When it comes to initial physical fitness (NFP), bending and extending your arms while lying down is the first exercise that many people think of. And this is not surprising, since it is known to absolutely everyone, even to those people who are far from the topic of sports. In our article today, we will tell you in detail about performing flexion and extension of the arms while lying down, the nuances and features of this movement, and also share some tips that will help you improve the technique of this exercise.
Execution technique
We will not pull the rubber, but immediately get down to business. Flexion and extension of the arms in the supine position are performed in this way:
- Accept the emphasis lying on the floor, put straight arms shoulder-width apart, bring the brushes forward, spread your elbows no more than 45 degrees. The shoulders, trunk and legs should be in a straight line. Press your toes against the floor without support.
- Taking a breath, lower the body down, touching the chest of the floor.
- As you exhale, return to starting position.
- Fix your position at the top point for 0.5 seconds, and then repeat the movement as many times as necessary.
Do not forget that the exercise is counted only if there is no deflection in the lower back, and the whole body is a straight line.
Main mistakes
Due to lack of experience and poor physical preparation, many beginners often make the following mistakes:
- Curved lower back.
- Simultaneous extension of the arms.
- No pause of 0.5 seconds at the highest point.
- The lack of an even line "shoulders - trunk - legs".
What is wrong with mistakes? Firstly, push-ups performed with such critical errors, simply do not count when passing the standards. Secondly, they significantly reduce the effectiveness of the exercise if you set a goal to build muscle.
A very important detail: which muscle group will receive the most load depends on the positioning of your hands. With a wide setting of the hands, the main load is given to the pectoral muscles, and with a narrow set triceps work more.
Lead exercises
If it’s still hard for you to bend and extend your arms while lying down, then for a start you should practice the following lead-up exercises:
- Push-ups from the wall. Put your hands on the wall, after which, bending your elbows, reach for it with your chest. Straighten your arms and return to the starting position. Several sets per day of 10 repetitions each will strengthen your muscles and help you begin the next exercise.
- Pushups on the knees. During the execution of this exercise, the same muscles work as when bending and extending the arms in the supine position (chest and triceps), but since you almost completely exclude the legs from work, the total load is significantly reduced. With the emphasis lying down, transfer the weight to your knees, and put your hands shoulder-width apart. The body must be kept in a straight position, and the abdominal muscles should be statically tensed.
- Push-ups from the support. The technique is practically no different from that described in the last paragraph, the only difference is that with this position the knees are straightened, and the emphasis is on the toes of the feet.
- Back push-ups from the bench. Stand with your back to the bench, and then lean on it with your hands. While inhaling, lower the body down until the angle of 90 degrees is formed in the elbows. As you exhale, squeeze it to its original position.
Video tutorial
Perhaps, just a photo of flexion and extension of the arms in an emphasis lying down will not be enough to fully understand the technique for performing this movement. In this case, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the video below, which shows in detail how this exercise is done.
Having carefully watched the video, you will be able to get answers to your questions and perform the exercise correctly.