The Perfect Pushups - Ace Any Military PT Test
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The Perfect Pushup Workout - Check this out for a complete workout

This week, I received an e-mail from a young lady who aspires to join the military in the next year. Knowing she has a lot of physical fitness tests in her future, she wants some advice on improving her performance of push-ups. She says she has never practiced push-ups the "traditional way," which is what I call the regular push-up as opposed to the knee push-up.

First of all, there is no reason why women cannot do the regular push-up. All it takes is practice. I have several men and women clients who started out doing push-ups on their knees but now can easily do 40 to 50 regular push-ups without stopping to rest. Here are some simple tips and workouts to help you get above-average scores on the PFT.

Proper Full-Body Warm-Up

Get the heart pumping and the arms warmed up by doing the following warm-up (repeat three to five times; it only takes 2 or 3 minutes):

Triceps/shoulders stretch:

Place both arms over and behind your head. Grab your right elbow with your left hand and pull your elbow toward your opposite shoulder. Lean into the pull to also stretch your back/oblique muscles. Switch arms and repeat.

Chest/shoulders stretch:

Pull your shoulders/arms back and grab onto a wall / bar and stick your chest out. Hold for 15 seconds. Switch arms and repeat.

Techniques and Workouts

Go fast. For maximum points on the PFT, do the push-ups as quickly as you can. The slower you go, the more gravity will affect your strength. Adhere to proper form however.
 

Proper stance. Your hands should be about shoulder width apart. Lie on the floor with your hands even with your shoulders. Too many people place their hands too high or too low, which will weaken your push-ups tremendously.

15 seconds of sit-ups

Try these workouts only resting while you do your crunches or sit-ups. These workouts are challenging and only take a few minutes to do. I recommend that you try to incorporate push-ups and crunches into your workout three times a week and every other day, if you are not following a detailed program.

Stew reminds you to consult your physician before beginning any new exercise or diet program -- especially if you have been inactive for a while or if you have any medical problems. Have questions? Ask Stew at stew@stewsmith.com.

 

 

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Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.  He specializes in military and law enforcement fitness, particularly Special Operations units.  Please feel free to email him at Stew@stewsmith.com with any comments or questions.

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