessful repetition and you'll dislocate your arm at the wrist, just as you can dislocate your leg while running, or even break your wrist. Keep your palms flat on the floor with slightly spread fingers, which will allow you to cushion the impact when falling down, reducing the load on the wrists and forearms; try to distribute the force on your hands as evenly as possible.

Body posture

Body postureThe correct body posture for push-ups

The third point is particularly important. When you perform push-ups, maintain proper body posture - your legs, hips, and torso should form a straight line. Your hips must not sag and - listen to me carefully, brothers! -Your butt should not be sticking up.

The most serious athletes seem to realize this when they do standard push-ups. But when they take on powerful push-ups, it's as if they've got it all up against the wall. Even strong guys get their asses blown up as soon as they push off the ground! This plebeian habit is called "worming" (sometimes also called "caterpillar") because it resembles the movements of an earthworm caterpillar as it moves.

There's a reason this habit is associated with explosive push-ups. It increases leverage and time in the air (when clapping) and makes the whole exercise much easier. Unless you intentionally perform dive push-ups, "folding knife" push-ups or Aztec-style push-ups, the "worm" technique is a way to slack off and should be avoided. Always remember that you are doing exercises to develop power to an insane level, not to demonstrate that power. Yes, to the inexperienced eye it seems as if the worm technique allows you to do a few pops between push-ups. But you're only fooling the already inexperienced. By sticking to strictly proper exercise technique and maintaining proper body positioning, you'll reach higher levels of explosive strength faster.

Body position

Body postureThe incorrect posture of the body during push-ups.

The third point is particularly important. When you are doing push-ups, keep the correct body posture - legs, hips and torso should form a straight line. Your hips must not sag and - listen to me carefully, brothers! -Your butt should not be sticking up.

The most serious athletes seem to realize this when they do standard push-ups. But when they take on powerful push-ups, it's as if they've got it all up against the wall. Even strong guys get their asses blown up as soon as they push off the ground! This plebeian habit is called "worming" (sometimes also called "caterpillar") because it resembles the movements of an earthworm caterpillar as it moves.

There's a reason this habit is associated with explosive push-ups. It increases leverage and time in the air (when clapping) and makes the whole exercise much easier. Unless you intentionally perform dive push-ups, "folding knife" push-ups or Aztec-style push-ups, the "worm" technique is a way to slack off and should be avoided. Always remember that you are doing exercises to develop power to an insane level, not to demonstrate that power. Yes, to the inexperienced eye it seems as if the worm technique allows you to do a few pops between push-ups. But you're only fooling the already inexperienced. By sticking to strictly proper exercise technique and maintaining proper body positioning, you'll reach higher levels of explosive strength faster.

Power Push-Ups Series

The series begins with simple safe explosive push-ups - horizontal push-ups (first step). The athlete can perform the ballistic press in a semi-standing position. Once we are comfortable with this exercise, we move on to the kneeling push-downs (second step). This exercise is much more explosive, although it requires less arm and chest strength as well as body strength due to the leverage created in the kneeling position.

Performing simple push-ups with bounces on straight palms (third step), the athlete approaches the floor and then bounces into the air while unbending his arms, as was shown in the first step. When it becomes easy to perform push-ups with bouncing (about 10 cm from the floor, using the power of the hands), the athlete is ready to add clapping: you will get classic push-ups with clapping (the fourth step).

As soon as the technique of push-ups with clapping is perfected, the athlete tends to hang in the air longer, which will require a more powerful push from the floor. Once the clap becomes easy to do, the next step is to clap the palms of the hands over the chest (fifth step), then over the hips (sixth step). The hardest variation is to clap the palms behind the back, as in prison push-ups (seventh step).

The next two steps prepare the athlete for the complex superman push-ups, in which the arms are abruptly thrown forward and the feet are lifted above the floor as if you were flying - hence the name. Start practicing the position of the arms in front of the body with push-ups "almost superman" (the eighth step), and then you will learn to lift your legs off the floor in the upper phase of the exercise, its most difficult variation, which requires the strength of the muscles of the body and explosive technique of the whole body movement. This exercise is called the full push-up (ninth step). Once an athlete is well versed in the "almost superman" push-up and the full-bar push-up, he or she can combine these two techniques by taking the feet off the floor while throwing the arms forward. These two elements make up the master's step, the "superman" exercise.

This variation requires significantly more power and speed than the usual clap push-ups, on which most athletes start to bump.