Introduction

Why you should follow this blog ?

On this blog I will post every Monday a push up program which I want you to do it 3 times a week at your maxim capacity - I will take it progressive because my goal is that you get to make unless 100 push ups in a row. I will post 3 push up programs every Monday ( beginner, intermediate and advanced ) - you decide in which category do you fit. It really doesn't matter which group you fall into. If you follow the progressive push ups training program, you'll soon be able to do 100 push ups!
For those who don't want to train hard , and just to do push ups to have a healthy and an active life stile I will post every week a training which you can do anytime you want - when you wake up, before going to bed, at noon- you can do it more than once a day if you want.

Besides that I will post also different abs work outs if you are interested, healthy recipes and other interesting things that will help you to achieve you sport goals. But the main posts are about push ups and The Push Up Work Outs! 

Do you think there is no way you could do this? I think you can! All you need is a good plan, plenty of discipline and about 30 -60 minutes a week to achieve this goal! 

My second goal is that your chest look like his:

• An aesthetics chest ! 
• This is the shape you will get if you do many push ups ! (chest)

What is a push up ? 

    According to Wikipedia, a push up (USA English), or a press-up (UK English), is "a common strength training exercise performed in a prone position, lying horizontal and face down, raising and lowering the body using the arms."

    Push ups are a basic exercise used in civilian athletic training or physical education and , especially, in military physical training and will develop the pectoral muscles and triceps, with ancillary benifits to the deltoids, serratus anterior, coracobrachialis and the midsection as a whole.

How Push-Ups Build More Muscle?

 If you do push-ups correctly, you develop your scapular muscles and your rotator-cuff muscles to stabilize your shoulders."If you do bench presses instead of push-ups, you don't have to use those muscles so much", says Michael Clark, a physical therapist and president of the National Academy of Sports Medicine. In other words, push-ups not only build up the facade in front of your physique, but also develop the support system behind those muscles, too.

  Here's why that's important: In every physical action, some muscles act as the engine and some act as the brakes. If the brakes aren't strong and durable enough to counterbalance the engine, you've got an injury waiting to happen. When a guy comes up with a chronically sore shoulder from bench pressing, for example, the problem is usually that the chest and shoulder muscles are too strong relative to the muscles behind them.

 So it makes sense that push-ups help improve muscular balance, which is important for developing serious strength. And with strength comes muscular size! 

Body builders, fitness models and strongmen and women have been using the push ups to effectively build muscles and upper body strength since the beginning of time. Or, at least since they realized that pushing yourself off the ground was a good way ti get in shape.

What muscles do you use when you make push ups ? 

Abdominals- The rectus abdominis and transversus abdominis contract continually while performing push-ups to hold the body off the floor and keep the legs and torso aligned.

 

Deltoid- The anterior portion of the deltoid muscle is one of the makor shoulder-joint horizontal adductors, moving your upper arms toward your chest during the upward phase of a push-up. It also helps control the speed of movment during the downward phase.

Pectoralis major- The pectorialis major is another main horizontal adductor of the shoulder joint, so it performs the same function as the anterior deltoid during a push-up.It also contributes to addiction, extension, flexion and internal rotation ranges of motion.

Triceps brachi-  the triceps branchii muscles, or triceps for short, are also hard at work extending the elbow joints so you can fully extend your arms. The triceps also control the speed of elbow-joint flexion during the downward phase of the exercise. The close together you place your hands during a push-up, the harder the triceps work.

How to do your first attempt to 100 push ups ? 

You will know when you are ready for your first attempt at 100 push ups. When you think you are there, I suggest you to rest a complete week before attempting it. Make sure you have hydrated yourself 6 hours before you attempt. It is also a good idea  to have a cup of coffee about 15 minute before you attempt.Its all about the speed, the faster you do the push ups, the more you will be able to do ( that doesn't mean that you will do the push ups fast during the work outs). You can fudge a little too ( just a little), don't go quite as far down as you normally would. If you don't succeed on your first attempt, no biggie. Go back to my training and push yourself harder then ever! 

Proper form and push up variations which we will use to build an amazing chest

   Don't get scared , it's not so hard as it seems to be. The last variations you will use as intermediate or advanced. You will have variation as a beginner too. So take a look on what you will be able to do if you follow my workouts. These are just a few variations which you will use , just to make an idea. You can find all the variations on Push Up Variations page.

First form of the push up-easy push ups

Knee push ups-is one of the easiest push ups, you can do them as a beginner if you can't do the classic push up . Or you can use them to exhaust your set.

Wall push ups- if the knee push ups are to hard for you, you can start with wall push ups. And when you feel ready you can try the knee push ups. 

Flat Bench Push Ups- also an easy variation, this exercise  focuses on the perctoralis minor ( the lower part of the pectoral) 

A little bit harder

Normal push ups(calssic): thoese are the common push ups, push ups you know from physical education. 

Inner chest push ups (diamond push ups): these push ups  put a lot of stress on your triceps and shoulders but are also very important in your chest workout because this push ups develop your inner chest muscles. This is how you make the line between your chest muscles .

First form(on knee):

Final form:

Bench Press Up Push Ups- these push ups focus in your superior chest.

Variations for bench press up: Another way to perform this exercise is to use an exercise ball to elevate your body instead of a flat bench. This adds a level of difficulty due to the instability provided.I use this exercise because is harder and I like to variate the exercises, because I don't want to get bored and too make my work outs much harder and interesting.

Swiss Ball Push Ups- These exercise targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. It's also a fantastic core exercise. It's also an fantastic core exercise. This exercise is highly effective at engaging your serratus anterior, a small but important muscle that helps move your shoulder blades.Neglect this muscle, as the most guys do, and it becomes weak. That puts you at high risk for shoulder impingement-a painful injury in which a muscle tendon becomes entrapped in your shoulder joint.

Extreme push ups 

(just for advanced)

These push ups are insane, if you follow my work outs you will be able to do these types(variations, I'm not kidding, all you have to do is to train as hard as you can and follow every work out. You start with the beginner then intermediate and then advanced work outs. Obvious if you are already an intermediate you will start with the intermediate work outs, don't waste time on the beginner work outs! 

There are big chances that you won't be able to do all types but I can assure that you will be able to do most of them, but you can build your chest even if you can't do the hardest push ups, so don't get scared, your goal is to build an awesome chest and to make unless 100 push ups.

Push up bar and handle-why should you use them?

 Push up handle/bare are the most used accessories for push ups. 

Why use Push Up Handle or Bar?

You typically perform push-ups with your hands on the floor, but using push-up bars or handles can offer a couple of training benefits. If you suffer from wrist discomfort, the apparatus allow you to perform the exercise without pain.In addition, using a push-up bar lets you lower yourself closer to the floor, increasing how hard your muscles work.

Push up Bars vs. Handles 

 A couple of different types of equipment are designed for push-ups. A push-up bar is a structure that you place on the floor where you plan to put your hands. It features a single bar running perpendicular to your body so that when you grip with it, tour palms are facing your feet. Push-up handles typically are two separated pieces of equipment that you grip it with each hand. They allow you to change the direction of your wrist, so your palms can face each other or your feet as you perform the push-up.

   Easing Stress on the Wrists

When you do pus-ups without bar or handles, you place your palms flat on the floor, forcing your wrists into extreme hyperextehnsion, which can lead to pain and nerve problems. When you use bars or handles, your wrists maintain a neutral position. The muscles in your forearms must work harder to keep your wrists from collapsing, but they are in a safer position.

Increasing Chest Work

 Using push-up bar or handles lets you drop closer to the floor, increasing how hard tour chest muscle, the pectorialis major , must work. With your hands on the floor, your torso meets the ground sooner than when you do the exercise with bars or handles, which elevate your bod. Your shoulder joints perform a greater degree of horizontal abduction, which means they flare out more to your sides.

Safety Considerations

While performing push-ups with a bar or handles can increase the involvement of your chest muscle because you horizontally abduct your shoulders to a great degree, this extreme abduction can place significant stress on your shoulder joints . Extreme horizontal abduction can led to your shoulder impingement, in which your rotator cuff, between your humerus and scapula. When you lower toward the floor, your humerus and scapula squeeze together. The farther you stretch your shoulder, the greater the risk of the structures in your shoulders getting pinched.

• I recommend the rotation handles .

 Push-up Handle tutorial

 

Push Up Work Out For Beginner

 Beginner Push Up Work Out 1

Note: you can see the proper form for every exercise on Push Up Variations page.

• You have to do this work out Monday-Wednesday-Friday ( or other three days but with a rest day between workouts)
• You have to rest between exercises 1 or 1.30 minutes!
• + or - between exercises means that you do those exercises one after another without rest 

Warm up:

• 25 wall push ups- rest 20 second
• 15 wall push ups- rest 10 seconds
•  5 wall  push ups

Let's start the work out:

Exercise (circuit) 1:

• We are going to do progressive push ups to raise the number reps - this is the best way to progress at the beginning.
•  Knee Push Ups ( use handles for a better position):this is how you are going to work:  
• You will do 1 knee push up- rest 10 seconds - 2 knee push ups-rest 10 seconds - 3 knee push ups-rest 10 seconds - 4 knee push ups-rest 10 seconds - 5 knee push ups rest 10 seconds - 4 knee push ups-rest 10 seconds - 3 knee push ups-rest 10 seconds - 2 knee push ups-rest 10 seconds - 1 knee push up- rest 10 seconds - rest 1 minute and do one more time this circuit .

Observation:when you rest you stay on your knees, don't stand up! 

Tip:If you reach to 5 push ups and you don't feel your chest tired enough grow up until you reach at 10 push ups (6 push ups - rest 10 seconds ...)- BE CAREFUL YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GO DOWN BACK TO 1 !

Exercise 2:

• Flat Bench Push Ups(you can do it at the edge of the bed or two chairs) 
• 5 sets - between 10 and 20 push ups 
•  rest between sets between 30 and 60 seconds 

Exercise 3:

We are going to work the negative motion of the push ups:

• Knee push ups(use the handles for a better form): 5 sets- between 5 and 10 reps- rest 40 seconds between sets 
• This is how you will do this push ups: go down as slow as you can and then when you push yourself up go as fast as you can, but be careful not to injure your elbow joints when you push yourself up.

Exercise 4:

• Inner chest push ups-diamond push ups (on knee):
• 2 sets of 5 repetitions(reps) each 
• rest between sets 30-60 seconds 

Exercise 5:

• Wall push ups:
• 1 set until failure - that means you do push ups until you are no more able to push yourself up from the wall

Exercise 6

• High plank hold :  1 minute 

Beginner Push Up Work Out 2 

Note: you can see the proper form for every exercise on Push Up Variations page.

• This week we still work on the basics, so it won't be very hard.
• You have to do this work out Monday-Wednesday-Friday ( or other three days but with a rest day between workouts)
• You have to rest between exercises 1 or 1.30 minutes!
• + or - between exercises means that you do those exercises one after another without rest 
• Use handles for a perfect form ! 

Warm Up:

• 5 classic push ups - rest 30 seconds 
• 4 classic push ups + 25 wall push ups - rest 20 seconds 
• 10 knee push ups 

Let's start the work out:

Exercise 1 :

• Stay flat on the floor like you have fallen from the push up position. Push yourself up and then go back on your stomach.
• 30 repetitions 
• 2 sets
• rest 1 minute between sets 

Exercise 2 : 

• 20 knee push ups + 30 wall push ups + 10 knee push ups + 15 wall push ups 
• 3 sets 
• rest between sets 1 minute 

Exercise 3 : 

• Knee push ups 
• This is the way you will do this exercise : do a knee push up and when you almost touch the floor with your chest hold that position for 10 seconds and than push yourself up 
• 5 to 10 reps 
• 3 sets 
• rest 45 seconds between sets 

Exercise 4 :

• Knee Push Up 
• This is the way you will do this exercise : when you go down count to seven and so when you come up (so a push up last 14 seconds )
• 5 to 10 reps
• 3 sets
• rest 1 minute between sets 

Exercise 5 : 

• Wide knee push ups - watch the Wide Push Ups on Push Up Variations and do the same thing but on your knees 
• Let's try something a little bit harder : do 50 repetitions in as few sets you can . If you can do them in  a row , don't stop , it's the last exercise, give all you can !!! 

Push Up Work Outs For Intermediate

Intermediate Push Up Work Out 1

Note: you can see the proper form for every exercise on the Push Up Variations Page!

• Use handles for a perfect form.
• You have to do this work out Monday-Wednesday-Friday ( or other three days but with a rest day between workouts) - or you can make it just twice a week and 2 days rest between work outs.
• It is very important to rest exactly how much write in the work out!
• You have to rest between exercises 1 or 1.30 minutes!
• + or - between exercises means that you do those exercises one after another without rest 

Warm up:

• 30 knee push ups - rest 30 seconds
• 20 knee push ups -rest 20 seconds 
• 10 knee push ups 

Let's start the work out:

 Exercise (circuit) 1:

•   10 diamond push ups - 10 classic push ups - 10 wide push ups - rest 30 seconds - 10 wide push ups - 10 classic push ups - between 4 and 8 diamond push ups 
• 2 sets
•  rest between sets 1 minute 

Exercise (circuit) 2:

• 10 spartan push ups - 10 pump up push ups (like classic push ups but when you come up you go just half of the way) - 10 diamond push ups (knee diamond push ups if you are to tired) 
• 3 sets 
• rest between sets 30 seconds

Exercise (circuit) 3:

• 20 flat bench push ups -between 10 and 20 bench press up push ups
•  for a  better variation use a fitness ball instead of bench for both exercises
• 3 sets 
• rest between sets 40 seconds  
• rest 2 minutes when you finished the last set of this exercise

Exercise 4: Work on the negative reps

• 10 classic push ups - you go down as slow as you can and when you come back up you push yourself as fast as you can 
• 3 sets 
• rest between sets 1 minute

Exercise 5:

• High plank hold : hold 30 seconds - res 10 seconds - hold 30 seconds - rest 10 seconds - hold 30 seconds

Intermediate Push Up Work Out 2

Explosive Work Out

Note: you can see the proper form for every exercise on the Push Up Variations Page!

• Use handles for a perfect form.
• You have to do this work out Monday-Wednesday-Friday ( or other three days but with a rest day between workouts) - or you can make is just twice a week and 2 days rest between work outs.
• It is very important to rest exactly how much write in the work out!
• You have to rest between exercises 1 or 1.30 minutes!
• + or - between exercises means that you do those exercises one after another without rest 

Warm Up:

• 20 wide push ups - rest 30 seconds
• 20 classic push ups - rest 30 seconds
• 10 diamond push ups - rest 20 seconds
• 20 knee push ups 

Let's start the work out: 

  

Exercise 1 :

• Clap push ups 
• 10 repetitions
• 3 sets 
• 40 seconds rest between sets
• If you can't do the classic clap push ups do them on your knees 

 Exercise 2 :

•  Jumping push ups (don't clap) + 10 classic push ups 
• 3 sets
• 1 minute rest between sets
• Try to jump a little bit with your feet too

Exercise 3 :

• 15 spartan push ups + 15 burpees + 10 spartan push ups + 25 burpees
• 3 sets
• 1 minute rest 

Exercise 4 :

• 10 wide push ups + 15 classic push ups + 10 diamond push ups 
• 2 sets
• rest 1 minute between sets

Exercise 5 :  

• Classic push ups 
• This is the way you will do this exercise : when you go down count to seven and so when you come up (so a push up last 14 seconds )
•  10 to 20 push ups 
• 2 sets 
• rest 1 minute between sets

Exercise 6 : 

• Jumping push ups 
• 50 repetitions (reps)
• Try to do them in as few sets as you can
• When you can't jump anymore do classic push ups .

 

First Push Up Work Out For Advanced

Advanced Push Up Work Out 1

Note: you can see the proper form for every exercise on Push Up Variations page.

• This week we still work on the basics, so it won't be very hard.
• You have to do this work out Monday-Wednesday-Friday ( or other three days but with a rest day between workouts)
• You have to rest between exercises 1 or 1.30 minutes!
• + or - between exercises means that you do those exercises one after another without rest 
• Use handles for a perfect form !

Warm Up:

• 30 classic push ups - rest 30 seconds 
• 20 wide push ups - rest 20 seconds 
• 10 diamond push ups

Let's start the work out:

Exercise (circuit) 1:

• 10 clap push ups - 10 diamond push ups - 10 classic push ups - 10 hindu push ups - 10 wide push ups
• 3 sets 
• rest between sets 1 minute 

Exercise (circuit) 2:

• 10 spartan push ups - 10 spider push ups - 10 tiger bent push ups - 5 classic push ups - 4 diamond push ups - 30 seconds high plank hold 
• 3 sets
• rest between sets 1 minute

Exercise (circuit) 3 : Work on the negative reps 

• A) Between 15 and 20 classic push ups
• You go down as slow as you can and then push yourself up as fast as you can 
• Rest 1 minute when you done

• B)  Between 8 and 12 diamond push ups
• You go down as slow as you can and then push yourself up as fast as you can 
• Rest 1 minute when you done 

• C) Between 15 and 20 wide push ups
• You go down as slow as you can and then push yourself up as fast as you can 
• Rest 1 minute when you done

Exercise (circuit) 4 :

• Between 10 and 15 Bench Press Up push ups - Between 10 and 15 Flat Bench push ups 
• 3 sets
• Rest between sets 30 seconds
• For a  better variation use a fitness ball instead of bench for both exercises

Exercise 5:

• Classic Push Ups 
• 1 set 
• Failure-until you can't lift up off the floor  

Advanced Push Up Work Out 2

Explosive Work Out

Note: you can see the proper form for every exercise on Push Up Variations page.

• This week we still work on the basics, so it won't be very hard.
• You have to do this work out Monday-Wednesday-Friday ( or other three days but with a rest day between workouts)
• You have to rest between exercises 1 or 1.30 minutes!
• + or - between exercises means that you do those exercises one after another without rest 
• Use handles for a perfect form ! 

Warm up:

• 30 classic push ups - rest  10 seconds
• 20 classic push ups - rest 20 seconds 
• 10 wide push ups 

Let's start the work out : 

Exercise 1 : 

•  20 clap push ups - rest 30 seconds - 15 clap push ups - rest 20 seconds - 10 clap push ups
• This is one set.
• 3 sets 
• Rest between sets 1.30 minutes

Exercise 2 : 

• 10 high jump push ups + 10 spartan push ups + 10 small jump push ups 
• 4 sets
• Rest between  sets 1.30 minutes

Exercise 3 :

• 20 wide push ups + 20 classic push ups + 20 diamond push ups 
• 3 sets
• rest 50 seconds

Exercise 4 : 

• Alternate single arm Medicie Ball push ups
• 30 reps 
• 3 sets
• Rest between sets 1 minute 

Exercise 5:

•  100 small jump push ups 
• Try to do as few sets as you can 
• If you can do them in  a row , don't stop , it's the last exercise, give all you can !!!

Push Ups Before Bedtime

 Push Ups Before Bed 1

 This work out is for those who don't wan to train to achieve the 100 push ups in a row goal and don't necessarily want to built a massive chest. This is a maintenance work out.
  You can also combine it with one of the preparation work out, for example you can do the intermediate work out in the afternoon and before bed you can do this work out.
  You can do the Push Ups Before Bed work out anytime and everywhere.
  This work out will help you to sleep, you'll see how relaxed you are at the and don't last more then 15 minutes. I know it seem to be a log work out but it really isn't !
   You can find the proper form for every exercise on the page "Push Up Variations". 

Observation:

• When you rest you should hold the child pose, so when you see rest for 30 seconds you'll hold the child pose for 30 seconds. Exception, in the warm up you lay on your back and relax every muscle in your body when you have to rest.
• You can do every exercise on your knees if you are to tired or you can't do the classic push ups. 

Between exercises rest 1 minute.

Warm Up:

• 20 knee push ups or 10 classic push ups - rest 30 seconds 
• 10 knee wide push ups or 5 wide push ups - rest 40 seconds 
• 10 knee diamond push ups

Exercise 1:

• 1 push up - go in the child pose hold, 5 seconds - 2 push ups - go in the child pose hold 5 seconds- 3 push ups - child pose 5 seconds - 4 push ups - child pose 5 seconds - 5 push ups - child pose 5 seconds 
• rest 30 seconds 
• 5 push ups - child pose 5 seconds - 4 push ups - child pose 5 seconds - 3 push ups - child pose 5 seconds - 2 push ups - child pose 5 seconds  - 1 push up 

Exercise 2:

• 1 push up - go in the upward facing dog pose, hold 5 seconds - 2 push ups -upward facing dog pose hold 5 seconds - 3 push ups -upward facing dog pose 5 seconds - 4 push ups -upward facing dog  pose 5 seconds - 5 push ups - upward facing dog pose 5 seconds 
• rest 30 seconds 
• 5 push ups -upward facing dog pose 5 seconds - 4 push ups - upward facing dog pose 5 seconds - 3 push ups - upward facing dog pose 5 seconds - 2 push ups - upward facing dog pose 5 seconds  - 1 push up 

Exercise 3:

• 5 push ups 
• when you are down in the push up position hold 2-3 seconds and then push yourself back up

Exercise 4:

• Slow push ups 
• 5 push ups : make the hole move as slow as you can 
• 2 sets 
• rest between sets 30 seconds 

Exercise 5:

• 10 flat bench push ups on the edge of your bed 
• 2 sets 
• rest 30 seconds
• hold the upward facing dog pose when you rest 

 Child Pose

Upward Facing Dog Pose

 Push Ups Before Bedtime 2

  This work out will help you to sleep, you'll see how relaxed you are at the and don't last more then 15 minutes. I know it seem to be a log work out but it really isn't !

   You can find the proper form for every exercise on the page "Push Up Variations". 

   Rest between exercises 1 or 2 minutes.

Observation:

• When you rest you should hold the child pose, so when you see rest for 30 seconds you'll hold the child pose for 30 seconds. Exception, in the warm up you lay on your back and relax every muscle in your body when you have to rest.
• You can do every exercise on your knees if you are to tired or you can't do the classic push ups. 

Warm Up :

• Hold: Child pose 30 seconds - upward facing dog pose 30 seconds 
• 5 classic push ups - rest 10 seconds
• 10 knee push ups 

Exercise 1:

• 5 classic push ups or 10 knee push ups
• How you should do this exercise: When you are down in the push up position hold the low plank 5 seconds, then push yourself back up
• 3 sets 
• rest between sets 30 :seconds

Exercise 2 :

• 5 Plank push ups
• How you should do this exercise: Hold 5 seconds the high plank position , then go down and hold the low plank position for 5 seconds and so on
• 3 sets
• rest between sets 1 minute

Exercise 3 :

• Bench Press Push Ups
• 5 to 10 reps
• 3 sets
• rest between sets 1 minute

Exercise 4 :

• Flat Bench Push Ups
• 5 to 15 reps
• 3 sets
• rest between sets 30 seconds

Exercise 5 : 

• Hold: Child Pose 15 seconds - upward facing dog pose 15 seconds - child pose 30 seconds - upward facing dog 30 seconds

Low Plank

High Plank

 Low Plank