Pushing is part of everyday life. We push our bodies up from the bed, push ourselves up from the toilet, push the dishes overhead into the cupboard. We push our bodies and everyday objects all day long.

And to push requires strength in your “pushing muscles”. These muscles include the chest, shoulders, and arms, which are commonly called “the beach muscles”. By training your pushing muscles, you build strength, fitness, and a better-looking body.

Building strength in these muscles allows you to push your body and heavy objects, against the force of gravity. And the single best movement to improve pushing strength is the pushup.

The pushup is a skill. When you are first learning the pushup it is important you begin with a pushup variation appropriate to your current level of physical fitness. This means you will begin with an easy pushup variation and progress towards more challenging push variations.

For example, begin with mastering the wall or kneeling pushup before attempting the inverted pushup.

How to do a Push-up

Push up variations include:

• Wall pushup
• Kneeling pushup
• Standard pushup
• Inverted pushup

Here is a video demonstrating each pushup variation:

When starting to train a pushup variation that is easy for you. Master this movement pattern, then move on to more challenging pushing patterns.

I invite you to practice your pushup skills for just 5 minutes, a couple of days a week. Because the more you practice, the better you will become.

What’syour favorite push up variation? Tell us in the comments below.