Push-Ups

Push-Ups

Before septuagenarian Jack Palance accepted an Oscar for his supporting role in City Slickers, he got down on the stage and wowed the audience by doing one-arm push-ups. You won’t ever have to do this, but it should be motivational to know that someone his age did—in public.
You can start your push-ups very gently and modestly. Get down on your hands and knees on the floor or on a mat. For the most basic push-up, start with your feet and shins on the floor and your hands a little more than shoulder-width apart. Keeping your back straight, bend your elbows to lower your shoulders and upper body until your forehead and nose almost touch the floor. Straighten your elbows to raise yourself. You can even ease into push-ups by starting from a standing position and holding on to a horizontal support such as a sturdy porch or deck railing or a ballet barre. Bend your elbows to angle your upper body toward the support and straighten them to return to the starting position.
The easiest push-up position requires your shins and feet on the mat,a flat back, and your hands a little more than shoulder-width apart.
The next level of push-ups is nicknamed “girlie push-ups” because even many fit women, who generally cannot build upper-body strength like men, do them. Begin as in the basic push-up, but cross your ankles to raise your feet off the floor. Keeping your back straight, bend your elbows to lower your torso until your face, chest, and hips almost touch the floor; then straighten your elbows to raise yourself. You can begin with two sets of eight or 10 push-ups and, when you are comfortable doing these,continue until you cannot complete one fully. For full or military push-ups, which only very fit women and reasonably strong men can do, keep your body straight, supporting your weight on your hands and toes. Begin bending and straightening your elbows to raise and lower your body. You can do full push-ups to fatigue and then complete the exercise with one of the easier versions.you ever make it to Jack Palance mode, you can put one arm behind your back!Using push-up grips is easier on your wrists.Stretching after push-ups relaxes your arms, shoulders, and back. First, stay in a kneeling position with your feet flattened against the floor and shift your hips back until you are sitting on your lower legs. Stretch your arms in front of you. Next, sit with your legs crossed comfortably in front of you and reach behind your back, clasp your hands together, and press them back to stretch your upper arms, shoulders, and chest.Then bring your hands in front of your body, clasp them at shoulder level, and round your back to stretch your arms, shoulders, and upper back.