Top 5 Tips for IPPT Training“Push-Ups”

1. StretchPerforming proper push-ups is essential to acing your next IPPT . But the first thing you need to do is to stretch. Stretching prevents injury and increases flexibility. As push-ups work mainly on the three main muscle groups - the triceps, deltoid and the pectorals, do remember to take some time to stretch these muscles before and after the training.

2. Perfect your techniquePush-ups take a certain amount of strength to perform properly. Common mistakes most people make include going too fast, or using only partial range of motion. The idea is to do it in a consistent and thorough fashion. Here are 5 points on how to do a perfect push-up.

1. Keep your body stiff and straight as a plank2. Elbows at a 45-degree angle from your sides3. Breathe in on the way down4. Lower your body all the way down, allowing your chest to gently touch the floor5. Breathe out on the way up

3. Keep pushing yourselfPush-up is a repetitive exercise. The idea is to keep increasing the number of push-ups higher than the previous training. To motivate yourself, set a target on the ideal number of push-ups you would like to do in a given month and work towards it incrementally. Keep track of your training records in a physical note book or phone app , it helps to motivate you on how far you have come.

4. Other push-up variationsOnce you have mastered the standard push-up, it is time to push your muscles to the limit by introducing new variations. These add-ons help to ‘confuse’ your muscles to maximise growth and overcome a training plateau. Some of the push-ups variations are:

• Spider-man push-up• Diamond push-up• Basketball push-up• Three-point push-up

5. Incorporate rests into your routineWhile building your muscles, do remember to let it rest for them to grow stronger. If you are training daily, you may find doing push-up training every second day is desirable to improve your strength and to get sufficient rest. Build a training calendar and stick to it.Plus, don’t forget to stretch and relax after finishing your push-ups training!

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