Press up

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(Redirected from Push-up)

A press up (North American English: push up) is a common strength training exercise performed while lying horizontal and face down, raising and lowering using the arms.

In the full press up, the back and legs are straight and off the floor. Several variations are seen, besides the common push up. These include bringing the thumbs and index fingers of your hands together (a diamond pushup) as well as having your elbows point towards your knees. These two variations are intended to put greater emphasis on the tricep muscles rather than the shoulder and chest muscles. When both hands are unbalanced or on uneven surfaces, this exercise also works the body core.

There are also a number of plyometric versions of the press up that can be performed.

The aim of the 'clap press up' is to explosively push the body into the air for enough time to clap the hands together, then bring them back into position to cushion the fall.
In another type of plyometric press up, the drop push, two platforms are placed either side of the trainee. The exercise begins with the hands on either platform supporting the body, then the subject drops to the ground and explosively rebounds with a push up, extending the torso and arms completely off the ground and returning the hands to the platforms.
For beginners, you can also do press ups against a wall. To increase the difficulty move your feet further from the wall. As you progress you can then move on to the standard press up.

Press ups are a basic exercise used in civilian athletic training or PE and, especially, in military physical training.

They are also rather commonly used as a fitness test or as a mild (somewhat embarassing) physical punishment on the spot or abuse, e.g. in hazing (often in nasty variations, e.g. in snow or dirt, divested)