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PECTORAL
Modified Push-up |
 
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1.
Position yourself face down with your knees on the floor.
2.
Extend your arms to the floor and press your palms down to
hold your torso up and keep your body in a straight line from
knees to shoulders. Your hands should be placed slightly farther
apart than your shoulders.
3.
Pull your stomach muscles in gently to protect your lower
back.
4.
Inhale as you slowly bend your elbows and lower your upper
body toward the floor until your upper arm is parallel to
the floor.
5.
Exhale as you slowly push back up to the starting position.
Repeat 8 to 10 times. This is one set.
Ignore
people who snidely refer to these as "girl push-ups." Push-ups
are challenging and you'll want to build muscle strength and
confidence before you move on to full push-ups (legs extended,
weight on toes instead of knees).
Keep
your stomach muscles pulled in gently and your back flat to
avoid muscle strain. It's easy to let your butt pop up or
to arch your back when you are working hard to do a push-up.
Don't
hold your breath. Inhale through your nose when you lower
your body and exhale through your mouth when you push up.
This helps deliver oxygen to your muscles. It also helps you
get into a rhythm, so that you're not working too fast or
too slow.
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