Hey everyone, and welcome to TopThink. Today, we will learn about what happens to your body when
you do pushups every day. Now, let’s begin
Do you have a daily exercise routine? If you want to improve your physical
fitness and see noticeable changes in your body, you need to create a fitness
routine that challenges your muscles and builds your endurance every single day.
Most people don’t think they have enough time or energy to meet their fitness goals.
You see athletic people online or on TV that maintain a strong and attractive physique, and
you may shudder at the hours they must have spent grinding in the gym. But maintaining a fitness
routine and reaping real rewards isn’t nearly as time-consuming or effort-intensive as most
people think. In fact, practicing one exercise for a few minutes every day can change your body
shape and help you achieve long-term fitness. If this is something you dream about — if you
are unsatisfied with your health, or just want to make a change, then it’s time to try this simple
but powerful exercise that has changed the lives of thousands of people. It’s something we’ve all
done before, yet this one exercise has allowed people all around the world to finally, after
years of frustration, meet their fitness goals. Pushups are one of the most basic forms of
self-weighed calisthenics, which uses your body weight to strengthen your upper body as well
as your core, back, and legs. What separates pushups from every other exercise routine is
the accessibility. Pushups are simple to learn and easy to master. They don’t require any equipment.
You don’t need to go to the gym, gather a group of people, or wear any special clothing. It’s an
exercise you can do anywhere with anyone and still get a full-body workout in a matter of minutes.
Simply by doing a few sets of pushups every day, you can increase your muscle tone,
trim excess fat, and improve your endurance. A 2019 study from the JAMA Network found that
doing as little as one set of pushups every day can also improve your cardiovascular heath and
lower your risk of cardiovascular episodes. Other studies have shown that pushups even strengthen
your joints, like the balls of your shoulders. Across the board, pushups can have a profound
impact on your body, inside and out, but there’s a catch. This exercise is simple
and equipment free. It takes hardly any time and can be performed anywhere without any
preparation. But doing daily pushups is only going to transform your body if you do them correctly.
This is where many people make mistakes. Instead of learning the correct techniques, they rush
through these exercises, use improper form, and ultimately fail to achieve the level of fitness
that they’re looking for. Since they’re not seeing progress, they end up lapsing on their routines
and giving up their everyday fitness habits. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can
start making real progress within days. If you’re consistent and motivated, you may see real changes
in your body faster than you thought possible. But only if you take the time to learn what a
perfect pushup really looks like and feels like. Let’s talk about the most common pushup mistake:
bad form. When getting into pushup position, many people instinctively relieve pressure
on their arms by arching their back and raising their hips, almost like you’re creating a big V
with your body. Not only does this poor form decrease the effectiveness of your workout,
but it significantly raises the risk of back and shoulder injuries by contorting
your body in awkward, unsupported positions. To do a perfect pushup, start in a kneeling
position with your feet together. Next, lean your upper body forward into a high plank,
with your elbows straight and your hands flat on the ground. To do a standard pushup,
try to keep your hands about shoulder-width apart and keep your body as straight as possible. Pull
your abs in, keep your butt down, and stiffen your back to prevent unnecessary bending or arching.
Now, start to lower yourself toward the ground. As you bend your arms, keep your body rigid and
your abs pulled in. This is where the core workout comes into play. While pushups seem
like an upper body exercise, using the correct form turns every pushup into a full body workout.
With your core flexed and your back rigid, lower your body until your chest or chin touches the
ground. You may notice your elbows flaring out as you lower yourself to the ground. That’s
okay. Allow your arms to bend comfortably. After your chin or chest touches the floor,
press upward with your arms and chest, and lift your body at a consistent and controlled pace.
Once your elbows are fully extended, return to plank position, then, when you’re ready,
lower your body again to start the next repetition. No matter how many pushups
you’re doing, make sure that you always move up and down at a consistent speed. It’s tempting
to rush through your workout, and it may feel like you’re getting more tired. But a faster
workout is rarely ever an efficient workout. Speeding through exercises causes excess muscle
tension and cardiovascular stress. Instead of challenging your muscles, you’re putting
most of your weight on your bones and joints, which can also lead to upper body injuries.
If you follow these recommendations, you can do the perfect pushup without exposing your
body to unnecessary stress or injury. But one important questions remains. Obviously,
one pushup is not enough to increase your fitness and change your body. So, how many pushups do you
need to do each day to see the full body effects of this daily exercise routine?
Most people start with a baseline of three sets of 10 sequential pushups. In between each set,
take a break, stand up, walk around, and stretch your arms. If you do your pushups correctly,
and pay attention to your form, the entire routine should take no more than 5-10 minutes of your
time. That’s 5-10 minutes every day. It’s hard to believe, but that’s all you need to see real
changes in your body and overall fitness. With no setup required, this is a feasible workout for
everyone, no matter how tired you feel or how busy your schedule gets. You will always have
5-10 minutes to maintain this daily routine. Over time, you will build more strength and
gain confidence. You may have started with three sets of 10,
but you can slowly start to increase this number. If 10 pushups feels too easy, try adding three to
five pushups to your daily exercises. When you find a number that feels difficult but not too
strenuous, use that number as your baseline. On the other hand, if three sets of 10 pushups
leaves you feeling too sore or exhausted, try lessening your daily load. For example, instead
of 10 standard pushups, many people start with 10 modified pushups, where your knees are placed
on the ground to offer you extra support. Once you feel comfortable doing 10 modified pushups,
slowly transition to standard pushups and continue growing from there. Remember: doing 10 perfect,
slow pushups, even modified pushups, is more beneficial than 20 rushed, sloppy pushups.
Either do them right or don’t do them at all. Unfortunately, a standard pushup cannot build
every single muscle group. In fact, doing only standard pushups often leads to something call
plateauing. When you do too much of one exercise, your muscles no longer gain the
same value. Instead, they adapt and improve, until the exercise is no longer challenging in
the same way. This is common with repeatable calisthenics, because you’re often using
the same muscle groups over and over again. To avoid plateauing, make small adjustments
to your form and posture in order to activate different muscle groups. A standard pushup, like
the one we just described, is great for building upper body strength. It works your triceps, pecs,
and shoulders as well as your lower back and core. But there are some muscle groups that
standard pushups simply do not activate. To involve these forgotten muscles,
use different pushup variations to challenge your body in different ways. For example, to perform
wide pushups, place the hands wider than the width of your shoulders, so that you have less support
directly underneath. Another effective variation is the backward pushup. In this exercise,
your hands are placed flat on the ground about 10-20 centimeters behind your shoulders, so that
you are leaning your weight slightly forward. Yet another variation is called a leg abduction. While
resting in a high plank, also known as “pushup position,” try to raise your leg off the floor and
move it slightly beyond the width of your hips. As your raise and lower your body, keep your leg in
the air, so that you’re balancing on one foot. As you construct your daily pushup routine,
mix in different pushup variations, like wide pushups and leg abductions, to ensure you’re
challenging all your necessary muscle groups. For example, you might do three sets of Standard
pushups every Monday, three sets of narrow pushups every Tuesday, and three sets of backwards pushups
on Wednesdays, mixing in leg abductions as you go. With a consistent routine and diverse variations,
you can transform your body and meet your fitness goals with one simple exercise. Not only does this
routine increase your health and fitness, but it develops and your improves your relationship with
your body. As you start to see changes, you will gain confidence and motivation. Your real progress
will motivate you to push harder and experiment with new forms of physical fitness. Ultimately,
you may expand your horizons and add other exercises to your daily routine. But if you want
to start seeing results soon, start doing pushups every day. If you’re patient and consistent,
you’ll be amazed at how quickly your body changes. Thank you for watching TopThink and be
sure to subscribe because more incredible content is on the way.