If you enter any gym, you will surely see a few people trying to do push ups , why? Because they are one of the most effective exercises that exist and doing it well is a source of pride, but that is one of those exercises that you see easier than they are and, when placed in position, many run into each other so that they cannot do well or with which, after 3 or 4, their arms, abdomen and legs can no longer stand.
This exercise is a favorite of the gym because, when doing push- ups , you work almost all the muscles of the body , from the head to the feet, with a single movement (that’s why they appear in almost all the “miraculous” routines), but be common It does not mean that it is easy, in fact, it is relatively complicated and how well you do it reveals many things about your physical condition and what you need to improve when training. (The lizards require a lot of control, strength in the middle section and resistance). According to Harvard Health Publishing , you have to be strong enough to lift more than 50% of your body weight in order to complete a single lizard correctly.
Because this involves a lot of muscle at the same time, doing the exercise correctly can be a challenge, not being able to do it does not mean that you will never be able to do it, just that you need to pay a little attention, listen to what your body tells you and understand There are some areas that you should improve if you want to achieve it.
Many muscles must have strength and endurance to do push-ups and what hurts, or fails you, when trying it is telling you reveals what are the areas you need to strengthen, once you do, the exercise is going to be easier and more effective (Because doing a bad exercise is no use, except to injure you and waste your time).
Why can’t you do push ups? Experts say there are some common causes that you can solve by paying attention to your body and giving it what it needs through your training routine.
If you can’t keep your middle zone in a straight position
Experts say that what you need is to strengthen your “core” (sure you already imagined). If when doing a lizard your hip falls, your body is warning you that you lack strength in the abdominal area, this makes your body can not stay in the correct position and that all the stress of the effort falls on your shoulders, elbows and dolls, and it’s not your muscles that do the job, but your joints.
Strengthening your core is essential to avoid injuries, this can be done by practicing the position of plates and tightening the muscles of the abdomen, buttocks and legs to keep your body in the right position, this will help you prepare to make better push-ups, They are practically moving plates.
If you feel pain in the wrists
In this case, what you need is to work on mobility and stability. If your wrists hurt when trying to do push-ups, the problem could be with the stability of your shoulders and arms, this may be due to the repetitive movements we make in the office (blame the mouse and keyboard) and can be easily solved. It is important that you pay attention to the position of your arms and hands when using the keyboard (you should try to keep them in a neutral posture), and make movements that strengthen your wrists and arms, such as squeezing a tennis ball.
In addition, you can prepare yourself by doing the lizards with dumbbells to help your dolls recover a neutral form, once you do it you can do them to the side and directly pass the floor. You should also do “drills” of mobility and stretching that help correct the lack of stability and balance of your muscles.
If you feel fatigued
If you can’t do more than two lizards without running out of air, what you need is to practice your breathing, breathing is essential during your training and not doing it correctly makes you tired before. A good way to practice your breathing by performing Yoga exercises that put a lot of emphasis on that. Many people hold their breath without realizing it during a difficult exercise, and this causes muscle fatigue.
When making a lizard, you should inhale when you go down and get all the air out, this creates tension in the diaphragm and helps maintain stability.
If you feel neck and shoulder pain
You probably need to work both your shape and your strength, because to make a lizard you need to have the correct posture, otherwise you can get injured and make some muscles work too hard, which causes pain. You may think that an incorrect way helps you make the movement easier, but, in the long run, those shortcuts end up causing you to feel pain in your neck and shoulders.
Your wrists, arms and shoulders should be perfectly aligned to make the movement, although it seems more difficult, this will prevent your joints from doing all the work. You must keep your hands apart, this will help strengthen your arms.