Follow the four-step strategy devised by the seasoned coach to successfully accomplish your initial push-up
Sherri McMillan, an internationally renowned fitness expert, personal trainer, and author, has devised a step-by-step plan to help beginners master the perfect push-up. McMillan, who owns Northwest Personal Training in Vancouver, Washington, and has received numerous industry awards, has a wealth of knowledge in exercise physiology, making her an ideal guide for those new to push-ups.
For beginners, starting with wall push-ups is recommended. In this exercise, the palms are placed just wider than shoulder-width apart on a wall, and the body is a few steps away from the wall. The body is kept straight, and the chest is brought towards the wall, then pushed away forcefully. This helps to build upper-body strength and core stability, preparing the body for more challenging push-up variations.
Once a set of 20 reps can be comfortably completed, McMillan suggests progressing to incline push-ups on a bench or couch. In this variation, the hands are placed just wider than shoulder-width apart on the edge of the bench or couch, and the chest is lowered to the hands and pushed back to the start. This is more challenging than wall push-ups but less challenging than floor push-ups, making it an ideal step for beginners.
If the bench or couch is too tough initially, the hands can be placed higher up, such as on the backrest of an adjustable weights bench or chair. This allows beginners to build up their strength gradually.
Once you're capable of cranking out 20 negative push-up reps, you're ready for your first bona fide push-up. In a negative push-up, you start in a standard push-up position, bend your elbows to lower your chest to the floor, shift from toes to knees, raise your feet, and push up until your arms are straight. This exercise focuses on the lowering phase of the push-up, helping to build strength and control.
For beginners, the push-up may feel challenging due to lack of upper-body strength and core stability. However, with McMillan's step-by-step plan, beginners can gradually build up their strength and confidence, eventually mastering the perfect push-up.
In addition to her plan, McMillan emphasises the importance of keeping your abdominals contracted and your back in a neutral position during a push-up. This helps to prevent injury and ensures proper form.
With McMillan's expert guidance and dedication, anyone can master the perfect push-up, improving their upper-body strength and core stability. The push-up is a beneficial exercise for overall fitness, making it an essential part of any workout routine.
- Sherri McMillan, a fitness expert and personal trainer, recommends wall push-ups for beginners as a step-by-step plan to help them master the perfect push-up, which is essential for overall fitness and improvement in upper-body strength and core stability.
- As beginners progress, McMillan suggests incline push-ups on a bench or couch as a challenging yet suitable step for building up strength from wall push-ups, before moving on to more difficult variations like negative push-ups and eventually, standard push-ups.
- Keeping proper form during push-ups, as emphasized by McMillan, such as keeping your abdominals contracted and your back in a neutral position, is crucial for injury prevention and for ensuring that the benefits of the exercise are maximized in the realm of health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise.
