5 changes to instantly tune your pushup technique
Still having trouble with pushups? Why here and what to do about it.

 5 changes to instantly tune your pushup technique  Still having trouble with pushups? Why here and what to do about it.

Often, the simplest exercises seem to be the most difficult. Calisthenic movements such as pushups and pullups are extremely difficult, even for many people who can throw barbells like someone's business. There is something about moving your body weight that becomes really difficult.

That said, if you can't do proper push-ups, then you are definitely not alone. Fortunately, there is no shortage of ways to fix pushup forms - here are the six most common pushup mistakes and how to fix them.

5 ways to improve your pushups

Expand your spine

If your spinal cord expands then your core is not strong enough for standard pushups.

The goal in push ups is to maintain a rigid body with an imaginary line from your head to toes.

"When the spine collapses or becomes hyperextended, it is usually not a result of upper body strength," she says. "Instead, it is usually due to insufficient core strength and the ability to stabilize the lumbopelvic region and keep it neutral during motion."

Tight hip flexors can also pull your hips into the anterior pelvic tilt, leading to proper glute training and the engagement of a key player in good push-up form, she says.

Fix it: When doing push-ups, signal yourself with "Tuck the tailbone" and "Close the rib cage". These signs remind you of proper alignment, says Alicia. If these signs do not work, then lengthening the hip flexors as well as strengthening the core and glute muscles will help you establish proper core control and avoid hyperextension during push-ups.

Try core-strengthening exercises such as planks, bird dogs, dead insects and hollow body holds; Glute-strengthening exercises such as single leg deadlift, hip thrust and good morning.

Our hip sink

If your hips sink, you should probably work on hip extension and core control.

Think: "Tight gut, tight butt." During each pushup, you must maintain complete control over your core and lumbar spine, and this means strengthening the core and keeping your hips attached to your glutes.

Saggy-butt pushups make you look as if you are a worm. Let's not do this - fix it not for your ego, but for your poor, beaten lower back.

Fix it: Key exercises should help correct this pushup mistake, especially isometric ones. Yes, it means holding planks and a hollow body. For your glutes, try any and all forms of Hip Thrust and Hip Bridge, as well as squeeze a yoga block or towel between your thighs while practicing push-ups.

Your shoulders shrink

If your shoulders fall, your scapula needs some work.

When your shoulders fall or fall during pushups, it can be the result of a weak glenohumeral (GH) joint, says Jason Shaw, a metabolic expert and certified personal trainer at Life Time. Your GH joint is a ball-and-socket joint between the scapula (shoulder blade) and the humerus (upper arm bone).

This mistake most often occurs when the lower trapezius is too weak to allow your scapula to tilt in the manner necessary to accommodate push-ups, they point out. The inability to control your scapula also occurs when your serratus anterior muscles, the small muscles along the side wall of your chest, are weak, Shaw says.

Fix it: Some exercises to help correct shoulder instability include farmer carry (one or two-arm), late pull-down, straight-arm pull-down, and serratus punch, Shaw says.

You can not fully reduce

If: you can't completely lose

Then: You need to build up the power required for a full push-up.

Typically, this is not a mobility issue, but more of a strength and stability issue, Shaw says. "In a push-up position, the rotator cuff muscles work with the scapula and the humerus," he explains. "When the tension separates, our scapula moves inappropriately (scapular winging) which may lead to an inability to control movement, or restrict movement together."

To counter this, Shaw says, it is necessary to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles and the serratus anterior, and emphasize the eccentric (short / long) phases of push-ups.

Fix it: bird dogs, reverse fly (slowly reducing resistance on the way down), bottom-up kettlebell carry, overhead triceps extension (slowly reducing resistance on the way down), or triceps dips a Supported on the bench (slowly lowering oneself) body on the way down). You can also practice modified pushups to build strength in that specific movement pattern, including knee pushups, wall pushups, or elevated pushups.

Flare your elbow

If your elbow bursts, you are putting too much stress on your shoulders. You should not look like a chicken while doing pushups. point blank.

One of the best signs is this: Show as if you are pushing a car that is out of gas. What is the most efficient way to do this? Rest your arms in your arms and push using the weight of your entire body. You will never attempt to push a dead car, causing your elbow to widen. At least, we hope not.

During pushups, your arms should be approximately 45 degrees away from your body. If you are accustomed to chicken-winging them, then proper push-ups are going to be really tough. Your triceps will scream, but on the bright side, at least you won't put your anterior shoulder to hell.

Fix it: The internal and external rotation exercises of the shoulder will help you get a feel for the proper arm position during push-ups. If you find that you cannot do push-ups by tucking your arms, there is no shame in practicing with knee pushups or elevated pushups, as long as you do not have the strength necessary to do them correctly. Do not build