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The Full Push-Up

Image of the push-up position
The full push-up position

The Full Push-Up Is Not Easy

The Full Push-Up. Pushups help build strength, burn more calories, increase mental toughness and instil confidence.” They work every muscle in your body, from your neck to your toes. As a result, strengthening your chest, abs, shoulders and triceps. So then, push-ups are a full-body workout. This requires more strength than a kneeling press-up.

Massive Benefits of Push-Ups

The Full Push-Up. Perhaps one of the simplest exercise movements is the full or standard push up. Because it activates nearly every muscle in your body. And which yields far more than toned muscles and increased endurance. Therefore, continue reading to uncover the real benefits of doing push-ups.

Increase Functional Strength via Full Body Activation

The Full Push-Up. As you lower your body to the floor and the familiar “burn” begins to encompass your muscles. So then, the last thing you’re thinking about is the number of muscles you’re using. However, this is one of the top benefits of pushups. For example, as you engage in this exercise, literally every major muscle in you is called upon to support the movement.

Major muscle groups, such as your biceps, core muscles, triceps, anterior deltoids and lower body muscle groups. All are activated to support your body while stabilizing your movements. And, classed a compound exercise, meaning multiple muscle groups are used. Also, you train the most important muscles throughout your body. Have you ever wondered why a standard bench press is so easy? Compared to a standard push up? This is why.

Muscle Stretching for Health and Vitality

One of the underrated benefits of doing push-ups is the stretch it provides to your biceps and back muscles. When lowering yourself to the floor, your back muscles are effectively stretched. And as you push yourself to the starting position your biceps obtain a full stretch. This not only improves your flexibility, which helps prevent injuries.

Enhance Your Cardiovascular System

As stated earlier, push-ups are classified as a compound exercise as it calls upon multiple muscle groups. Also, when you simultaneously engage large muscle groups. As a result, your heart must work harder to deliver oxygen-rich blood to muscle tissue. So, ultimately, this activity results in an effective cardiovascular exercise. And which supports heart health and promotes the reduction of stored body fat.

Increase Whole Body Muscle Definition – HGH Promotion

Throughout the movements of a push-up, you recruit a wide array of primary and stabilizing muscles. The more muscle mass that’s used in a strength training exercise, the greater the production and release of human growth hormone or HGH,.

As a young man or woman, your body pumped out large concentrations of this specialized hormone. Thus, to support the natural growth of your entire body. However, as you age the natural release of HGH declines. Hence, making building muscle a challenging task for older adults.

By using such a wide array of muscles, the production of HGH is triggered. And which ultimately results in muscle hypertrophy – or muscle growth. However, to maximize push up benefits, you must incorporate this exercise into regular strength training.

Protect Your Shoulders from Injury

One of the most debilitating, and common, injuries for older individuals is a rotator cuff injury. So then, the severity of this injury is based upon a host of unique circumstances. Therefore, protecting this delicate part of your body must become a priority.

The push up has been found to be an effective way to safeguard your shoulder joints from injury. And especially in older adults. Because push-ups call upon stabilizing muscles, which surround the rotator cuff joint. Furthermore, this area of the body is strengthened and conditioned for dynamic movements from push-ups.

By supporting the strength and health of primary and secondary shoulder muscles, the likelihood of debilitating injuries significantly lowers.

 Improve Your Posture

Whether you sit at a computer all day or simply ignore the nagging recommendations from your mother or teachers, improper posture can destroy your health and comfort as you age. One of the most common reasons for a lack of proper posture is weak core muscles.

In order to properly hold your shoulders and back, your entire core must be strong enough to support its vertical positions. When push-ups are properly executed, the muscles responsible for supporting posture are strengthened and fine-tuned. Moreover, as you regularly engage in push-ups, your body will naturally lean toward proper posture. This is one of the most influential passive benefits of push-ups.

Prevent Lower Back Injuries

There are few injuries as debilitating as a lower back injury. This essential part of your body supports practically every movement. So then, when damaged or injured even the simplest of tasks can be excruciatingly painful. As mentioned earlier, pushups call upon your entire torso to stabilize its movements. And by doing so, you strengthen this vulnerable part of the body.

By developing strength in this specific portion of your body. Hence, you cultivate muscles responsible for reducing lower back pressure, which is imperative to prevent and treat low back injuries.

Save Time While Cultivating a Strong Body

You may not have time for a traditional strength training or cardiovascular workout. However, if you have five minutes you can achieve a full-body workout with push-ups. to add variation to this swift and potent exercise movement? Delve into the many different hand and feet placements to target muscles from different angles, which supports rapid strength and size development. But only after you master this one.

No Cost for a Full Body Workout

Thankfully, you don’t need an expensive gym membership – or even any equipment – to obtain an effective and thorough full-body workout. By engaging in push up exercises, you effectively fatigue major and minor muscle groups, which provide the same benefits as a traditional full-body exercise performed at the gym on expensive and cumbersome equipment.

Increase Testosterone and Reduce Osteoporosis Development

As men and women age, the concentration of various hormones begins to dwindle. For men, the most prominent loss is the reduction of circulating testosterone. And while preliminary evidence requires further investigation. However, several studies suggest the simple movements within a standard push-up promote testosterone production. Which is essential for a healthy body in both men and women.

Moreover, weight-bearing exercises, such as the standard push up, support stronger, more dense bones. This increase in bone density may ward off debilitating skeletal system disorders, such as osteoporosis.

In Conclusion

Press-ups are an important compound exercise but are not easy. Also, if you are determined and persevere, you will get stronger and fitter. And the many benefits above make push-ups one of your most important exercises. Even if it is hard try to do enough to make a difference for you and your helth.

Important Note *

Remember that everyone is different, and it is ultimately YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to find what your body responds to. So please do your due diligence before trying anything new, including getting Medical Advice to ensure your safety and peace of mind.

2 replies on “The Full Push-Up”

Thanks for this demonstration. I will try to get. Back to the full body push-ups. When in the military at 145 pounds doing 50 of these was a real struggle. I have been doing as many as 90 push offs on a kitchen counter height for a while now. Really different from a full body push-up. Now at 73 years old and 196 pounds, they are impossible. But, I am going to proceed to try to get back to doing even two a day. Anything is better than nothing.

Dear CC Motes, thank you for your comment I really appreciate your feedback, and you are quite right that anything is better than nothing, the full push up is hard because it involves all muscle groups, and also lifting most of your body weight. If you are working off a kitchen worktop, you should try going down a bit lower and doing the incline push up, it is a bit harder than the worktop and will help to build your strength, and after you can progress to the full push up. I wish you the best of luck, All the best Ian

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