Thread: Body building for beginners and push ups

If you cannot do a traditional push up now, do not worry. There are a variety of exercises you can do that will prepare you for traditional push ups. If you are a beginner, start with wall, tabletop or incline push ups. Once you have mastered these, move on to knee push ups and positive or negative-form push ups. Additionally, by strengthening the muscles you use to perform push ups, such as your shoulders, pectorals, and abdomen, you will be one step closer to performing traditional push ups.

Start with wall push ups. Stand three to four feet away from a wall and face the wall. Lean toward the wall and place your hands shoulder-width apart. Slowly bend your elbows to lower yourself to the wall. Once your chest touches the wall – or nearly does so – push up until your arms are straight but slightly bent. This is one wall push up.[1]
• Do three sets of five to twenty wall push ups. Practice this three times a week.
Attempt an incline push up. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on a sturdy, elevated surface like a sofa arm, bench, chair or table. Stretch your legs and place your feet straight out behind you. Your back should be straight and your body should be positioned diagonally relative to the floor. Slowly lower your upper body toward the elevated surface until your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle. Then slowly push back up to the starting position. This is one incline push up.[3]
• Make sure your elbows are close to your body and not sticking out when performing this exercise.
• Do three sets of five to ten incline push ups. Practice this three times a week.
• The strength and conditioning community generally agrees that doing pushups on an elevated surface is a good way to work your way up to regular pushups.[4]
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