Gotcha! A push up bra can only do so much. If you want beautiful arms, shoulders, and of course chest, then push-ups are the perfect exercise to target those areas.

As you know from earlier posts, I love efficient full body exercises and this is at the top of my list in the company of squats, planks, burpees, and hanging leg lifts. A basic push up as performed in the picture works everything. The primary muscles worked are the deltoids (shoulders), triceps (back of upper arms), and pectorals (chest). The secondary muscles are the erector spinae muscles of the back, the rotator cuff and posterior deltoids (shoulder), glutes, quads, and abdominal muscles which act as stabilizers. If you are not quite strong enough to perform a typical military push up, fear not! I will start you with the easiest and progress you to the more difficult variations which are as vast as your imagination.

Wall push ups are the perfect place to begin and are great for the older exerciser who has difficulty getting down into a prone position. They are simply performed by standing close to a wall and pushing away. The farther your feet are from the wall, the more resistance.

Table push ups are performed by pushing away from a table, counter or bench. This time, the lower the object, the more difficult. This is a popular exercise used by many physical therapists to regain strength after shoulder surgery.

If bench push ups are too advanced, a modified push up is the answer. It is performed from the hands and knees position, which lowers the resistance considerably. 

There are numerous variations of the push ups such as changing the hand placement and pointing the elbows back to put more emphasis on the trices. Another variation is placing the hands on uneven surfaces which puts more emphasis on the core muscles needed for balance and stability. Performing push ups from a raised surface such as push up handles or dumbbells increases the range of motion and stresses the muscles more. Then of course, for the advanced there are plyometric push ups where you clap in between each lift, there are one-armed push ups, and push ups with hand weights which allow for twisting and rowing between pushes. Some people like to perform push ups with their feet on a higher surface which challenges the shoulder muscles a bit more. Here are some examples of variations:

 

 

 

(This one from the ball is actually easier)

 

Remember, no matter which version of the push up you chose, pull your abdominals in, allow your head to extend naturally in a straight line from the spine and exhale on the effort. You will soon see that women can develop upper body strength!