Top Tips For Press Ups
They’re not everyone’s favourite, but I really love press ups. Although I’m pretty keen on anything that’s reliant on core and upper body strength.
Lots of people have a love-hate relationship with press ups - they’d like to be better, but they find them really hard, especially women.
Sadly, there aren’t any quick fixes. There very rarely is when it comes to training. However, there’s loads you can do. I’ve found that frequency is key - if you’re only doing this once a week, it’s going to take you forever!
Whether you’re struggling to get one full press up, or you’d like to be able to do bigger, stronger sets, here are my top tips for getting press ups:
Plank. High plank, low plank, side plank, superman plank, commando plank. It doesn’t matter how you do it, planking is the best way forward to improve your press ups. It targets all the same muscles, with the added bonus of not having to move as much.
Regression. This isn’t about going back to your childhood. It’s about starting with easier versions. Start with box press ups, then move on to kneeling, then hand release. I’m also a big advocate of incline press ups - leaning against a counter, or table. (video?)
Rowing movements. Bent over row, inverted body rows, or any kind of rowing exercise, is really useful as it mimics the movement of a press up.
Little and often. If you really want to get better, I’d recommend practicing every day, even if it’s only for a couple of minutes. During the first lockdown I did one of those challenges that seemed rampant on social media - 25 press ups every day for 25 days. The first few days were pretty ropey, but by the end I could smash out full sets without finding it that challenging.
Technique. Make sure you’re getting the right technique from the beginning. The best way to do this is to film yourself from the front to check what your arms are up to, and from the side to see your body’s movement. This is also a really great way to be able to see how much you’ve improved.
Variety. Once you’re getting better, have a go at varying the type of press up you’re doing - try narrowing or widening your hand and foot position, to target all the different muscles involved.
Renegade rows. Press ups with dumbbells - avoid ones that will roll away! Holding two dumbbells, complete a regular press up, but with wider feet than usual. At the top of the movement, ‘row’ the dumbbell up to your chest. Bring the dumbbell back to the floor and complete another press up. Switch arms and continue! You can do this with kneeling press ups, if your full press up still isn’t quite there.