How Do You Develop Push-Up Technique?
What to Do If You Can't Do a Push-Up?
If you are not able to do push ups so this guide is for you
The key is to commence with a less demanding pushing movement and gradually work your way up to more challenging variations, eventually leading to executing proper push-ups.
This precise approach is outlined in our comprehensive guide, "Get Your First Push-up!"
We will gradually progress through four levels of push-ups:
Level 1: Wall Push-Ups
Level 2: Elevated Push-Ups
Level 3: Knee Push-ups
Level 4: Regular Push-ups
LEVEL 1: HOW TO DO WALL PUSH-UPS
Position yourself facing a wall. Engage your glutes, brace your abs, and place your hands slightly
wider than shoulder-width apart on the wall.
Step backward with your feet until your arms are fully extended, supporting your body
weight(usually one substantial step back with both feet will suffice). Maintaining a straight line with the
rest of your body, steadily lower yourself towards the wall until your nose is nearly touching it,
then explosively push back up to the starting position.
HOW TO TRAIN WALL PUSH-UPS:
Perform 4 sets of wall push-ups, resting for 2 minutes between sets, every other day. Keep a record
of the number of repetitions you can execute WITH PROPER FORM for each set in a notebook,
making it convenient to compare with your previous workouts. Once you can successfully
complete 4 sets of 20 repetitions of wall push-ups, you can progress to knee push-ups.
LEVEL TWO: HOW TO DO ELEVATED PUSH-UPS
Position your hands on an elevated surface, which could be as high as a kitchen table or as low as
a few blocks situated a few inches off the ground. The choice of elevation depends on your current
strength and experience level.
If you have recently progressed from wall push-ups, select a surface that is suitable for your abilities.
Personally, I find the back of a park bench or the side of a picnic table to be an ideal height for
performing incline push-ups.
HOW TO TRAIN ELEVATED PUSH-UPS:
Perform 4 sets of elevated push-ups, with a 2-minute rest between sets, every other day. Once again,
make note of your performance, tracking the number of repetitions you can execute with proper form
in each set. Once you can successfully complete 4 sets of 20 repetitions, it's time to transition to
regular push-ups, knee push-ups, or reduce the height of the surface supporting your hands.
To facilitate further progression, attempt performing your elevated push-ups on the stairs within your
home. As your strength improves, gradually shift your hands to lower steps until you can eventually
place them on the ground.
LEVEL THREE: HOW TO DO KNEE PUSH-UPS
After attaining a level of comfort with wall or elevated push-ups, it's time to progress to knee push-ups.
The positioning of your shoulders and hands will resemble that of a regular push-up, forming
an "arrow" shape rather than a "T." However, instead of supporting yourself with your feet, you'll
stabilize on your knees. Refer to the demonstration here:
HOW TO TRAIN KNEE PUSH-UPS
Continue performing knee push-ups until you can successfully complete 4 sets of 20 repetitions.
At this point, you can start contemplating transitioning to regular push-ups.
To summarize, if you're unable to perform a regular push-up, follow this progression:
Level 1: Wall Push-Ups
Level 2: Elevated Push-Ups
Level 3: Knee Push-Ups
Level 4: Regular Push-ups
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