The benefits of push-ups with a narrow grip on the floor. Close grip push-ups. We study all the subtleties and secrets of push-ups from the floor with a narrow grip, what is the advantage

Push ups narrow grip, or, to put it correctly, push-ups with narrow setting hands is basic exercise, aimed at developing the triceps brachii muscle. Due to the fact that the load on the triceps in this exercise can be easily varied, both beginners and experienced athletes can include it in their training.

The benefits of push-ups

In general, push-ups are narrow or wide grip are one of the most popular exercises used in general physical training.

Muscle work.

The target or targeted muscle group in the exercise we are considering is the triceps. They work in synergy with them pectoral muscles, anterior delta bundles. The trapezius is partially used. Muscles abdominals and legs play the role of stabilizers and receive a static load.

Incorporate close-grip push-ups into your training program worth it for the following reasons:

• Development of general strength and endurance of arm muscles.
• Increased muscle volume. The triceps account for about 70% of the arm volume.
• Strengthening the shoulder ligaments and stabilizing the joints. In this exercise, the shoulder is in a natural position and is subject to moderate stress.
• Strengthening the abdominal and quadriceps muscles by static load when stabilizing the body.
• The ability to vary the load by changing the tilt of the body, the position of the arms or using weights.
• Close-grip push-ups are ideal for home workouts. Don't need any additional equipment, just you and your own weight.

Injuries to the elbow joints or hands may be a contraindication to performing the exercise. If the injuries occurred a long time ago and were not particularly serious, you can try a lighter version of push-ups with your knees on the floor, or wrap your joints with elastic bandages during exercise.

Exercise technique

The starting position for this exercise will be lying down.

1. Place your hands slightly narrower than your shoulders, point your fingers forward. The distance between the palms should not be less than 20 cm. Straighten your body, tighten your abdominal muscles, and bring your legs together. The back should be absolutely straight, do not allow the lower back to bend.
2. Slowly lower your body down using elbow joints. During the movement, the elbows are directed back and pressed against the body. This position is also called the “grasshopper”. Lower yourself until your chest almost touches the floor, but do not lie down on the floor.
3. With vigorous effort, straighten your arms and lift your body into a initial position. At the top point, do not fully extend your arms. Without pausing, lower your body again and so on. The movement is almost continuous.

The position of the hands in this exercise plays a very important role. important role. While the elbows are pulled back, the triceps take on the maximum load. As soon as you move them apart, the emphasis shifts to the pectoral muscles. After all, the function of the pectorals is to bring the arms to the midline of the body.

As for the position of the hands: if, after moving your elbows back, you place your hands close to each other, they will be in an unnatural position. Therefore, the distance between the palms should be slightly less than the width of the shoulders.

An important point is to maintain the straight position of the body without bending or sagging. It is indeed easier to do the exercise with a bent lower back, but then it loses its meaning. Your body should be stretched out and your core muscles should be tense.

If your hands are still weak and perform classic push-ups It’s difficult to position your arms narrowly; place your knees on the floor or your hands on a raised platform. The load will shift to the legs and it will be easier for the hands.

For athletes with good physical training recommended to use additional burden or place your feet on a raised platform.

Avoiding mistakes

• Monitor your body position at all times. Don't relax your abdominal muscles during exercise. Make sure there is no arch in your lower back.
• Each person’s body has its own characteristics, so if, while doing push-ups according to a strictly specified technique, you feel discomfort or pain, change the position a little.
• Do not hang in your shoulders while at the top of the movement - your neck is extended. Don't linger, do the exercise continuously.
• The head is in a neutral position at all times. Don't arch your neck or look around.
• For better stability, spread your fingers.
• Make sure in advance that your toes do not slip while doing push-ups. Use non-slip shoes or place your feet against a wall. Sliding will make your task much more difficult.

Triceps push-ups can be used as a main exercise at the beginning of a workout, or as an additional exercise. The number of repetitions is on average 10-15, and approaches - 3. You can vary these indicators depending on what goals you are pursuing. A sign that it’s definitely time for you to increase the load is to calmly perform 50 push-ups in a row.

Triceps push-ups can be combined with French press, and other exercises.

If you don’t have the opportunity to go to the gym, this is not a reason to give up training; there are a lot of alternative exercises designed to be performed at home. If desired, you can replace any simulator strength training with weights.

One of the most effective exercises that works large muscle groups at once is the close-grip push-up. This is where the triceps are pumped, inner part chest, trapezius and shoulder muscles. When performing exercises without a trainer, it is important to follow all the technique to avoid injury and achieve the most effective result.

You can replace the barbell press with push-ups

Believe me, you have not lost anything if for some reason you cannot visit a fitness club or exercise on exercise equipment. All muscles can just as easily be trained at home; here the main attribute is willpower, so as not to miss workouts and overcome laziness. It will take you more time to get in shape, but you will still notice the result.

Close-grip push-ups will help you replace barbell presses. There is nothing complicated here, the starting position is occupied in the same way as with regular push-ups, that is, emphasis, lying down, but the palms are placed slightly further than shoulder width apart, and above each other, or touching each other with the thumb and forefinger.

You can take any position that is convenient for you, but it is important that your body is in the correct position:

• the back is straight;
• the palms are located in the middle of the body when flexed;
• when lowering, you need to lightly touch the floor with your chest;
• perhaps a position slightly higher or lower than the chest.

You will feel that the main load is on your arms, this is the purpose of the exercise - pumping up the triceps. When bending, the arms work slowly; when straightening, the process occurs much faster. Once you have returned to the starting position, you need to take a short break to prepare the muscles for the next load. Before each exercise, your arms should rest.

Close grip pull-ups

Not only triceps, but also biceps can be pumped up with a narrow grip using pull-ups. And to some extent, these exercises are more effective than lifting barbells. Because the projectile does not provide the same load as when pulling up. Here to lift own body the arms are forced to bend at the shoulder and elbow joints.

In addition, when doing pull-ups with a narrow grip, the tension goes not only to specific muscles, but also to several others. Namely, the latissimus dorsi, pectoral, shoulder and trapezius muscles are tensed. Exercise in progress in the following way: The body rises to the bar to the level of the upper chest, after which a short pause is made. The arms are extended slowly. At this stage, it is important to monitor the position of the hands - this way the exercise will be performed correctly in the case when the muscles stretch slowly before the jerk.

It is wrong to try to do as many push-ups as possible in one approach - the point here is not the speed and number of push-ups, but the quality of their execution. The speed in the process should be moderate, and you need to feel the tension in all the muscles you are working on. You need to descend smoothly, but without stopping or sudden movements.

Push-ups with a narrow grip perfectly work the triceps, the front part of the deltoids, the chest and partially the back muscles, the load on which can be changed by adjusting the position of the body and arms.

Elaboration:

Targeted muscle: triceps

Synergists – pectoralis major (sternal/clavicular heads), anterior delta

Dynamic stabilizers – biceps (short head)

Stabilizers – rectus abdominis/obliques, quadriceps

Advantages:

Development of general strength and endurance of arm muscles

Increased muscle volume. Triceps account for about 70% of arm volume

Strengthening the shoulder ligaments and stabilizing the joints. In this exercise, the shoulder is in a natural position and is subject to moderate stress.

Strengthening the abdominal and quadriceps muscles through static loading while stabilizing the core

The ability to vary the load by changing the tilt of the body, the position of the arms or using weights

Close-grip push-ups are ideal for home workouts. No additional equipment needed, just you and your own weight

Technique:

1. Take a lying position, placing your hands quite close to each other (narrower than shoulder width). Stretch yourself straight, keeping your body straight from your feet to your head. To strengthen your position, spread your feet slightly apart. Lower yourself to the floor and look straight ahead

2. Inhale, and as you exhale, using the strength of your triceps, push yourself up powerfully. Inhale, hold your breath and return to the starting position. Repeat a specified number of times

Alternative exercises:

In addition to the classic version, there are also alternative exercises:

Bench push-ups

Dumbbell push-ups

Monitor your body position at all times. Don't relax your abdominal muscles during exercise. Make sure there is no arch in your lower back.

Each person’s body has its own characteristics, so if, while doing push-ups according to a strictly specified technique, you feel discomfort or pain, change the position a little.

Do not hang in your shoulders while at the top of the movement - your neck is extended. Don't linger, do the exercise continuously.

The head is in a neutral position at all times. Don't arch your neck or look around.

For better stability, spread your fingers.

Make sure in advance that your toes do not slip while doing push-ups. Use non-slip shoes or place your feet against a wall. Sliding will make your task much more difficult.

Narrow grip push-ups video:

Greetings, my dears! Believe it or not, eh lived in the thirtieth kingdom Today we have a technical note, and it will be devoted to the push-up exercise with a narrow grip. After reading, each of you will learn everything about the technique, muscle atlas, advantages and degree of effectiveness of this exercise.

So, take your seats, let's get started with the story.

Close grip push-ups. What, why and why?

When it comes to developing your body, the first thing that comes to mind for many is to sign up for a fitness/gym club, and only a few try to prepare their “office” body for the upcoming loads of exercises within the walls of the home. Even fewer are aware of these exercises, and very few are aware and perform them. We’ll talk about one of these, close-grip push-ups, later in the text.

As you probably know, the project successfully launched in February. So, I noticed a certain trend: people rush into the hall somewhat prematurely, i.e. They are mentally prepared and ready, but physically it is still difficult to carry out the given training volume. The latter is connected precisely with their fast start and the desire to become Aphrodite or Apollo as soon as possible :). Of course, I’m exaggerating this, but there is a grain (not the name) of truth in what has been said - before signing up for the gym and giving your hard-earned money to the trainers there, evaluate your level of physical fitness and admit to yourself that it needs to be improved.

In other words, it is highly advisable before going to the gym, at least 2-3 months, work in your 4 -x walls, resorting to exercises with your own weight. By the way, there are plenty of the latter. And we’ll talk about one of them, close-grip push-ups.

Note:

For better assimilation of the material, all further narration will be divided into subchapters.

Muscle atlas

One of the best domestic (and in general) and simple exercises on the hands is to take a “lying position” and push-ups with different positions of the hands. This or that position of the latter provides a load on different muscle groups, in our case, the narrow grip is aimed at developing the triceps brachii muscle.

As for the muscle ensemble involved in the work, it is as follows:

• targeted muscle – triceps;
• synergists – pectoralis major (sternal/clavicular heads), anterior delta;
• dynamic stabilizers – biceps (short head);
• stabilizers – rectus/oblique abdominal muscles, quadriceps.

The complete muscle atlas of narrow push-ups looks like this:

Advantages

By performing push-ups with a close grip, you will receive the following benefits:

• increase in relative triceps strength;
• increasing the size of the triceps brachii muscle;
• increase in circulating testosterone;
• general lifting of the arms/removal of the “jelly” under them (especially relevant for ladies);
• development of muscle coordination shoulder girdle;
• strengthening shoulder joints;
• core muscle development (corset of muscles surrounding the waist);
• acceleration/acceleration of metabolic processes and, as a result, more effective parting with excess weight;
• protection of shoulder joints from injuries (strengthening/stabilizing the muscles surrounding the rotator cuff);
• variability, simplicity and the ability to perform in any conditions.

Execution technique

Despite the fact that the exercise belongs to the “easy” class, it has its own tricks, which we will consider in a step-by-step execution technique.

Step #0.

Take a lying position, placing your hands quite close to each other (narrower than shoulder width). Stretch yourself straight, keeping your body straight from your feet to your head. To strengthen your position, spread your feet slightly apart. Lower yourself to the floor and look straight ahead. This is your starting position.

Step #1.

Inhale, as you exhale, using the strength of your triceps, powerfully push yourself up. Inhale, hold your breath and return to IP. Repeat the specified number of times.

In the picture version, all this disgrace looks like:

In motion like this:

Variations

In addition to classic push-ups, some variations are possible, for example:

• at an angle from the bench;
• Diamond push-ups (brushes fold into a diamond shape);
• dumbbell push-ups.

Subtleties and secrets of execution

To get the most out of the exercise, consider the following tips:

• at the top point of the trajectory, try not to completely straighten your arms, leaving your elbows slightly bent;
• do not plop down on the floor from above, but slowly and under control, maintaining tension throughout the entire range of movement;
• at the lowest point, do not lie on the floor, but keep your body suspended;
• do not hang at the extreme points of movement;
• throughout the entire movement, the elbows should be close to the body, do not spread them out;
• watch your body position and do not allow your lower back to sag;
• the position of the hands and the position of the arms is individual, but always narrower than the shoulders, look for how convenient and comfortable it is for you to perform push-ups;
• if your body weight is too heavy and your arms are weak, then do push-ups from your knees or from the wall;
• keep the number of approaches around 3 , reps 12-15 .

Actually, we’re done with the theory, now let’s look at some practical and comparative information.

Which is better to do push-ups - wide or narrow?

A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that holding hands close together induces greater activation of the pectoralis major and triceps than positions that are shoulder-width or wider than shoulder width. Muscle activation was calculated by measuring the electrical potential generated muscle cells(EMG electromyography).

Scientists from the Mayo Clinic have concluded that the most effective way to perform push-ups is to narrow position hands

Which exercise is better: close-grip push-ups or reverse push-ups from the bench?

In a study supported by the American Council on Exercise for 2012 year, scientists from the University of Wisconsin took a group of 15 women aged from 20 before 24 years and compared the effectiveness 8 -various “triceps” exercises. Close-grip push-ups caused the greatest muscle activity and took first place in testing, with third place.

Thus, the inclusion of these two exercises in the arm training program will ensure “toning” of the triceps muscles and removing the “hanging” jelly at hand.

Afterword

Today we learned about the close-grip push-up exercise. I am sure you will definitely include it in your training and will be satisfied with the “manual” results. That's all for now, see you again!

PS. What exercises do you use in your arm training?

P.P.S. Did the project help? Then leave a link to it as your status social network- plus 100 points for karma, guaranteed :).

With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov.

Push-ups are simple, accessible and at the same time effective exercise, allowing you to work through many important muscles bodies. By doing them correctly and regularly, you can achieve the desired results. And one of the advantages of the exercise is that by slightly changing the technique of performing them, you can vary the load, focusing on certain muscle groups. But we will talk about this a little later, and first we will look at which muscles work when pushing up from the floor.

So, what muscle groups work during push-ups? By doing this exercise almost all the muscles of the body are involved, and by changing its technique or the width of the arms, we can increase the load on some muscle groups and reduce it on others.

A push-up can be compared to a barbell bench press; it is performed in reverse. The muscles of the chest and shoulders are loaded due to the fact that your own body weight is held in your arms. This is a very effective action for working out muscles, which is recommended to be performed at the beginning of a workout.

When performing the exercise, do not rush. Control your breathing and try not to make sudden movements.

Warm up before you start doing push-ups. Enough for warming up 5-10 minutes. During this time, shake your abs, swing your arms and legs, and stretch your joints.

For yourself you should try to establish comfortable amplitude movements. Remember that an excessively fast pace increases the risk of injury.

Push-ups using the floor as support are the most convenient option, since they are available everywhere, particularly at home. To make it more difficult, a ball, platform, or parallel bars can be used. This way, muscle groups will be loaded even more effectively during push-ups.

To alternate which muscles are affected by push-ups, you can change the position of your hands. There are many variations of push-ups that provide maximum load on certain muscle groups. Let's look at the most popular among them.

Classic push-ups

Regular push-ups are familiar to everyone from school. Let's figure out which muscles work when doing push-ups in its standard version. The exercise works almost all top part bodies. The pectoral muscles receive active load, deltoids, triceps and biceps. In addition, the torso is kept in a tense state, due to which the rectus abdominis muscle, core and lower back muscles work.

It is important that push-ups are performed correctly - then the muscles work as efficiently as possible. You need to take a lying position, resting on your straight arms with your hands spread shoulder-width apart. Place your palms parallel to each other.

The chest and core muscles should be tense when performing the exercise. Keep your back straight, but at the same time maintain a slight natural arch in the lumbar region. You can turn your elbows slightly away from the body, but do not press them too hard to the floor. Direct your gaze forward. Strain your neck, but not excessively.

After making sure that the pose is built correctly, begin to bend your elbows, lowering your straight body to the floor. The buttocks should not rise too high, the head should not be pulled down. Your body should be smooth, a straight line.

Wide grip push-ups

Wide grip push-ups - what muscles work when doing them? If you place your hands wider than your shoulders, then you will actively work the triceps and deltoid anterior muscle, but the outer part pectoral muscles. This technique is popular among those who want to quickly make chest voluminous and embossed.

In the question of which muscles swing when doing push-ups with arms wide apart, we note that the triceps are involved, but work little. The main load is directly on the chest muscles. When performing the exercise, your palms should be positioned approximately 20-25 cm wider than shoulders.

If you are a beginner and find it difficult to do full push-ups right away, you can do the exercise from your knees. This way you can master the technique and gradually move on to more complex versions.

Close grip push-ups

To perform push-ups with a narrow grip, we will now figure out which muscles work, you need to have certain training. The fact is that the narrower your hands are, the harder it is to maintain balance while maintaining the correct technique. But there is no need to bring your hands closer than 20 cm to each other, as this will cause the elbows to turn to the sides and shift the load due to this.

What does a push-up with narrow arms do? This triceps shoulder and pectoralis major muscle. Additionally, the anterior bundles of the deltoid and trapezius muscle. Please note that the closer you press your elbows to your body, the more your triceps are pumped.

Other types of push-ups and muscle groups

Much about the question of which muscles swing when doing push-ups depends on the characteristics of the technique. So, those who want to add load to the triceps can perform push-ups using the “diamond” technique. The starting position is as in a classic push-up. The palms need to be placed very narrowly. The thumbs and index fingers touch and form a diamond shape. The main load goes on the triceps, less on the chest and deltoids.

Another exercise that allows you to pump up your torso muscles is push-ups combined with cotton. Such push-ups belong to the group plyometric, that is, those in which body toss is used. The classic pose is taken as the basis. You need to take the starting position with your arms straight, then lower yourself down with your elbows pointing to the sides. When lifting, an explosive action is performed and the torso is thrown upward slightly.

The throw distance should make it possible to clap your hands and land on your hands, slightly bent at the elbows. You must have time to bend your arms. Then you will have a springy movement and smooth shock absorption. If you land with straight arms, the load due to body weight can cause injury to your wrist, shoulder or elbow joints.

That is why diamond and cotton push-ups are only available to people with good physical fitness. Beginners should not start with them. First, fully master classic push-ups; you already know which muscles are pumped during which.

If your goal is to increase muscle mass in the upper body, to gain strength, then use weights. It could be a pancake, a vest, a backpack with a load. Bodyweight push-ups help build endurance. And depending on their type, you can change what push-ups pump from the floor, giving a load to certain muscle groups. If you just want to keep your body in good shape, the type of push-ups does not matter. You can alternate between a wide and a narrow grip or always perform classic push-ups.

In addition to narrow and wide hand placement, classic push-ups also have other varieties:

• Head down push-ups. Increases the load on the chest muscles. They differ from the classic version in that your feet need to be placed on a bench or other elevation. To maintain balance, your hands can be placed in front of your shoulders.
• Fist push-ups. In the question of what swings when doing push-ups, note that it is not only the chest, deltas and triceps, but also the hands and wrists. The role of biceps in this case is growing. Performing such push-ups is more difficult than classic ones. You need to start doing them with a small number of repetitions so as not to get injured.
• Push-ups. They are a lightweight version of the previous version. Suitable for those whose wrists are not strong enough.
• One-arm push-ups. They work the muscles of the shoulder girdle, delta, triceps and ligaments. Works both top and Bottom part torso. Considering that all the weight falls on one hand, the load on its muscles increases. This exercise is not for beginners - first you must learn to maintain balance and sufficiently train your muscles.
• Grasshopper push-ups. Works arm muscles well upper muscles breasts With such push-ups it is important correct technique which avoids injury.

Push-ups from the floor, which muscles work during which, we figured out, can be performed not only in the classical way. You can also include the following options in the program:

• Reverse push-ups. Less popular than classic ones, but no less effective. To perform this exercise, just a few benches are enough. This exercise helps pump up your triceps. The back muscles also work.
• Push-ups on chairs. Variation reverse push-ups, where chairs are used instead of benches.
• Incline push-ups. For this exercise you need one bench, on which you need to rest your hands. The lower part of the pectoral muscles is well worked out.
• Push-ups in reverse tilt (legs are located above the head). Works the upper pectoral muscles. The feet are placed on the bench a little further than the head.
• Dips. They allow you to work the upper and lower back muscles, train their strength and coordinated work. Dips are a general strengthening exercise that works the entire upper body. You can change the position of your hands, purposefully working out certain muscle elements.

Of course, even with this useful exercise Like push-ups, it's important not to overdo it. Perform it at a moderate pace, make sure the technique is correct, and do not do the exercise through pain and severe discomfort.

Push-ups, which muscles work in which, we already know, have their contraindications. This excess weight, impaired coordination of movements, as well as recent injuries to the arms, shoulders, and wrists. Back problems, by the way, are not included in the list of contraindications, since in this case push-ups can be useful.

Acting correct breathing technique. Breathe deeply, calmly and measuredly. Don't hold your breath. Wear comfortable shoes and clothing, and remove jewelry before classes.

Push-ups - simple and effective method pump up important muscle groups. By performing various variations of them, you can provide various muscle elements with high-quality and complete exercise.

Types and technique of push-ups on video