Movement Challenge 2: The Push-Up and How to Improve
I hope you liked last week’s movement challenge. I know I did and I am working on my score.
Now onto the second challenge. I had to bring in a guest to demo this one!
PUSH UPS!!!!
Watch this video where I explain how to do a proper push up and take the test.
Ok, so why is this movement important? I’m glad you asked…
Some doctors at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health compared the cardiovascular health of 1,104 active adult men over a 10-year span. All participants were firefighters, with an average age of 40.
All participants of this study had a physical exam and a push-up test. In the following decade, 37 of the men experienced a cardiovascular problem, such as coronary artery disease, heart failure or sudden cardiac death.
Here is what their test results told us…
Those who had done 11 or more push ups at the start of the study were less likely to have had a heart problem than were men who did 10 or less. And the more push-ups they could do, the lower their rate of cardiovascular incidents.
Those able to do more than 40 push-ups experienced the greatest risk reduction. Subjects that could do 40 or more had a 96 percent reduced risk of heart trouble in comparison to those who were able to do only 10 or fewer!
Now if you want to work on your push-up numbers, this video is for you – regardless of whether you can not do a single push up or you can do a few dozen.The only thing you need is a desire to improve your score!
Click below to watch the video.
Ok, quick re-cap from the video…
If you can do 1 push up or less…
Start with the push up on your knees modification
Do 3-5 sets of your max number of reps while keeping good form
Do this workout every other day until you can get up to 10 push ups from your knees for 5 sets.
Once you can do that, you can move to regular push ups! Great work!
If you can do at least 5 push ups WITH GOOD FORM…
Do 3-5 sets of your max number of reps while keeping good form.
Do this workout every other day until you can get up to 20 reps per set for 5 sets.
Stay well and stay strong!
Mandy