Push-ups for weight loss: how to do them for arms, abdomen, program for men, are push-ups suitable for everyone?

Weight loss will occur faster only if you perform intense physical exercise. Experts say that cardio exercises will be effective - the process of burning fat occurs not only during exercise, but also within 24 hours after it. Most often, push-ups are used for this purpose - they can be performed both in the gym and at home.

The benefits and harms of push-ups

This exercise is included in basic training for both amateurs and professionals. It is also considered mandatory for completing the school physical training program. And even doctors recommend doing it, because it works:

achieve body relief;
actively reduce weight;
prevent the degeneration of muscle mass into fat;
speed up metabolic processes;
improve the functionality of the respiratory system;
increase the body's endurance.

Representatives of the fair half of humanity are sure that push-ups are a truly masculine form of physical activity. It is believed that they contribute to the formation of an overly muscular figure according to the male principle, but this is not entirely true - for this you will need to train for a long time and use weights (dumbbells).

If push-ups are performed correctly and regularly, they cannot harm the body. But there are a number of factors that are contraindications to such training:

inflammatory processes in small and large joints;
persistently elevated blood pressure or a tendency to sudden hypertension;
pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.

And one more nuance: if a person is too overweight, then it will be extremely difficult for him to perform the exercise. But this does not mean at all that it becomes harmful - you just need to consult a nutritionist and start training with a lighter version.

We recommend reading about CrossFit for weight loss. From the article you will learn about the advantages and disadvantages of CrossFit, training program, nutrition before and after CrossFit. And here is more information about strength exercises at home.

Types and technique of execution

Before including an exercise in a complex of exercises for weight loss, you need to learn how to perform it correctly. And to do this, it is enough to follow the following rules:

starting position - legs together or at a distance of 10 - 15 cm from each other, hands stand shoulder-width apart;
the body should look like a straight string;
the elbows are as close to the body as possible - this reduces the load on the wrist and elbow joints;
The hands are placed in such a way that the fingers “look” forward.

There are several types of push-ups, all of them are aimed at losing weight, almost all muscle groups are worked out.

From the floor

This is the main type, a classic one, which is included in every workout, regardless of what goals the athlete is pursuing. The correct technique for performing push-ups:

The starting position is assumed, the legs need to be placed at some distance from each other. If the body weight is not too large and there is some training, then the legs can be placed together.
Slowly bend your elbows and inhale; your chest should touch the floor. If you have difficulties with this, then you can start with “half push-ups”, that is, without touching the floor.
On a deep exhalation, straighten your elbow joints and return to the starting position. If you already have some training, then you need to stay in the lowest possible position for 3–5 seconds.

If you need to increase the load, then the classic push-up is performed with clapping - at the moment of lifting the body up, you need to jerk your hands above the floor and clap your palms. This exercise can only be performed if the body weight is not too excessive; for very overweight people, it is fraught with sprains and even fractures in the hands.

For the belly

If you perform an internal kick during push-ups, you will be able to quickly get rid of fat deposits on your stomach and turn their muscle mass into “cubes” - they even look very attractive on girls. What do we have to do:

after performing one classic push-up from the floor and rising to the starting position, you need to pull up your right leg and touch it with your left elbow with your knee;
return to the starting position and perform a classic push-up;
repeat pulling up your leg, but with your left one, and touch your right elbow with your knee.

The exercise is performed at a fairly fast pace, without stops or breaks. You need to monitor your breathing - it should be deep, even, for this you inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. A pleasant bonus with regular exercise of this type will be losing weight in your legs - reducing the volume of your hips.

For hands

To ensure that the load on push-ups falls on the upper limbs, you need to perform them in a position with your legs elevated. This can be easily done using a fitball (gymnastic ball), bench or chair.

If you place your hands shoulder-width apart, you will be able to reduce the volume of your arms and tighten the skin on your shoulders from the inside. If the upper limbs are positioned wider than the shoulders (approximately twice as wide), the load will be placed on the pectoral muscles. This way the mammary glands will tighten slightly and visually become larger.

There is also a lighter version of this training - the starting position is not on straight legs, but with emphasis on slightly bent knees (feet raised up). It is suitable for those who have just started the process of losing weight and do not have training.

What happens if you do 100 push-ups?

What came of it, and what effect did these exercises give in my case:

Let me remind you what everything looked like in June, before I did the exercises a little more intensely:

But to clearly notice the difference, you need to look at what I was like about a year ago, in July-August 2021:

At the time this photo was taken, I weighed about 90 kilograms. Very swollen, as you can see. This is a year and a half after I quit smoking.

And of course the weight - you can also notice the difference in it. In June, when I wrote that post, it was 82-83 kg. Now it fluctuates around 79-80.

This is still a little fatty, 3-5 kg still need to be removed, just until the fat on the sides and stomach dries out. But the closer you are to your ideal weight, the more difficult it is, apparently.

Program for men

Experts believe that if a man does 100 push-ups a week, then in a short period of time he will be able to lose weight and get a sculpted body. Achieving this amount is difficult, but quite possible. First, you will need to find out your maximum result - simply do push-ups the number of times that your body can withstand: until your arms and legs tremble, sweat flows and your breathing becomes “chocked.” And then 2 different training programs are used:

Classes are held three times a week - Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Every day you need to perform 4 approaches with a break of no more than 10 minutes, during each you need to perform your maximum. With each approach, the number of push-ups can decrease, but you need to achieve sustainable results.
On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday you need to set an alarm clock for 5 times with a break of 2 hours. As soon as the bell rings, you need to “fall and do push-ups” as many times as possible. To enhance the effect, you can perform 2 approaches with a break of 10 minutes for each signal.

This is the basis of training by which:

the body will become more resilient;
the maximum result of push-ups will increase;
the muscles of the body will constantly work, even while at rest;
metabolic processes will accelerate.

For information on different push-up options for training at home, watch this video:

Common Mistakes

Push-ups are often performed incorrectly, which leads not only to a lack of results, but also to injury to the musculoskeletal system. The most common mistakes are:

The pace of doing push-ups is too fast. This does not enhance the effect and does not speed up the weight loss process, but it increases the “harmful” load and makes daily training impossible - the body will be too tired.
The angle of flexion of the elbow joint is too small or it is “carried out” to the sides. The optimal position is when lowering the body down, a right angle is formed at the elbow joint. It is in this case that the back muscles will not be subject to excessive stress, which will only cause harm.
When lifting the body to its original position, it swings. This is dangerous due to spinal injury, so it is better to switch to an easier training option.

We recommend reading about exercises for losing weight on your arms. From the article you will learn about how to lose weight in your arms and shoulders, but not pump them up, exercises with and without dumbbells for practicing at home. And here is more information about the burpee exercise for weight loss.

Push-ups are the most effective cardio workout that speeds up the process of losing weight and creating a beautiful, toned figure. During the exercises, all muscle groups work, the skin is strengthened and tightened. But this is only possible if the load is received correctly.

Will push-ups help you lose weight in your arms, back and stomach?

If you are too lazy to do a workout, the effect will gradually decrease. Keep yourself and your body in constant tone. How to create a weight loss program with push-ups?

In each specific case, you need to look at the individual characteristics of the body: physical fitness, presence of pathologies, age, goals and objectives.

But the best thing is to contact specialists who will create a program taking into account all the characteristics, health status, and preparation: Train at least 3 times a week. During daily training, you need to take regular rest. Always start with classic push-ups. The load should be increased gradually. Add heavy exercises only when the classic push-up technique is perfectly mastered.

To make it easier, you can split your workout into morning and evening. Try to work the muscles from different angles, doing classic push-ups and with different hand positions. What are the possible contraindications? These include: diseases of the musculoskeletal system, problems with joints and ligaments of the elbows and wrists. The author of the article is Alexandra Bonina. Post navigation Scissor squats with barbell, Smith, with dumbbells.

Useful video

Watch this video about mistakes when doing push-ups:

Pushups

05.06.2020 20:44

Author: Fitness trainer Sergey Konstantinov

To tighten the muscles of the abs, arms, legs, you need to choose a set of gymnastic exercises that will allow you to cope with the task perfectly. Push-ups are an excellent option that allows you to achieve your cherished goal quickly, reliably and with minimal effort and time.