Exercise of the week: push-ups

Despite the proliferation of various types of exercise equipment, many people are choosing instead to focus on calisthenics – using your bodyweight as resistance. This week, we’re looking at some new variations of an old favourite – the push-up.

Push-ups are generally used as a strength exercise which works mainly your chest and triceps, but they are increasingly being incorporated into anerobic circuits - drills which boosts your cardio and helps you to drop excess body fat.

Basic push-ups:

Start off face down with your palms flat on the ground at chest distance apart, and with both your arms and your back straight.

Lower yourself until your face is an inch or two from the floor, keeping your back straight all the time, before straightening them again.

For strength training, go for between eight and 12 repetitions over three or four sets. When used for cardio as part of a circuit, push-ups are normally done continuously for 20 or 30 seconds before moving onto the next station.

Wide stance push-ups

Start off in the same position as the above, although this time with your hands further apart – beyond shoulder width and repeat as normal. This push-up is more demanding than the standard push-up, and puts more of an emphasis on your chest muscles.

Diamond push-ups

Start off in the normal push-up position except with your hands closer together. the thumbs and fingers of each hand shou

Medicine ball push-ups

Begin the medicine ball push-up in the normal position, except with one hand on a medicine ball directly below your chest and the other at chest width. Lower yourself to within a couple of inches of the floor. Push yourself up quickly, changing hands on the medicine ball. Lower yourself to the ground again, and repeat. This variation is particularly good for your core strength in that it demands a lot more balance. Because it requires more explosiveness, it is also beneficial from the point of view of developing muscle speed.

Wall push-ups

Not everyone is strong enough to do a full set of push-ups, which is where wall push-ups come in. Stand with your feet shoulder distance apart, two foot from a wall. Put your palms flat on the wall at shoulder distance apart, and lower yourself until your face is within an inch or two of the wall. Repeat as above.

This variation works the same muscle groups, but is considerably easier than standard push-ups.

You can also try push-ups with a leg raised, as demonstrated by the ridiculously pert young lady: