Press-ups.

Anyone that comes to one of my Kickboxing classes or works out with me will generally end up doing some press-ups.It’s not that I’m a sadist or enjoy watching people struggle to do 10 press-ups, it’s because there is no simpler measure of fitness than doing press-ups.

Press-ups test the whole body. They work your cardio system, core muscles, stomach, arms, chest, hips and legs, yet you are only using your own body weight.

How many times can you work like a demon at the gym or in class, running, punching, kicking and sparring, yet struggling to complete 10 press-ups.

There is a huge benefit to completing proper structured press-ups.

One report I once read stated that “press-ups can provide the strength and muscle memory to reach out and break a fall”, something I certainly had never thought about, but important for us all, young and old.

Technique.

The one thing we should all work on is technique.  Poor posture and technique always make press-ups harder to complete.

Bum in the air, arms too far forward or too far apart are all contributing factors to making this simple exercise much harder.

Please ask if you need help

It’s hard to explain exactly how to perform the perfect press-up here, so either come to one of my classes or grab me next time I’m either at grading, instructor course or at the Brown and Black belt course.  I’ll be more than happy to do some with you.

We always say we never have enough time, but I bet you can’t do press-ups for the time it takes the kettle to boil for your morning tea or coffee.

Sounds like a challenge to me.

C.J