Whether you are a male or female or doing sedentary work, you must do physical exercise to keep yourself relaxed and fresh. You must adhere to dietary guidelines and engage in routine if you want to maintain a fit and healthy body. A variety of workouts can raise your cardiovascular muscle activity. In a similar vein, wide arm push ups help you develop strong, healthy muscles. Calisthenics and starter regimens both use the push-up, one of the most popular bodyweight exercises. Among the various varieties, wide arm push ups are perfect for building up the upper body and focus more on the shoulders and chest than standard push-ups. This article will describe wide-arm push-ups, including their definition, appropriate technique, benefits, variations, and safe ways to incorporate them into your fitness routine.
Table of Contents
What Are Wide Arm Push ups?
Wide arm push ups are well known for their ability to raise chest and shoulder strength, similar to wide-grip push-ups. In addition, this hand posture engages the biceps and anterior deltoids while highlighting the chest muscles, especially the outer pecs. Moreover, a variation on the classic push-up, wide arm push ups involve placing the hands wider than shoulder-width apart. This positional modification places more stress on the pectoralis major, which is the outer chest muscle, and the anterior deltoids, which are the front shoulders, rather than the triceps and middle chest, as in standard push-ups. Due to increased horizontal abduction during the exercise, the range of motion decreases somewhat sharply. However, it makes the pectorals and shoulders more challenging to work. Even though Wide Arm Push ups significantly increase workouts, irregular and overweight exercise may bring harm to individual health and muscles.
How to Do a Wide Arm Push up?
Starting in a plank posture, place your hands wider than shoulder-width apart and align your body from head to heels to perform a wide arm push up. Maintaining a firm core and a flat back, bend your elbows outward at a 45–60° angle to lower your chest toward the floor. To get back to the starting position, push through your palms while keeping your form and control throughout the movement.
1. Starting Position
- Stretch your arms out into a plank stance.
- Put your hands shoulder-width apart. The focus on the chest increases with the width of your hands, but don’t go overboard.
- Keep your feet hip-width apart and your legs straight.
- Make a straight line from your head to your heels by using your thighs, glutes, and core.
2. Phase of Lowering
- Breathe in as you slowly drop your chest towards the floor and bend your elbows.
- Instead of flaring straight out, elbows should bend outward at an angle of 45 to 60 degrees from the torso.
- Lower yourself until your arms are at a 90-degree angle or your chest is just above the floor.
3. Pushing Phase
- To straighten your arms, exhale and push through your palms.
- Throughout, maintain a straight body; avoid elevating your butt or dipping your hips.
- Before repeating the movement, pause at the top.
How many wide arm push ups should I do?
The efficiency of your training is determined by the repetition schemes you use in each workout. Your fitness level, objectives, and capacity for recuperation should all be taken into consideration when deciding how many push ups I should do and how frequently. Proper wide arm push ups also care about arm healthy fistula. Here is a breakdown of how to arrange wide-arm push-up repetitions based on your objectives and present capacity:
For Novices
It’s crucial to start slowly if you’re new to body weight exercise in general or wide arm push ups in particular. Because wide arm push ups put greater strain on the shoulders and chest than regular push-ups, they are more difficult, so you can complete fewer repetitions.
- Suggested Reps/Sets: Begin with two to three sets of five to ten repetitions.
- 60 to 90 seconds of rest in between sets.
- Prioritize technique above quantity. Maintaining good form is more crucial than performing a lot of repetitions.
- Changes: Start with knee push-ups or incline push-ups with your hands wide if you have trouble with form.
For Trainers at an Intermediate Level
You can advance to the intermediate level once you can complete three sets of ten wide-arm push-ups with proper form. At this point, you can add time-under-tension strategies to increase the volume, repetitions, or even intensity.
- Three to four sets of ten to twenty reps are advised.
- 60 seconds of rest in between sets.
- The objective is to increase muscular size and endurance, particularly in the shoulders and chest.
- For more time under tension, try slow negatives, which involve lowering yourself for three to five seconds and then exploding upwards.
For Elite Sportsmen
Advanced trainees frequently perform sets with more than 20-30 repetitions. However, unless the intensity is raised, performing more repetitions after a specific point yields diminishing returns. To keep the workout difficult, professional trainers frequently employ progressive overload tactics.
- Suggested Reps/Sets:
- Volume-based: 20–30 repetitions in 4–5 sets.
- Intensity-based: 3–4 sets of 10–15 repetitions using plyometric exercises, weighted vests, or raised feet.
- 60 to 90 seconds of rest in between sets (more if weighted).
- Advanced Challenge: Try supersetting with several types of push-ups, such as archer or diamond push-ups.
How many wide arm push-ups is healthy ?
Depending on your age, level of fitness, and physical condition, different numbers of wide-arm push-ups are deemed healthy. However, a general rule of thumb is to concentrate on form and improve gradually. Starting with two to three sets of five to ten wide arm push ups per set is a safe and efficient way to get started. While intermediates can aim for 10 to 20 repetitions per set across three to four sets, advanced practitioners can comfortably complete 20 to 30 repetitions per set, which, when divided into numerous sets, can occasionally result in more than 100 push-ups in a single day. Furthermore, training in high volume should not be rushed; quality and consistency are more advantageous than performing a lot of exercises with bad form. If you’re not experiencing joint pain and your body is healing correctly, incorporating push-ups into your daily routine can be beneficial. However, it’s usually advised to take a day or two off in between workouts, particularly if you’re performing other upper-body exercises. Shoulder, wrist, or elbow pain could be an indication that you are overtraining or not using good form. Three to four weekly push-up sessions with an emphasis on clean, controlled repetitions could be part of a healthy regimen. Always pay attention to your body; it’s advisable to relax and recover if your muscles are too sore or if your form starts to degrade. Long-term strength gains will be safer and more sustainable if you increase your reps gradually while keeping perfect technique.
Benefits of Wide-Arm Push-ups
Wide push-ups are a great way to work out multiple muscle groups more forcefully than conventional push-ups, and they have several advantages, particularly for the upper body and core. Here is a thorough examination of the main benefits:
1. Increased Activation of the Chest
The pectoralis major, particularly the outer chest muscles, is highlighted by wide push-ups. It is a potent exercise for chest development because the wider hand placement engages more muscle fibers in the chest and stretches it more during the lowering Phase.
2. Stability and Strength of the Shoulders
Wide push-ups work the anterior deltoids (front of the shoulders) more than standard push-ups because of the wider hand placement. This promotes shoulder stability and strength, which is beneficial for pushing motions in regular tasks and exercise.
3. Enhanced Muscle Balance in the Upper Body
Wide-arm push-ups target the chest and shoulders more and lessen the involvement of the triceps, whereas regular push-ups train the chest and triceps equally. Your upper body develops more evenly when you incorporate wide push-ups into your workout.
FAQ
1. What’s the most complex type of push-up?
A particularly challenging push-up variation is the Planche Push-up. Lifting your feet off the ground and supporting your complete body weight with your hands alone is necessary. This maneuver requires a great deal of balance, strength, and core control.
2. Can a diamond push-up be performed by the average person?
Because they demand more tricep strength than the standard variant, diamond push-ups are more difficult. Diamond push-ups are not always something you can perform, even though you might be able to perform a few push-ups. Start by performing efficient exercises to develop your triceps.
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