No need to fear the push-up – it boosts strength and confidence
One way to scare my clients is by challenging them to do push-ups. They can be a lot of fun, especially in a class setting. I also secretly relish the ability to do better push-ups than most out of shape guys. For me, push-ups make me feel powerful, strong and confident. I enjoy demonstrating them for my clients. I love coaching women of all ages to do a proper push-up. As a personal trainer, I see potential in most of the clients that I train that they themselves do not see. So when we begin our sessions with push-ups, the fear and doubt in their face reminds me of where I started — we all have to begin somewhere. Check out a few great reasons to do push-ups below:Weight loss Since push-ups are a total body movement they will increase your heart rate quickly.When your heart rate increases, this results in burning more calories, which leads to weight loss and overall improvement in your body’s composition.The more you do them, the stronger you’ll get.Builds core strength Have you ever noticed your hips sagging during a push-up? That is because your abdominal muscles are not acting as stabilisers, just like they would in a plank. A stronger core leads to stronger push-ups.Improvement of upper-body strengthPush-ups use body weight rather than handheld weights, to build upper-body strength. Push-ups target the shoulders, pecs and triceps, which help to develop a defined and strong upper body.