Hi everyone, Eliza here, and I am going to show you how to do tricep push ups for the 30-day fitness challenge. The move I am going to give you is going to be combined with two others for a total of three exercises for a 30 day challenge. You can print out the full 30-day routine to track your goals and make sure you are doing the exercises correctly. As you go through this exercise, think about pushing the floor away and exhale with each repetition. This move requires little, space but you may need a mat or something soft under your knees if you do the beginner version. Let’s go through a couple of ways to do these!
- Beginner version: start on your hands and knees, with your knees hip width a part and hands shoulder width a part. This is also known as tabletop position. Then, bring your knees back a couple of inches, still maintaining that flat back and bring your shoulders in line with your wrists. Keep your knees on the ground and slowly start to bend your elbows, making sure they are very close by your sides and squeezing back. Once you are hovering the floor, press it back up to table top position. This is helpful for beginners because it lowers the intensity you will feel in your arms and helps you better focus on form—which is a flat back with your elbows tucked tight.
- Advanced version: start on your hands and knees, with your knees hip width a part and hands shoulder width a part. This is also known as tabletop position. Then, slowly distribute the weight into your hands and feet by lifting your knees up and holding it in a plank position. Make sure your shoulders are in line with your wrists, and slowly lower your body down by bending your elbows, making sure they are very close by your sides and elbows are squeezing back. Once you are hovering the floor, press it back up into your plank position.
This 30-day challenge will include the push ups I showed you and also planks and squats. The combination of the these three exercises will give you upper body, core, and lower body strength. Remember, this is a 30-day challenge so you will slowly build up to more repetitions. The first few days are meant for you to get the form down and then as the days go on, try and challenge yourself by dropping lower in your squat, squeezing harder in your plank, and lowering all the way down and back up for your pushup. Take your time and remember to be patient, but consistent!
—Submitted by Eliza S., University of Massachusetts, Amherst
