How to Improve Your Push ups
Push ups are frustrating. On one hand, they’re a simple exercise, no equipment required and something that most everyone in the world familiar with. Many people think they should be able to do them based on that alone. However, push ups require a lot of strength and technique, and practice.
Eventually, poor technique will halt your progress. Whether your shoulders starts to feel achy or you’ve plateaued and can’t tack on any more reps, it’s likely that both strength and technique are your issue.
Here’s a checklist to ensure you’re doing everything to build the strength and technique required for big set of perfect push ups.
They should be hard but not too hard.
Reaching failure is a sure fire way to halt progress. We want you to use variation that is challenging to get the reps done, but not impossible, leading to frequent misses or sloppy technique. When you train your body to fail, it doesn’t adapt as well. Whatever the goal reps are, always try to leave one or two more reps “in the tank.” This is a discussion for another day, but this is called reps in reserve and knowing your RIR is a high-level gym skill.
Frequency
If push ups are really on your mind, talk to your coach and add in an additional day to get the reps in. One day should be hard, grinder reps focused on progressing in difficulty and building strength. The other day should be an easy volume building day where you do 40-50 reps at a variation that’s easy for you.
Place a premium on accessory movements.
A push up is just a plank where you bend your arms. Seriously, think about that. Lock in your plank technique, grip the ground, engage your glutes, use your upper back, breathe purposefully and realize that the more robust you are here, the better your push ups will be.
Mobilize those wrists.
If your wrists are really stiff, it can place more pressure on your shoulders while doing push ups. Stretching them out prior to your set can make a significant difference. Sometimes this is all it takes to unlock better technique.
Even if you were to never get a push up on the floor, chasing one is a worthwhile training pursuit to build total body strength, awareness and control.
Justin Miner
@justinminergain