Training for the Warrior Athlete
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Push Ups

Plank Position.

Push ups are simply pushing the body away from an object. Although they are among the most basic of body weight exercises, they are often poorly executed due to improper body position, limited range of motion, or some other result of laziness.

Properly executed, pushups are among the most versatile calisthenics movements and are easy to utilize in nearly any situation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAa-x7aevns

Top

Feet are together, hands are directly under the shoulders, and the body from head to heel is straight as an arrow.

The head should be slightly elevated so that the eyes can fix on a point about 3-4 feet in front of the hands.

Imagine a board touching your heels, your butt, and the back of your head. If you can’t imagine it, use a real board.

Midway

While maintaining the straight position from head to heels, lower yourself down by bending your arms.

Bottom

At the bottom of the push ups, the arms should be bent at least 90 degrees. Another way to know you have reached the bottom is to go down until your chest touches the ground. Do not lay on the ground and do not break the straight as an arrow body position.

Press up against the ground until you are back at the beginning.

Now give me 20 more!

Scaling

Make it Easier:

  • Drop to your knees – without losing the straight position from head to knee.
  • Break up large sets of into smaller sets. (Instead of 1 set of 25, do 5 sets of 5).
  • If knee pushups are still too strenuous, modify the position to press against a wall.

Make it Harder:

  • Wear a weight vest.
  • Raise your feet higher (place hands on the ground and feet on a block, a bed, a chair, or some other sturdy item. Or, set up on a hill with your feet uphill and your hands downhill).
  • Use dumbbells so that you can go lower (grasp the dumbbells in your hands. The lowest point of your push up will have your hands even with your shoulders).
  • Have a child sit on your back.
  • Heck, have an adult sit on your back.
  • Give handstand push ups a try.

All Techniques

Box Jumps – Burpees – Front Squats – Jumping Pull Ups
Kettlebell Swings – Pull Ups – Push Ups – Running Technique
Sit Ups – Squats – Sumo Deadlift
Sumo Deadlift High Pull – Thrusters – Tuck Jumps