If you are looking for a great total body exercise routine, then add push-ups to your workout mix.

Recently, I participated in a 30-day push-up challenge and enjoyed it.  I never thought I would make it, but I did.  At first, I committed to twenty a day but by the end of the challenge ended up at 450 push-ups by the final day.

Yes, I said 450!!  I surprised myself.  Don’t get me wrong, I did not do them all at once.  I  ended up breaking up my sets into manageable groups throughout my day. Every time I hit my daily goal I continued to push myself to do more.

After the 30-day challenge,  I was amazed to see the difference in my total body strength and upper body physique.

You may have never thought this, but push-ups give you a total body workout without the use of equipment.  Push-ups are great because they target and work your shoulders, chest muscles, and arms. They also work your lower body such as your abs, quads and lower back.

In a regular push-up position, your hands and neck are aligned to hold your body up.  Your body weight is used as resistance while your endurance and strength are used to execute the move.

Depending on your level and strength, the push-up can be performed in a variety of ways.

Benefits of Push-Ups

1. Muscle Group Target

When performing a push-up, there are multiple muscles involved.  As mentioned earlier, a push-up activates the chest, arms, shoulders, abs, and leg muscle making it a full body workout.  The primary muscles involved are the chest and pectorals, triceps, back of upper arms, deltoids and shoulders.  These muscles used helps to drive the move into proper form.

2. Builds Core Strength

Your core is your best friend when it comes to performing a push-up to help achieve results.  The core muscle helps to stabilize your movements to hold perfect form.  Your obliques, abs and lower back help to pull in the work of the push-up and promote good posture.  All of these muscles are needed to be activated in order to complete the movement.

3.  Calorie Burning

Now we know that push-ups require the involvement of many muscles.  The more muscles involved means, more calories burned.  The involvement of the various muscles during the push-up exercise, allows your metabolic rate to increase to help process the calorie burning process.

Push-Up Variations

If you are not accustomed to push-ups, it is best to work at your comfort and range of motion abilities at the beginning. Once you get better, you can work your way up to a standard push-up and move on to advanced forms.

Knees or Modified Push-Ups

Modified or knee push-ups is a good starting point especially if you are getting into a push-up routine.  To ease the pressure,  place a mat under your knees to provide more comfort.

1. Start with your hands flat on the floor (plank position), shoulder width apart and wrists under shoulders.
2. Keeping your body aligned, bend your arms and lower your body as close to the floor as you can. Then return up to starting position.

Incline Push-Ups

Incline push-ups are another excellent variation movement for beginners.  With the incline, elevate your body on an object such as a chair or a bench.  Being elevated helps to offset gravity making it easier to perform the push-up movement.

1. Place a chair or bench it in front of your body.
2. Place your hands on the chair and walk your feet back until you are at about a 45-degree angle to the chair. Place your body in one long line (engaging core)
3. Bend your arms and lower yourself as close to the chair as you can. Push your body back up to start.

Regular/Basic Push-Up

A standard push-up works your shoulders, chest, triceps, back, core, quads, and glutes.  It is best to think of it as a moving plank.  While performing the push-up, you should keep your chin tucked, your neck aligned with your spine.  Make sure to keep everything as tight as you can while you bend your arms.

1. In a high plank position, place your hands flat on the floor, arms shoulder width apart with your wrist under your shoulder.
2. Hold your body in one long line, bend your arms and lower your body as close to the floor as you can. Keep your elbows on a 45-degree angle to the body. Then push back up to the start.

These three variations of the push-ups are good starting points.  Please remember to always start at a comfort level that best fits you before moving to a more advanced form.

The best thing about push-ups is that you can do them anywhere. If you ever feel sluggish in the middle of the day don’t be afraid to drop to the floor and get some done.  Push-ups gets your blood flowing and helps to energize you!