When was the last time you did a pushup?

Choose the most applicable answer: A) Gym class, sixth grade. B) Why would I ever do a pushup? C) Yesterday. Scoring: If you answered A or B, youre like most men. If you answered C, you probably work at Mens Health. Most guys abandon the pushup for the bench press sometime around puberty. Thats a shamepushups have a lot going for them. You can do them anywhere. They dont require any equipment. And theyre more effective at building rippling muscles than you probably realize. In fact, researchers recently discovered that performing pushups as quickly as you can is one of the best ways to build explosive upper-body strength, according to The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. This pushup method was more effective than doing plyometric pushups (think: clapping between each pushup), and fall pushups, where you drop from a kneeling position and try to push your way back up to the starting position. AMERICA'S FITTEST FEMALE ATHLETES: We found them. You rank them! Click here to cast your vote today! Why is quicker better? Take a look at a vertical jump: If you do a quick knee bend before jumping, youll always jump higher than if you dont, explains N. Travis Triplett, Ph.D., one of the studys researchers. The same type of action occurs when you do pushups as fast as possible. Dropping your chest toward the ground and pausing ever so slightly enhances the motion of pushing yourself back upand ultimately helps you build more explosive strength, says Triplett. You wont be able to maximize your strength if you dont perform the pushup correctly, though. Heres the right way to perform the move:

1.

Get down on all fours and place your hands on the floor so that theyre slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Straighten your arms and legs. Your body should form a straight line from you head to your ankles.

2.

Brace your core and squeeze your glutes. Hold these contractions for the entire exercise. This keeps your body rigid and doubles as core training.

3.

Next, lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor, then push yourself back up to the starting position as quickly as possible. Dont let your hips sag at any point during the movement. If

this is too hard, you can place your hands on an elevated surface, such as a step, bench, or even a counter (picture below). This reduces the amount of your body weight you have to lift. The higher the surface, the easier the exercise becomes. Theres no reason not to include pushups in your workout routine. You can train your core, pecs, front deltoids, and triceps at the same time, says Men's Health fitness advisor Bill Hartman, P.T., C.S.C.S. Plus, theyre great for shoulder health.

To achieve the benefits seen in the study, Hartman suggests doing 3 sets of 6 to 8 repetitions at maximum speed, resting 3 minutes between sets. (You can do a lower-body exercisesuch as lungewhile you wait.) Do this one or two times a week, which is all you need for boosting upper-body strength and power. Of course, you might have other goals in mind. Example: "Pushups are a great way to judge how strong you are relative to your body weight," says Martin Rooney, P.T., C.S.C.S., author of Ultimate Warrior Workouts. Test yourself by doing as many pushups as you can in 3 minutes. Rest whenever you want, but keep the clock running the whole time. Fifty-five is average, but if you can't reach 75what strength coaches consider "good"then you need to either gain strength or lose weight. (Our 14 smart pushup variations will help you do bothsimply weave them into your daily workouts to build strength, power, and sleeve-busting muscle.) Or maybe you just want to be able to do more pushups. In that case, try this simple ladder routine, from Mens Health Fitness Director Adam Campbell. Time how long it takes you to do as many pushups as you can. Then rest for the same time period, and repeat the process two to four times. So if you do 20 pushups in 25 seconds, youll rest 25 seconds, and repeat. Lets say on your next round, you complete 12 pushups in

16 seconds. Youd then rest 16 seconds before your third set. And so on. Use this method once every three or four days to quickly raise your totals.

14 Smart Pushup Improvements

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Guys tend to abandon the pushup for the bench press sometime around puberty. Which is why you usually have to wait in line at the gym for a bench while there's always plenty of floor space. But the once-forgotten pushup has recently muscled its way back to the top of the exercise universe. Why? Because it not only builds a powerful front faade to your physique, but also develops the support system behind that musculature. "They're also a great way to judge how strong you are relative to your body weight," says Martin Rooney, P.T., C.S.C.S., author of Ultimate Warrior Workouts. Test yourself by doing as many pushups as you can in 3 minutes. Rest whenever you want, but keep the clock running the whole time. Fifty-five is average, but if you can't reach 75 what strength coaches consider "good"then you need to either gain strength or lose weight. Our 14 pushup variations will help you do both. Weave them into your daily workouts to build strength, power, and sleeve-busting muscle.
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The Classic
Good for: General upper-body conditioning Balance your weight on your toes and palms, with your hands a comfortable distance apart, probably just beyond shoulder-width. Your body should form a straight line from your ankles to your head. Squeeze your glutes and brace your abdominals, and keep them that way for the duration of the exercise. Slowly lower yourself to the floor, pause, and push yourself back up. Repeat a few hundred times. Variations: Three-point pushup (place one foot on top of the other to make the exercise a little more challenging); decline pushup (set your feet on a bench or chair to strengthen your shoulders); and triceps pushup (place your hands close together, directly under your shoulders, and keep your elbows tucked close to your sides as you lower your bodyan adjustment that shifts the work from your chest to your arms).
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14 Smart Pushup Improvements

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Rotational Pushup
Good for: Athletic performance in sports involving torso rotation, such as tennis, hockey, and baseball Assume the classic pushup position, but as you come up, rotate your body so your right arm lifts up and extends overhead. Your arms and torso should form a T. Return to the starting position, lower yourself, then push up and rotate till your left hand points toward the ceiling. Variations: One-dumbbell (grip a dumbbell in one hand, rotate to the dumbbell side for half your repetitions, then switch the dumbbell to the other hand); two-dumbbell (grip dumbbells in both hands, and alternate sides when you come up). Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/pushup-variations/rotationalpushup.php#slidetop#ixzz1VW4wkc59

14 Smart Pushup Improvements

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Plank
Good for: Posture; midsection endurance and stability Lie facedown, rest your weight on your forearms and toes, tuck your hips, and hold your body in a straight line from ankles to shoulders for 5 seconds. Do a total of 10 5-second holds.

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Barbell Pushup
Good for: Stability of midsection, shoulder; grip strength Get into the classic pushup position with your hands on a barbell (the kind that can roll away if you don't keep it steady). Knock out the pushups, but not yourselfkeep in mind that one slip can send you crashing teeth-first into the floor.
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14 Smart Pushup Improvements

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Walking Pushup
Good for: Abdominal development; shoulder stability Set up in the classic pushup position on a smooth floor, and place your feet on a towel. Walk with your hands across the room, turn, and walk back. Keep your back flat throughout the movement.
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Plyometric Pushup
Good for: Developing upper-body power Set up in the classic position on a well-padded carpet or exercise mat. Push up hard enough for your hands to come off the floor and catch some air. When you hit the floor, go immediately into the next repetition, pushing up again as hard as you can and catching more air.
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Suspended Pushup
Good for: Upper-body strength and stability Wrap a pair of straps (or chains) around a chinup bar or the crossbar of a power rack. At the bottom, the straps should be about 12 inches off the floor. Attach gymnastics-type rings (or a straight bar) to the ends of the straps. Grab the rings and do pushups, being careful to protect your lower back by keeping your core and glutes tightas you should when you do any variation of the pushup. More on MensHealth.com The Top 10 Muscles Women Love More on the Floor The Ultim Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/pushup-variations/suspendedpushup.php#slidetop#ixzz1VXOPVnQf