The Basic Variation of Push Up

One of the most traditional exercises used to get stronger and in better condition is Push-up. Traditional push-ups are done with your hands flat on the ground and in a position about shoulder-width apart. Many athletes, martial artist, and fitness trainer modify the methods of push up. In this articles will be describe the basic variation of push up, so you can combine it with the needs of your exercises.

SHOULDER & ARMS 

Wide or narrow span of the shoulder arms, there are three kinds of push up:

1. Regular push ups 

Your hands should be shoulder width apart. Keeping your body straight, lower your body by bending your elbows. Go down until your chest almost touches the ground. Return to starting position.

2. Wide grip push-ups (chest and triceps)

For the wide hand position, you will perform the exact same exercise, but your hands will be on the ground as far apart from one another as possible while still allowing you to execute the pushup.

3. Narrow Grip/Chest/Diamond presses (triceps and front delts)

Place your hands on the ground about 2 inches apart and perform regular pushups until failure.

The push up is done with your hands close together; with the index fingers and thumbs of one hand touching or almost touch the other hand and making a diamond-like shape. Do push ups with your hands touching the center of your chest and elbows close to your sides during each rep.

HANDS

There are three positions of hand you can use during push up.

1. Normal /flat hand push up

The hand let open and flat to surface. In this way push ups are usually done. So it’s very recommended for you for first try before do the next two position.

2. Knuckle/Fist push-ups

The intent, in addition to building strength and conditioning, is to toughen the knuckles, wrist, and forearm in the punching position. This variation also reduces the amount of strain in the wrist, compared to the typical "palms on floor" approach, and so it is sometimes used by those with wrist injuries. 

 

Such practitioners will usually perform their knuckle pushups on a padded floor or a rolled-up towel, unlike martial artists, who may do bare-knuckle pushups on hard floors.

You also can dig more about this methods on previous Knuckle Push uparticle.

3.Fingertips Pushup

These push-ups use the fingertips instead of the palms. Once you master the 10-finger push-up, gradually decrease the number of fingers you use until you are down to just two fingers on one hand. Spread your fingers apart as wide as possible.

FEET POSITION

Elevation of the feet during push up will give you softer or harder of push-up training.

1.Bent Knee /girl push up. 

You need a mat to support your knees. Start with your knees on the floor and your feet up (facing the mat). Place your hands parallel with your shoulders and a bit wider than shoulder width. Extend your arms until your arms come close to locking out without touching the ground.

2.Normal non elevation. 

Nothing special about this normal position. Put your legs together. Balance your weight on your palms and your toes.

3. Elevated push up

Place your feet on a chair or Swiss ball or elevated surface. This allows you to hit your upper pecs more.  Lower yourself until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale.  

 

Using your pectoral muscles, press your upper body back up to the starting position and squeeze your chest. Breathe out as you perform this step.  After a second pause at the contracted position, repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

IMPORTANT 

Look ahead during each push up. This encourages you to keep your head up, and that will ease tension on your neck.

Keep your back flat during the push up to prevent muscle strain. It's tempting to arch your back or let your rear rise higher than the rest of your body, carefully doing this or it means injury.

Keep inhale and exhale properly. Holding your breath is unhealthy. You should inhale through your nose when you lower your body, and you should exhale through your mouth when you push your body back up to the starting position.

Switch between the combination of push-ups above to strain your body more by giving it something new muscle training.[MAF]

Articles extracted from various source.