How to progress yourself with exercise (the push up)

Disclaimer: Please consult with your physician before attempting any exercise.

This is a Guide in a continuing series of Guides aimed at helping you be able to exercise no matter what level of fitness you are currently at. We started with the Plank, today is the Push Up

There are infinite ways to do a push up, but I will be showing you the variations that I like, and use with my clients.

Variations are shown from beginner to advance levels. Experiment with each variation to see where you land at on the spectrum.

Inclined push ups can be made easier by using a higher incline. For this reason I placed them before the modified push up which still can be difficult for some, based on the load provided by gravity.

I have gone over proper push up technique in my guide How to Start Training (A Workout For Beginners) as well. Please refer to that if you would like further information on push up form.

When doing an offset push up you can use a ball, step, or anything that provides a bit of elevation. This exercise prepares you for the One arm Push Up.

You can also place the ball, step, or other implement closer, to give you more leverage until you are ready to push it farther out. Start close and progress yourself farther out as you get stronger.

You have to make sure that you are stronger around you shoulders for this variation as it places a good amount of stress there due to the wide hand position.

You can "glide" back and forth, as seen in the video, to further challenge yourself.

Last is the One Arm Push Up. Set up with a wider foot position, this will give you more stable base. Place one hand Directly beneath your shoulder.