Performing a perfect push up

I believe it’s valuable to teach each of my female clients to perform full push ups (aka press ups).  This is not so that she can impress others.  I want her to impress herself.

I work together with her over weeks and months, developing her physical strength and body confidence.  She’ll  tone up muscle, but not put on bulk.

Physical Results:

I attribute much of female body transformations to press-ups, or push ups, if she’s American. The physical benefits of full press-ups (i.e. up on the toes) are wide-ranging.

She’ll notice big improvements in strength and toning in the upper body. I believe the press-up is a key ingredient for toned arms and shoulders. She may be wary of bulking-up in the chest, but if monitored correctly, this will not happen.

Emotional Benefits:

The benefits of the push up are more than just the physical results. To be able to move herself purposefully and confidently is an emotional benefit of bodyweight exercise that’s often overlooked.

Instructing the Exercise:

At the beginning of personal training, if necessary, we regress the press-up move to something that is achievable – perhaps a ‘box’ push up (i.e. on the knees) or a small movement before building up a range of motion. The key points I keep in mind when instructing this exercise are finding a comfortable wrist position; ensuring the nose or chest reaches the ground; and watching that the low back doesn’t sag, causing undue stress to the spine.

Push ups for girls: A Sense of Achievement

There’s usually an incredible sense of achievement, when my female clients experience the correct completion of one full repetition. And it’s addictive.