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A press up, also push up, is a common strength training exercise performed in a prone position, lying horizontal and face down, raising and lowering the body using the arms. They develop the pectoral muscles and triceps, with ancillary benefits to the deltoids, serratus anterior, coracobrachialis and the midsection as a whole. Press ups are a basic exercise used in civilian athletic training or physical education and, especially, in military physical training. A push up can also be performed in a standing position against a wall.

History

The English term push-up, used for the exercise, is recorded since 1905–10, and the term press-up is recorded since 1945–50.

Variations

In the "full press up", the back and legs straight and off the floor. Several variations are seen, besides the common push up. These include bringing the thumbs and index fingers of both hands together (a "diamond pushup") as well as having the elbows point towards the knees. These two variations are intended to put greater emphasis on the triceps rather than the shoulder and chest muscles. When both hands are unbalanced or on uneven surfaces, this exercise also works the body core. Raising the feet or hands onto elevated surfaces during the exercise emphasize the upper and lower pectorals, respectively.

One relatively new, but extremely difficult variation is the "guillotine press up". With hands on elevated points, lower the chest, head and neck (thus the name) past the plane of the hands, getting a full stretch of the shoulders, then recover to the starting position.

Another extremely difficult variation is to perform a press up using only hands, without resting the feet on the floor. These are known as "planche press ups". To do this variation, the body's center of gravity must be kept over the hands while performing the push up by leaning forward while the legs are elevated in the air, which requires great strength and a high level of balance.

Another variation often used as part of boxing training involves doing the press up while wearing boxing gloves. The design of the gloves means that the person doing the press up must do so on their knuckles and without bending their wrists. This method is also commonly used in martial arts, such as Tae Kwon Do, but without the boxing gloves. Because the knuckles are supporting the body's weight while in direct contact with the ground, this type of training can harden the bone, thicken the skin, and lower the sensitivity to pain in the knuckles. In theory, this should allow more punches to be thrown in a fight.

Hindu press ups

"Hindu press ups" are a form of exercise prevalent in Indian physical culture and Indian martial arts, particularly Pehlwani. Hindu squats are called Uthak-bethak and the exercise regimen in Indian wrestling often consists of doing the Indian "jack-knifing push-ups", Indian club swinging and squats. The Hindu jack-knifing push ups are part of the core exercises for building up of strength, stamina, and flexibility of joints. The dand was also a part of the exercise regimen of Bruce Lee.

The simple set of exercises of dand-baithak (press up and squats) practiced in the villages of India has a beneficial effect on the spine. It takes off the strain from the spine and makes it fit to fight the other strains on the spine caused by the adoption of an erect posture.

The American College of Sports Medicine (2000) recommends using a push up test to examine endurance on the upper-body musculature. For a male subject, assuming a dand position, with back straight, head up, and hands placed shoulder width apart, lowering his body with his chin touching the mat; the abdomen should not touch the mat.

Less difficult versions

There are some less difficult versions, which reduce the effort by supporting some of the body weight in some way. One can move on to the standard press up after progress is made.

"Wall press ups" are performed by standing close to a wall and pushing away from the wall with the arms; to increase the difficulty, move your feet further from the wall.

"Modified" press ups are performed by supporting the lower body on the knees instead of the toes, which reduces the difficulty.

Plyometrics

There are also a number of plyometric versions of the press up that can be performed.

The aim of the "clap press up" is to explosively push the body into the air for enough time to clap the hands together (once, or even more), then bring them back into position to cushion the fall.

In another type of plyometric press up, the "drop push", two platforms are placed on either side of the trainee. The exercise begins with the hands on either platform supporting the body, then the subject drops to the ground and explosively rebounds with a push up, extending the torso and arms completely off the ground and returning the hands to the platforms.

Another is simply an explosive press-up where a person attempts to push quickly and with enough force to raise their hands several centimeters off the ground, with the body completely suspended on the feet for a moment, a variation of the drop push.

With press-ups, many possibilities for customization and increased intensity are possible. Some examples are: One hand can be set on a higher platform than the other or be farther away from the other to give more weight to the opposite arm/side of the body and also exercise many diverse muscles. One can perform press ups by using only the tips of the fingers and thumb. For increased difficulty, press ups can be performed on one arm or using weights.

Non-training purposes

They are also rather commonly used as a fitness test or as a mild physical punishment on the spot, to show off physically or as demonstration of submission.

In a competitive or disciplinary context especially, it is not rare to use "nastier" variations, e.g. in mud, snow or dirt, divested, and/or to make it physically harder, as by putting one's foot or a weight on the performer's back (possibly with sanctions if equilibrium is lost, such as spilling a glass) or to do the exercise resting on the knuckles or not use all fingers (not counting the thumb).

Record breakers and attempts

The world record for most two-handed push back hand ups in one hour is 1,781 by Doug Pruden of Canada, 2005

References

1. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House (2006). "push-up". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
2. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House (2006). "press-up". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
3. Sudhir Kakar (1996). The Colors of Violence: Cultural Identities, Religion, and Conflict pg 83. University of Chicago Press
4. Bruce Lee and John R. Little (1998). The Art of Expressing the Human Body pg 58. Tuttle Publishing
5. Dr. Krishna Murari Modi. Cure Aches And Pains Through Osteopathy: Adopting the Correct Posture.
6. Vivian H. Heyward (2003 ). Advanced fitness assessment & exercise prescription pg 125. Human Kinetics
7. http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com

See also

• Sit-up
• Bench press
• Calisthenics
• Jumping Jack
• Handstand pushup

External links

• EtymologyOnLine
• "An Enduring Measure of Fitness: The Simple Push-Up" by Tara Parker-Pope, The New York Times, March 11, 2008

• Bodyweight exercise