Push Ups – How to do them properly

Everyone knows what a good push up should look like. To be honest, Kat's first 2 reps in this video are a bit sketchy but she had already done the GCS workout of the day (1hr) and a whole bunch of strict exercises for video so push ups were last and so not quite as good as she could do them.

Now I know you are going "yeah, yeah, I know what I have to do..."

But do you?

Video yourself and compare it to this video...

I got Kat Dalecki, CrossFit Australian Regionals Competitor for Reebok CrossFit GCS to demonstrate how to do push ups.

Points to note in this video.
1. The movement only occurs at the toes (MTP joints) and the upper limbs. Being able to do this is very rare...
2. The neck is set in place and is neutral throughout. A good way to tell if the head is in the right position is to tilt your head or the screen to see if it looks like Kat is standing "normally" - you will find that in every frame, she is essentially in a good posture, no matter where in the push up she is.
3. The spinal angle stays the same throughout except for a small wobble in the first 1-2 reps (in fairness to Kat, she had just done the whole GCS program (1hr), strict CTB pullups, 2 sets of strict Muscle ups, 2 sets of strict Toes to bar before this video!)
4. Her shoulders move normally throughout without her chest dropping through or protracting excessively
5. Her hip angle remains the same throughout as does her knees and ankles

If you have video links of other good examples of push ups, link them in the comments below.

Many thanks to Kat Delecki for being a great model, and Darren Coughlan and Brendon Walsh from Reebok CrossFit GCS for being great coaches and willing to work with me.

To follow the Give'm Cold Steel exercise programs, please visit www.givemcoldsteel.com