Push-up Exercise Tips

JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY

Rethink the Push-up
The poor push-up: It's usually considered a form of punishment. Who doesn't cringe when they hear the phrase "drop and give me 50"? Well, it's time to see the push-up in a new light. This move offers a huge bang for the buck by training the chest, arms, shoulders, and abs all at once. Better yet, it doesn't require any special equipment. It can be done anywhere, at any time. Okay, get to it! What are you waiting for?

1. Lie facedown with your legs straight out behind you and your feet together.
2. Bend your elbows and place your palms on the floor out to the sides of your chest.
3. Position your palms so that they are directly under your elbows. When your arms are bent, they should form a 90-degree angle. Your neck should be straight and your eyes should be focused on the floor in front of you. Keep your abs in tight.
4. Straighten your arms so that your body is hovering over the floor, balancing on your palms and the balls of your feet.
5. Bend your elbows and lower your entire body at once until your upper arms are parallel with the floor.
6. Exhaling, push back up to the starting position and repeat. Be sure to keep your back straight and your eyes focused on the floor in front of you during each rep.

Compound Moves

Compound exercises are ones that require more than one muscle and joint to move, so they train more than one muscle. Push-ups fall into this category because although the chest is the targeted muscle group and does most of the work, the back of your arms, front of your shoulders, and abs get a good workout, too, because they play an assisting role. It's a win-win situation — you multi-task muscles and burn lots of calories.