How to Progressively Get Stronger and Build Muscle

Push Ups

Tips

First, slow it down and use a three-second contraction. Try to really feel the muscle groups you're targeting, and do a full range of motion; starting all the way down at the floor and pushing all the way up.

Pay particular attention to the alignment of your elbows. The ideal angle from your sides is about 45 degrees. This allows you to effectively work your chest muscles.

Keep your body stiff and straight as a plank Elbows at a 45 degree angle from your sides Breathe in on the way down Lower your body all the way down, allowing your sternum to gently touch the floor Breathe out on the way upTechniques to Target Different Muscle GroupsWhile in plank position, pull in your bellybutton. Your bellybutton is attached to your transverse abdominis, that inner sheath that holds your gut inside and gives your spine and vertebrae a nice, weight belt-tightening type of support. So by pulling it in, you begin to contract that deep inner transverse abdominis muscle.Next, do a Kegel squeeze. More women than men might be familiar with this term. A Kegel squeeze is performed by drawing your lower pelvic muscles up and holding them up high and tight. For men who aren't familiar with that term, it's similar to trying to stop urinating in the middle of the flow. This squeeze will allow you to feel and focus on your abdominal muscles.When to progress?

Once you can do 12, 15, or 18 repetitions for two or three sets, move on to the next level or technique.

1. First, you may want to begin by keeping your knees on the floor. Or Push up against the wall. Bring your heels up toward your buttocks, and keep your body straight. In this position you can still pull your bellybutton in and perform a Kegel squeeze to work those deeper ab muscles. Remember to go slow and use full range of motion, allowing your chest to gently touch the floor. By pulling your elbows closer to your sides, you can place more focus on your chest muscles.

2. Then advance to plank for 15 seconds-30 seconds

3. Then Plank to Push up

4. Advance to the regular push-up technique, keeping your legs straight and balancing on your toes.

5. A more advanced technique that will improve the strength and grip of your hands is to do push-ups off your fingertips.

6. Another advanced technique is to do push-ups off an unstable surface. Two medicine balls will work well for this. Place the palms of your hands on top of the balls and perform the push-up from there.

7. The next progression could be to put your feet higher than your hands. This will put additional weight on your chest and ab muscles. Find a bench, stool or other level surface that is about 12-16 inches high, and with your feet on this surface, perform your push-up.

8. Lastly, here's a very advanced technique called a push-up dumbbell row. This will give you great ab development!

Darin uses 20-lb dumbbells, but you can start at a weight suitable to your current level of strength and fitness and progress into higher weights as you go along. Place the dumbbell's at a 45-degree angle; pull in your bellybutton; draw up your lower pelvic muscles (Kegel squeeze), and breathe in as you lower your upper body to the floor. Breathe out on the way up, and once your arms are in the fully extended position, perform a rowpulling the right dumbbell up toward your chest.

9. The last technique is super-advanced and works your shoulders, triceps and corethe handstand push-up.

Facing a wall, place your hands at a 45 degree angle about one-to two hand-lengths from the wall. Kick your legs up. You can use the wall to stabilize you as you perform the push-up. Breathe in as you lower yourself to the floor, and breathe out as you push yourself up.

Push-Up PlyometricsA Mini Sprint 8 Exercise

1. Plyometrics are quick, explosive types of movement. To do a plyometric push-up, once your sternum touches the floor, hold your position and breathe for about three seconds, then perform an explosive push upward.

3 Minute Challenge

You need to have good technique, good form, and a strategy. If you go all out you'll lose your energy and likely won't last for three minutes. So go at a pace of about 80 percent of your total ability, and when you can't go any further, rest for 20-30 seconds; stretch, and then resume.