Suitable for beginners in sports and girls. Push-ups are considered a classic exercise for pumping up the muscles of the upper body. But not everyone can do it correctly and in full amplitude. A simplified version is suitable for beginners – push-ups from the knees. They will help to learn the technique and eventually move on to the usual version.

What muscles are working?

Due to the larger support area and shorter amplitude, the load is not as great as when doing push-ups from toes, but similar muscle groups are involved. Mainly, this is the upper body:

large pectoral muscle;

triceps;

anterior deltoid muscle.

Also, to stabilize the position, the following are involved: short head of biceps, rectus abdominis and oblique abdominal muscles, extensors of the spine.

What is the benefit?

Of course, this is a simplified version of the exercise, but don’t think that there will be no effect. Regularly doing push-ups from the knees brings a number of positive changes.

Firstly, you develop the strength of the muscles of the arms, core, shoulder girdle and chest muscles. This will smoothly prepare you to perform the exercise in full amplitude.

Secondly, thanks to the loads, your arms and shoulders will become more toned, girls will be able to correct the décolleté area.

Contraindications

The first and most obvious limiting factor is muscle and joint damage, pain in the shoulders, lower back, arms, elbows and knees. This also includes the recovery period after injuries and surgeries.

Hypertension and unstable blood pressure are a reason to check with your doctor about the types of training and exercises that you can and cannot do. The same rule applies to any chronic diseases. Not the most obvious, but an important contraindication is the presence of significant excess weight, your joints may not withstand such a load.

How to do it?

The number of repetitions depends on your level of fitness. Try starting with 10 times in two or three approaches. Then you can increase either the number of approaches or the number of repetitions.

Kneeling push-ups

Execution technique

Get into a palm-and-knee position. Place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders, knees close to each other. You can cross your feet and bend your knees. Keep your back straight, and keep your abs tense throughout the exercise.

As you inhale, lower your body down, bending your arms at the elbows, and inhale. Move your elbows along your body.

Do the exercise until your chest lightly touches the floor or until your elbows are at a right angle.

As you exhale, lift your torso up, straightening your arms, and return to the starting position.

Mistakes when performing

To avoid injuries and get results, you need to follow the technique. Below are a number of points that you should definitely pay attention to.

Elbows spread out to the sides when lowering the body. This creates an incorrect load on the joints. The elbows should move along the body.

Incorrect breathing. Breathe evenly, exhaling when lifting.

A curved back in the thoracic and lumbar spine. The body should remain a straight line, this is necessary for the correct distribution of the load. Otherwise, there is a risk of injuring the spine.

Excessive lifting or sagging of the pelvis. Just like in the previous point, this position distributes the weight incorrectly and can lead to injuries.

How to complicate it?

When you understand that you are already doing the exercise well, but you are not yet up to the classic variation, it is time for modifications. Here is how you can complicate the task:

do it at a slower pace;

put a small weight on your back;

keep one leg in the air;

do push-ups from the platform.