Pushup Exercises

I will soon add pictures...just try and be patient.

Burpees (full body exercise)– These are the pushup exercises  that you have probably seen a time or two in old war movies when troops are in basic training.   It has been said that some prisoners in the penitentiary like to do these because they do not require much space and they will work you extremely well.  Here is what you do:

• First start out in the standing position with you feet close together.   
• You then bend your knees and put your hands on the ground.   
• From here you, hop your feet backwards until you are in the up position of a pushup.   
• Do one pushup and return to how you started in reverse.   
• This exercise can be combined with a forward jump at the end when you are rising back to the starter position.  Give it all you got and you will be worn out in no time at all. 

Hindu Style Pushup (full body exercise) – When doing this pushup exercise, breathing is important.  You will find that, after you have been using weights for a long time, 25 is even a challenging number to get the first time.  This exercise and the Hindu Squat are both heavily used by Indian wrestlers.  They help out your endurance and strength  tremendously.

• You start in the all-fours position, facing the floor, with only your hands and feet touching the ground.   
• You can spread your legs as far as you want, but only do what is comfortable.   
• You begin by looking at your heels and begin to roll forward by dipping as close to the ground as you can without touching it and end in the position where your head and upper body is pointing up while your hips are close to the ground.   
• Return to the starting position by either pushing your rear back up in the air or by doing the exact same motion backwards (which will work your shoulders more).   
• This is one rep.   
• Breathe in during the downward motion and out when returning to the starting position.   

Finger Tip Pushup (chest | arms | hands exercise) – You will find stronger fingers come with doing these and they will not change the appearance of your fingers like some of you may fear.   I have done these almost every day for six months and have not noticed a negative change in the appearance of my hands, only that they are much stronger.   You should just make sure to do what you can handle.  I will do at least 5 or 10 just to keep them conditioned.  The name is self explanatory for this bodyweight exercise. 

• You get into the push up position and start on your finger tips.   
• Go down and return just as you would a regular pushup. 
• This is one rep. 
• Try five or ten. 

One-arm Pushup (chest | arms exercise) – This bodyweight exercise is challenging.  If you get one on your first try you are stronger than you may have thought.   I will only do a couple on each arm when working out, but I try to do a variety of different bodyweight exercises within the 15-20 minutes of working out. 

• As you might have guessed you will get into the pushup position, use one arm, and have a wide foot base. 
• Switch arms and do an equal amount on the other side, making sure to use your weakest arm first so that you develop each side equally. 

One Leg Up Pushup (chest | arms exercise)– Here is the easier version of the one-arm pushup.  This bodyweight exercise will make you put a lot more weight on one of your arms, making it and the one-arm pushup similar. 

• You start with your feet together and in the pushup position. 
• Then lift your right leg in the air while dipping the left side of your body close to the floor. 
• Lift the leg as high as you can, then lower the leg back down until you are in the starting position. 
• Repeat with the left side. 

Backward Pushup (shoulders | arms | back | legs exercise)– This is one that is a  functional exercise and feels great afterwards.  It makes your spine feel like new as soon as you are done too.  You will see some gymnists doing these, mostly for the flexibility in the spine.  It has also been referred to as the gymnastic bridge, but not the pushing motion upwards.  Only the final up position.

• You start by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet close to your butt. 
• Your hands are close to your shoulders, palms down, with your fingers pointing towards your shoulders. 
• You are going to try and form an arch with your body by pushing your back off the floor by your hands and feet. 
• Try and push your hips to the ceiling and hold for a second or two before returning to the starting position.  Ahh…don’t you feel better.  I thought you would. 

Handstand Pushup  (shoulders | arms exercise)– Practice this exercise if you want to get UNBELIEVABLE arm and shoulder STRENGTH.  These are the staple of strength building bodyweight exercises.  They are by no means easy, especially for beginners.  Be careful not to fall directly on top of your head, you don’t want to compress your spine at the neck.  What has worked for me is letting one arm relax quickly and do a kind of roll to the right or left, if you know you are not going to make that rep.  You might make a loud thud, but it is better than landing on your head.   Just make sure that you have room on both sides.   There are a number of different ways to do it.  If you start in what seems a little like a down sprinter position like you are waiting for the gunshot to start the race.  Face the wall and put your hands wider than shoulder width on the floor about a foot or two away from the wall. 

• Get down with one leg under your chest, the other behind you in the sprinters position. 
• Push off the ground with your legs and plant the bottom of your feet on the wall.  You can then lift your legs straight up or bend your knees at a ninety degree angle.  If you keep them bent you can use them to push off the wall to prevent falling on your neck.  That’s just something to think about.  You can use chairs that are spaced out enough for your head  to put your hands on if you want more range of motion, but beware these are even more difficult . 

Dive Bombers – Here is another one of the many exercises that you can do at home.  The dive bomber is very similar to the Hindu pushup.  There is one slight difference between the two.  It is the return to the starting position.  I believe that these work the shoulders more than the Hindus, but really one is just working the shoulder in a different motion than the other.  You be the judge.

• You start in the all-fours position, facing the floor, with only your hands and feet touching the ground.  
• Look down at your heels with your chin almost touching your chest.
• Your arms should feel like they are directly above your head.
• Bend your elbows and dip your body close to the floor as you roll forward.
• In the end you should have your head pointing up and your hips close to your hands.
• Return by the exact same motion in reverse.