One of the simplest and perhaps most effective kinds of exercise you can do is the push up . Before you get started, this page offers a review of how to do push ups and illustrates different variations, techniques and suggestions for avoiding potential injuries.

As Collette Bouchez of WebMD has stated, pushups are an example of a kind of exercise that "transcends trends" thanks to its being focused on using body weight as the main source of resistance.http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/doing-the-perfect-push-up This means that pushups can be done almost anywhere, since they don't require you to use any fancy fitness equipment (like certain "fad" exercise routines might). Plus, pushups are an effective way to work almost all of the muscles in the body to some degree since you involve both the upper and lower body.http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/doing-the-perfect-push-up

All of this means that if you know how to do a proper pushup, you'll be doing a simple an effective exercise that can be performed wherever you are (at home, in the gym, and even on the road). So, clear off some floor space and get ready to work out!

Many people might think that push ups work only the chest and triceps, but aspersonal trainer Jessica Bottesch explains, almost every muscle in the body is involved in a proper pushup: "you're typically suspended from your toes all the way to your neck, so in reality, every muscle between your shoulders and your toes is engaged."http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/doing-the-perfect-push-up Thus, even though your pectorals and triceps muscles bear a good deal of your weight, it is also distributed throughout your abdominals, calves, and hamstrings and even your biceps and shoulders.

When you perform a complete push up, you are utilizing all of these muscles in order to complete the exercise. So again, the chest and triceps will be the predominant target muscles, but the others are worked to varying degrees.

Thus, there are elements of isometric exercise to be found in the push up; an isometric exercise is one in which the target muscle(s) stay in a "semi-contracted and motionless state for a period of time."http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kelly4.htm Some potential benefits of isometrics include the ability to involve more muscle fibers, which may lead to increased strength and growth of the muscle.http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kelly4.htm

Now we'll look at how to perform the basic, all-around pushup.

1. Make sure you have adequate floor space cleared off before doing this exercise. Even though pushups don't require much room, you don't want to have to contend with all kinds of clutter.
2. Lie on the floor with your chest facing down, and keep your hands about even with your shoulders. Keep your feet together and your whole body straight.You should be looking ahead, not down.http://www.ehow.com/how_3190_proper-push-up.html We'll call this the resting position of the pushup.
3. From the resting position, exhale and push your body up by straightening/extending your arms - but make sure to keep the rest of your body elongated and straight as well. Don't move your hands, and try not to change the position of your back, shoulders, or gaze.http://www.ehow.com/how_3190_proper-push-up.html Make sure not to lock your elbows in position either.http://exercise.about.com/od/exercisesformusclegroups/ss/howtodoapushup.htm We'll call this the extended position of the pushup.
4. Wait a moment or two...
5. Slowly lower your body back into the resting position until your chest nearly touches the floor. Remember to keep your body and back straight, eyes forward, and inhale on the way down.http://www.ehow.com/how_3190_proper-push-up.html

This cycle (resting position to extended position and then back to resting) is one full repetition of the basic pushup exercise.

Easy Pushups: for those whose fitness level makes it difficult to do the pushup as outlined in Step 2 above, "easy" pushups can be substituted. You can do pushups on your knees (instead of suspending your body from toes to shoulders) and this will reduce the overall lifting by a significant degree.http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/doing-the-perfect-push-up?page=2

Easy wall pushups: lean up against a wall as if it were the floor and perform the basic pushup exercise while standing. This approach reduces the actual resistance, but may be a good way to ease into doing floor pushups and other variations if you have not done them in a while.http://exercise.about.com/od/exercisesformusclegroups/ss/howtodoapushup_3.htm

Varied hand positions: the narrower your "grip" or hand placement on the floor, the more your triceps will be worked. The wider your grip, the more your outer chest will be worked.http://exercise.about.com/od/exercisesformusclegroups/ss/howtodoapushup_2.htm

One arm pushups: if you can perform pushups with just one hand, it places a greater weight load on that arm, which means a more intense and challenging pushup.http://exercise.about.com/od/exercisesformusclegroups/ss/howtodoapushup_2.htm Make sure to change hands and perform the same number of pushups with each arm.

Side plank: after you come up to extended position, shift weight onto your left side and left arm while rotating your abdomen to that side and raising your right arm, and then come back down. Repeat with your right side. You should be back in extended position. Lower yourself down and repeat. Alternatively, you can perform one pushup with a left plank, then do another pushup with a right plank, and repeat that way. This technique involves lots of muscles which are needed for core stability.http://exercise.about.com/b/2006/05/01/exercise-of-the-week-pushups-with-side-plank.htm

Check out the how tos below to learn more about how to get into shape.

1. How to do Barbell Curls
2. How to do Dumbbell Curls
3. How to do Seated Bicep Curls
4. How to do Concentrated Bicep Curls
5. How to do Incline Dumbbell Bicep Curls
6. How to do Single Arm Dumbbell Incline Curls
7. How to do an Incline Dumbbell Press
8. How to do an Incline Barbell Press
9. How to do Incline Dumbbell Flyes
10. How to do Push Ups
11. How to do Tricep Push Ups
12. How to do a Flat Bench Press
13. How to do a Close Grip Tricep Bench Press
14. How to do Wrist Curls
15. How to do Forearm Exercises With a Barbell
16. How to do a Front Deltoid Raise
17. How to do a Front Deltoid Raise Using a Barbell
18. How to do a Shrugs
19. How to do Tricep Extensions
20. How to do a Lateral Raise
21. How to do Standing Tricep Extensions

The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you have a history of heart problems or any other physical ailments that might prohibit you from physical activity, please contact your doctor before using these steps.