Aside from full-body toning, pushups further prime your body for all kinds of other exercisesespecially pulling and pushing moves (think: pullups or bench presses), along with any motions that require a solid core. (Read: every. single. exercise.) And that kind of functional strength applies to everyday life, toolike when youre pushing a door open, for example. Regularly busting out pushups can also help you build better posture, says Gray. So yeah, theyre pretty great.
Still, I get ittheyre not the easiest move to master. Thats why Womens Health teamed up with Gray to create an epic pushup challenge. Whether you want to take your pushup count from 10 to 20 or cant do a single rep off your knees, this challenge is designed to help you sculpt muscle and feel strong from head to toe.
YOUR 30-DAY PUSHUP CHALLENGE
For the next 30 days, youll do the following exercises as noted, with a bonus challenge at the end of each week.
Before you kick things off, test out how many pushups you can do with proper form. [I THINK WE NEED A HOW TO DO A PUSHUP EXPLAINER UP HERE.] Mark that down as your baseline. At the end of your training, check out how many more reps you can crank out. After just a week, youll feel stronger and more capable, says Gray.
[CAN YOU CONFER WITH LUCCI ABOUT A GOOD WAY TO PUSH TO OUR FACEBOOK GROUP HERE? MAYBE WE ALLUDE TO THE FACT THAT THERE WILL BE WEEKLY CHECK-INS EVERY FRIDAY TO REPORT YOUR PROGRESS ON THE MINI CHALLENGES AND A BIGGER CHECK-IN AT THE END? ALSO LETS INCLUDE A NOTE THAT THIS IS DESIGNED TO BE DONE IN ADDITION TO YOUR REGULAR WORKOUT - AW]
[CALENDAR GRAPHIC like ]
[SHOULD WE NOTE HOW MANY OF THESE PEOPLE SHOULD DO ON THE GRAPHIC?]
Day 1: Seated Triceps Pushup
Day 2: Inverted Pushup
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Scorpion Pushup
Day 5: Hollow Body Rock
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Plank Hover
Week 1 Challenge: Lower down to the bottom of your pushup and hold for as long as you can. [IF THIS GOES ON THE GRAPHIC, LETS SHORTEN TEXT TO: Lower to bottom of pushup and hold as long as possible.]
Day 8: Roll-Over Pushups
Day 9: Plank Banded Taps
Day 10: Rest
Day 11: Plank Up-Down
Day 12: Anti-Rotation Plank/Beast Hold
Day 13: Rest
Day 14: Forearm Pressup
Week 2 Challenge: Go for a decline pushup. Aim to do at least half as many as your current pushup count. [WE HAVENT ENCOUNTERED THIS YET, RIGHT? NEED TO INSERT AN EXPLAINER HERE OR SOMEWHERE. ALSO ARE WE EXPECTING THEM TO TALLY THEIR PUSHUP COUNT AT THE END OF EVERY WEEK? OR JUST REPORT ON THE CHALLENGE IN THE GROUP AND HOLD THE FINAL TALLY FOR THE END? IF THE LATTER, WELL NEED A DIFFERENT INSTRUCTION ABOUT HOW MANY THEY SHOULD AIM FOR. IF THIS GOES ON GRAPHIC LETS MAKE MORE CONCISE]
Day 15: Seated Triceps Pushup
Day 16: Inverted Pushup
Day 17: Rest
Day 18: Scorpion Pushup
Day 19: Hollow Body Rock
Day 20: Rest
Day 21: Plank Hover
Week 3 Challenge: Try a pushup with one leg lifted, and do as many as you can.
Day 22: Roll-Over Pushups
Day 23: Plank Banded Taps
Day 24: Rest
Day 25: Plank Up-Down
Day 26: Anti-Rotation Plank/Beast Hold
Day 27: Rest
Day 28: Forearm Pressup
Week 4 Challenge: Try a pushup with a clap in between. Go for as many as you can with proper form. [NEED TO SHORTEN IF THIS GOES ON GRAPHIC]
Day 29: Seated Triceps Pushup
Day 30: Inverted Pushup
Follow along with this challenge on our Facebook group, where well issue other strength-building challenges, too.
THE MOVES
Time to work your way up to badass pushups. The following exercises will help you train the muscles you need for the essential exercise, says Gray. These movements will help your muscles gradually get stronger and minimize your risk for any injury. Aim for 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps.
[GRAPHIC WITH ALL MOVE NAMES and some info, like this ]
Seated Triceps Pushups
How to: Begin in a high plank position, then walk hands a couple inches forward. From here, bend elbows and lower down until forearms touch the ground. Pause, then press back up to start. Thats one rep.
How To Do A Perfect Push-Up
Now that youre ready to dial up your pushup count, its important to make sure your form is impeccable. Keep a few tips and tricks in mind for the optimal pushup.
[CAN WE UTILIZE MAG GRAPHIC HERE? LETS ALSO MOVE THIS UP PER NOTE]
How to: Bring yourself into a high plank position, with your feet to a bit wider than hip-width apart. Your shoulders should be stacked over your wrists to avoid stress on your shoulders and wrist joints. Think about keeping your ribs in, core engaged, and bottom tucked under to maintain alignment and protect your lower back. As you lower yourself down, elbows should point 45 degrees away from your body, and your gaze should be just in front of your hands. Then push into your entire hand and press yourself back up, maintaining the same shape and alignment.