The pectoral muscles sit right underneath the breasts. Conventional exercises like bench presses and dumbbell flies work the pectoral muscles, which give the breasts more perkiness. If you do not have access to weight-training equipment, you can firm up your breasts by resorting to body-weight exercise. Pushups fit well into this game plan, provided certain conditions are met.
Function of Pushups
The breasts are actually highly composed of fat and connective tissue. Pushups do not work the breasts themselves. Instead, they tone and tighten the pectoral muscles, giving the breasts a more lifted appearance. As an added benefit, pushups work the shoulders and triceps. When an exercise works more than one muscle at a time, it is called a compound exercise.
Different Angles
A basic pushup is performed in a face-down, or prone, position, with your hands and feet on the floor. Although this is beneficial for pectoral recruitment, it primarily focuses on the middle part of the chest. To obtain as much firmness as possible, a better approach is to include pushups with your body in a declined and inclined angle. Placing your feet on a chair and doing decline pushups for example, targets the upper chest. Reversing your body position and putting your hands on the chair targets the lower chest.
Proper Form
For pushups to be effective, they need to be done with proper form. Letting your hips sag and swaying your back for example, is bad form. This will not only compromise your results, but it will also open you up for injury. Always keep your abs tight and back straight when doing pushups, and make sure to move through a full range of motion. Take conventional pushups, for example. Begin by lying on your stomach with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width distance apart and your feet together behind you. Steadily push yourself off the floor until your arms are fully extended and lift your hips to straighten out your back. Keeping your good postural alignment, slowly lower yourself down by bending your elbows. Once your chest is close to the floor, push yourself back up in a steady motion and repeat.
Rep Scheme
The amount of work you do plays a role in your results. Aim for 10 to 12 reps with your pushups and do four or five sets. You do not need to exercise every day either. This is actually counterproductive and can lead to injury. Three workouts a week on nonconsecutive days is sufficient.
Added Resistance
The weight of the body is adequate for making progress with pushups, but if you need more, there are ways to increase it. Wear a weighted vest or a weighted backpack, or have a spotter hold a weight plate on your back as you do your pushups.
Pushup Tips
If you cannot do pushups with your toes on the floor, place your knees on the floor instead. This will reduce the amount of weight you are pushing, and the pushups will be easier to perform.
0 Comments