Category: Exercises and Workouts

Push-ups are mandatory for people who intend to build strength and increase flexibility. It is the fastest exercise that works on the pectoral muscles, triceps, and shoulders.

It is very effective and the best part about push-ups is that it does not require any instruments. People can do push-ups anywhere, anytime; all they need is a ground to stand on.

In our day-to-day lives, we hardly find time for extracurricular activities. In this fast-moving world where we are constantly running to earn our living, push-ups come in handy. People, who are health freaks, and conscious about their physical appearance, ensure they take out 10 minutes from their busy schedule to do a round of push-ups.

So, if you too are thinking of making a resolution that you’ll positively take out time for personal care and exercise. Then, this article is for you.

Today we are going to talk about the different types of push-ups that will help you remain healthy, and fit and at the same time, will also help you lose weight.

Six Different Kinds of Push-Ups

When we talk about push-up types, we mean the different kinds of push-ups that are widely being practiced throughout the world in different forms. Some of the push-ups that are highly effective for people have been listed below for your convenience.

The Humble Push-up

The most common among different kinds of push-ups is the humble push-up. It can be done outdoors without any equipment. It is the favorite push-up of athletes.

Process

If you wish to do a humble push-up, your arms should be extended and your hands, elbows, and shoulders should be placed in a straight line. The distance between your feet should be no more than 12 inches. If you are doing this exercise you should remember that if you keep your legs closer it will be difficult for you to do push-ups. The humble push-up emphasizes stability, more than core activity. Make sure you keep your spine neutral throughout the movement while giving push-ups.

Strict Military Push-up

The second most popular among different types of push-up is the strict military push-up. It strengthens the upper body, primarily the chest, shoulders, and triceps. And, also works on the back muscles.

Process

You need to stand straight in a standing position, keeping your feet together. Make sure the gap between your feet is not more than 12 inches. The hands need to be placed on the ground below your shoulders, and the arms should be kept straight. You need to breathe in as you are bending your elbows. The chest should be lowered slightly below the level of your bent elbow. Make sure you exhale as you push back to the starting position. Then, repeat the action in sets of 10 in each round.

Wide Hands Push-ups

The third most popular push-up in the list of different types of push-ups, is wide hands push-ups. People practice this to strengthen their upper body and core, with more focus on the pectoral muscles. 

Process

As suggested in the name, this is the strictest push-up among all other types of push-ups. Here your hands need to be laid on the ground, at a distance of 2.5 to 3 feet apart from each other. And the person who is doing this exercise needs to keep tracking back the elbow throughout the movement. 

Triangle/Diamond Push-up

The triangle push-up is popularly known as a diamond push-up. Among different types of push-ups, this push-up is widely practiced by people who wish to develop their triceps. It builds their triceps and strengthens the upper body and core. 

Process

This push-up is slightly different from other push-up types. Here, you need to begin in a plank position. Your hand needs to be together and angled inward at 45degree. They should be placed on the ground, in a way that your index fingers and thumbs form a triangle or a diamond.

This is precisely why this push-up type is called a diamond push-up or a triangle push-up. The elbows should be held tightly and bent down to lower the chest closer to the triangle. This movement should be reversed in rounds of five to ten depending on the capacity of the individual. 

Pick Push-up

This is the fifth most popular push-up among different types of push-ups. If you wish to develop your shoulders in less time chose to do a few rounds of this push-up type. Pick push-up strengthens the upper body and makes your shoulders strong. 

Process

To do this exercise, you need to bend in the downward dog yoga position. Your feet and hands should be placed on the ground, at a distance that is just wider than the shoulder width. Your hips need to be high and your heels should be low. You are advised to bend your elbows and lower your head towards the floor while maintaining the V position. This push-up is the fifth widely practiced push-up among the different types of push-ups. 

Super (Hindu) Push-up

You must be wondering why the name of this push-up is so different from other different types of push-ups.

The reason why the name of this push-up does not resemble other different kinds of push-ups is that this push-up resembles a yoga posture. This exercise was widely practiced in India in the form of yoga, and its origin is in India. This exercise is practiced to develop the triceps and core. 

Process

If you intend to practice this push-up, you need to slowly swoop from downward dog to cobra pose. The elbow should bend, and the lower nose should be able to touch the ground similar to a pike-push-up. While doing this you should make sure you do not rise from the ground. You need to simply move your torso forward so that you can slide your chest, chin, and rib-cage between your hands. When you see your ribs are closer to your hands, make an arc with your head and torso looking upwards.  Keep moving upwards slowly forming an arc, till your hands are straight and the hips are pressed in the ground.  You can continue this exercise 3 to 5 times in each round.

Summary

To conclude it can be said that if you wish to lead a happy, healthy, and fruitful life, you need to take out at least 30 minutes in a day, to work out. Because our lifestyle does not allow us to spend time doing physical activities.

If we neglect our bodies now, then in the long run it is also going to affect our minds. In this scenario, where we are constantly running after our dreams, and ambitions, we hardly find time to go to a gym. And, most importantly most of us stay in small apartments. We hardly have space to keep big instruments.

Therefore, the easiest way to exercise is doing a few rounds of push-ups. We are sure the six widely practiced types of push-ups that we have mentioned in this article are going to help you sail through your difficulties, and will improve your health in the long run if practiced religiously and regularly.

There are several different kinds of push-ups you can practice without using equipment, but these six push-up styles are the most common and are globally practiced because they are easy, and do not require much space.

If you can spend at least 10 minutes in a day, and practice at least two rounds of any of these six push-ups, on a count of 10 in each round, we are sure you can overcome a lot of your health problems.  

When it comes to fitness and workout, everyone has their own set of preferences. Some people prefer Cardio, while some prefer Yoga. On the other hand, some are fond of freehand exercise whereas some love weightlifting. But according to health experts, the fastest way to get a well-toned body is by doing compound exercises.

It tones the body quicker than other health regimens because these exercises work on multiple muscle groups at one time. They are effective because these movements help in burning fat faster.

Today, we are going to talk about the five best compound workouts for beginners. So, if you have been looking for ways to burn your fat and lose weight, then this article will surely get you one step closer to your dream.

The Best Compound Exercises for Beginners

Listed below are five best compound exercises for you that will help you strengthen your muscles and increase your flexibility.

Push-Up

When we talk about the best compound exercises for beginners, we would like to mention the most common and widely practiced exercises .e., push-ups. It is extremely effective.

Push-up is an exercise where the body weight is used to push muscles. If you wish to work on your pectoral, triceps, deltoids, and abs, this is the best compound exercise. Push-ups help in burning fat and reducing weight. Push-ups are very effective for spot reduction. It falls under the category of compound exercises because it involves the movement of multiple muscles at the same time.

So, if you have developed a beer-belly that is making you look ugly we suggest you start doing a few push-ups daily. In a few months, you will see a visible difference. An easier variation of push-ups isknee Push-up. Whereas on the other hand tougher variations include decline push-ups; it is considered to be one of the best compound exercises for beginners.

Bodyweight Squat

For people who have a sterile life, it is very important that they either get involved in activities that require physical movement or take out at least 30 minutes in a day for exercise.

If you are getting confused about which are the best compound exercises for beginners, then we would suggest practicing bodyweight squat.

There are two benefits of this exercise. Firstly, it helps in building a foundation for building strength.

Secondly, it helps in increasing mobility. There are a lot of people who are interested to go for weight training.

But, you need to remember that, if you are heading for barbell squats, you need to first master bodyweight squat. People who wish to develop their quads, glutes, hamstrings, or core muscles should try bodyweight squat. The easy variation of Bodyweight squat is assisted bodyweight squat- where the person has a mentor beside them throughout the exercise who watches over them. One of the most difficult variations of bodyweight squat is Goblet Squat. 

Inverted Bodyweight Row

Have you seen people in the gym doing 20 to 25 pull-ups at one shot? We know it looks extremely cool. The person performing the exercise does the pull-ups and chin-ups such effortlessly, that seeing them perform their rounds, and it feels like it’s a piece of cake.

But, it is not that simple. If you have recently joined the gym we suggest not heading for the pull-ups on day one. Instead, try the inverted bodyweight row. It is considered to be one of the best compound exercises for beginners.

These exercises are extremely important for people who are aiming to go for pull-ups in the later stage. They help in developing your pull-muscle strength.

They too have variations in them. The easy variation of the inverted bodyweight row is inclined bodyweight row and the tough variation is elevated feet inverted row.

In case of inclined bodyweight row the body is inclined over a surface during the pushups. In elevated feet inverted row the feet are elevated during the push-ups.

You can develop all your back muscles that include dorsi, trapizious, and rhomboids by doing a few rounds of the inverted bodyweight row. You can also develop your biceps and forearms and improve your grip as well. 

Pull-Up and Chin Up

Physical training becomes fun once you learn to balance your body weight above the ground. If you wish to develop all your back muscles, dorsi, trapizious, and also, wish you had a strong grip. You should focus on doing regular rounds of pull-ups and chin-ups. The easy variation of pull-up is a negative pull-up and the tough version is a weighted pull-up. 

Bodyweight Dip

Once you are used to push-ups and pulls ups you will observe less of fatigue when you complete your regular rounds. This is an indicator that you need to increase the rounds. In order to increase the challenge, you can try doing a few bodyweight dips.

Easy variation of bodyweight dip is assisted dip where you are given constant guidance.

The difficult variation of bodyweight dip is weighted dips.  In case of weighted dips you are made to carry a weight in between your legs while performing the dips. It requires more effort than assisted dip. It develops your pectoral muscles, triceps, deltoids, rhomboid, and abs. 

Conclusion

There are a lot of people who come to the gym with the objective to lose weight or stay fit. But, among these people, a certain percentage of people wish to take this as a profession. They land up becoming either body builders, or physical trainers.

These five compound exercises will help you take your first step in bodyweight training. So, if you wish to set a benchmark in the world of exercises and develop your body faster than usual, you need to get into the habit of doing these compound exercises. And remember the following points-

• Firstly, Push-up is an exercise where the body weight is used to push muscles. If you wish to work on your pectoral, triceps, deltoids, and abs, this is the best compound exercise.
• Secondly, if you are looking forward to building a foundation for building strength.You need to do a few rounds of the bodyweight squat. It helps in increasing mobility.
• Thirdly, the most popular compound exercise is the inverted bodyweight row. They help in developing your pull-muscle strength. They too have variations in them. You can develop all your back muscles that include dorsi, trapizious, and rhomboids by doing a few rounds of the inverted bodyweight row. You can also, develop your biceps and forearms and improve your grip as well.
• Fourthly, if you wish to develop all your back muscles, and have a strong grip you should focus on doing regular rounds of pull-ups and chin-ups.
• Finally, there comes a time for every person when they get used to the regimen of the exercise. This is when they can increase their challenges by doing a few rounds of bodyweight dips.

Therefore, if you wish to develop your muscles, lose weight, and get a great physique that suits your personality. We are sure that these five compound exercises will help you attain the body you always desired in no time. These exercises also help in strengthening the body mass and bring in flexibility. People all over the world are practicing these simple exercises to stay fit and agile. 

Ever since computers came into existence, people started spending more time doing desk jobs. And finding time to go to gym is not often possible! But here are five desk exercises that will help you stay away from health hazards sitting at your desk!

Today, on average, we spend almost eight to ten hours sitting at our desks doing desk jobs. This duration had considerably increased with the rise of the pandemic in the year 2020 when almost 80% of the people were made to work from home owing o the social distancing norms. Desk jobs have reduced the pain of running around carrying files from one office to another. The maximum of the data is being transferred online. But, as they say, every new change comes with a set of pros and cons.

Today, in this article, we will discuss the disadvantages of sitting on your desk for long hours and will also tell you about five desk exercises that will help you maintain a fit body.

Disadvantages of sitting on your desk for long hours

It is true that with growing technology we have been successful in cutting down on the travel time. But like ways, if we sit on our desks for long hours, we face many health hazards due to desk jobs. Also sitting on a particular place for too long is affecting our productivity as an individual. Listed below are a few disadvantages of sitting on your desk for too long.

Affects your heart

Your heart is most likely to get affected by sitting down for too long. People who sit for too long are more likely to get heart diseases than people who don’t.

Suffer from stress and anxiety

People who sit at a stretch for long hours are more prone to stress and anxiety. As per researchers, people who sit for long hours are prone to anxiety attacks.

You may end up getting Deep Vein Thrombosis

 Sitting down for long hours restricts you from moving your legs, because of which there are possibilities that you will develop Deep vein Thrombosis. It’s a blood clot that forms in the legs because you sit still for too long.

Gain Weight

Gaining weight is inevitable if you sit for long hours. It is said that when you are exercising your brain, you are burning double the calories that you burn from moving around. This is precisely why you feel tired and stressed out after you come home from work even if you have hardly moved from your desk. It leads a person to consume more food because f which people who sit for long hours seem to gain weight more often than people who are moving around.

Wrecks your back

Sitting puts a lot of strain on your back muscles, neck, and spine. Because of this, after sitting at your desk for long hours, you tend to get back pain. This is why most health physicians suggest you should get up and move every half an hour to keep your spine in line.

5 Desk exercises that will help you stay fit

Even if you make sure you sit on a comfortable chair, you can still develop back pain if your posture is not right while sitting on the chair. We recommend you should sit with your feet flat on the ground and hips wide apart. It would help if you never crossed your knees and ankles while sitting on your desk. While you sit on the chair, make sure your back is straight at a 90-degree angle, and your shoulders should be relaxed with your elbows pointing towards your ribs.

This way, you can avoid the pain from sitting for long hours. But, if you continue sitting, merely keeping your posture right while sitting down won’t spare you from health hazards. This is why you should make sure you practice these exercises while working from your home.

Chest Opener

Chest opener is one of the five desk exercises that you can practice sitting in your workstation. You don’t require any special equipment.

Procedure

• It would help if you sat straight on your chair. Your feet should be kept on the floor, and make sure your hips are wide apart.
• Your hands should be interlaced behind your head, and elbows should be wide apart.
• It would help if you lifted through the spine looking up at the window. Make sure you rest your head on your hands while you are lifting your spine.
• You need to stretch the back of the neck, closing your elbows rounding your upper spine.
• You can repeat the movement in sets of 5.

Downward Dog

If you have been sitting at your desk for more than an hour or two, you can try the downward dog exercise. It helps your spine lengthen, and your vertebrate decompresses after you are done for the day. It is one of the widely practiced exercises of the five desk exercises most popular in freehand exercises.

Procedure

• You need to bend your knees and lift your hips, pressing your hands and feet.
• While bending, make sure you lighten your tailbone up and release the crown of your head down.
• Repeat this exercise five times in each set.

Rag Doll Fold

The ragdoll fold exercise is named so because the positions they teach are normally seen in rag dolls made to sit on the shelves of the shops. This is one of the best of the five desk exercises because it releases compression and stagnation from sitting for long hours.

Procedure

• If you wish to practice this exercise, you need first to stand tall.
• Then bend forward at your hips, shift your weight into the balls of your feet.
• It would help if you dropped your heavy head to release the muscles that support the neck and low back.

Half-Kneel Stretch

Half- Kneel stretch is an exercise that is best for people who are developing pain in knee joints because of sitting in a confined place for long hours.

Procedure

• It would help if you started this exercise by half-kneeling. Make sure you tilt your pelvis and inhale while kneeling.
• The body weight needs to be shifted forward as you exhale.
• You can repeat this exercise in sets of 10 for better and faster results.

Spinal Twists

Spinal twists are one of the finest of the five desk exercises. It works on the spine lowering the risk of back pain.

Procedure

• It will help if you sit tall with your spine straight and feet firmly on the ground.
• Then you should lift your spine and rotate it sideways, keeping your hips firmly placed on the seat.
• It’s best if you can make use of the chair arms to assist the twist gently.

Conclusion

Therefore, if you sit for long hours, you can try practicing desk exercises like spinal twists, half-kneel stretch, ragdoll fold, downward dog, and chest opener. These exercises help you keep your body in shape even if you hardly make time for physical activities. But along with these exercises, you should also resolve to get up every half an hour and walk around to ensure you don’t fall sick. The more your muscles have a chance to move around, the better it is for your overall health. So, if you are spending eight to twelve hours sitting on your desk, make sure you get up from your desk every hour at least 5 to 10 minutes a day to avoid major ailments that may cause prolonged sitting.