Push ups:Is it safe to go all the way down?

I have read that when doing push ups, you should only go down to the point where your arms are parallel with your shoulders. This is because going down any further will eventually mess up your wrists. This is especially true with finger push ups. Any thoughts on this?

I actually put stools under each hands and under my feet (with the one under my feet higher) when I do pushups, so I can go much further down. I certainly haven't had any problems, and this has been recommended to me both in books and in person by a number of specialists.

I wouldn't recommend it for just starting off though.

Hi-
your arms should have full range of motion and your chest should touch the floor with each iteration.

Narrow push ups (arms at armpit width) are done this way as are wide pushups (arms at 1.5 shoulder widths.

If you already have a problem with your wrists such as rheumatism or and osteoperosis type of infliction then it is probably wiser to seek other ways of developing inner/outer pectoral muscles as well as triceps, abs and back which are all effected by good ol' push ups.

Finger pushups, I can do 'em but to be honest I don't see the point of 'em.
You can develop finger strength in so many other ways that this just seems to be a way of showing off.

I Could be wrong, but I would definetly like to know what is the purpose of finger pushups? What specifically is developed through this practice?

peace

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Kung Lek

If you are healthy and injury free there should be no reason you can't do a full push up. If you have a rotator cuff problem or an elbow problem, you should only go untill you arms are at 90 degrees and no further.

JWT

Alright........Just as an experiment I just did different variations of push ups. Palm, knuckles, wrists, and fingers. From what I noticed, I natruraly went down as cloes to the floor as possible with all variations. So what I say about what you read is that it is the correct way to do them. However, if one(me for example)is able(meaning physically able through years and years of practice) to go lower than that, then I feel that it's perfectly fine.

Now does going lower injure your wrists? Well only if one is somehow doing them incorrectly.

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"Darkness has come. May the darkside of the force be with you."

-Sithlord

I do push-ups to develop my chest and arms, not my wrists, so I take them out of the equation by using push-up bars. This keeps my hands vertical at all times like I were doing a punch. It also puts no pressure on wrists so I can get the full benefit and not have to stop before my chest and arms are exhausted. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

I have also been told not to lock out the elbows on the way up.
Keep them slightly bent so your Chi can circulate better.

i agree with the above post.

Yes, I have read about not locking out the wrists, also.

If u don't do a full extension of the push-up exercise u will develop short squat muscles resulting in less flexibility. For martial artists, all weight-bearing exercises should be done with full extension in both directions, thus promoting a longer, more natural and flexible muscle.

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...It is better to die on your feet than live on your knees...

"I have read that when doing push ups, you should only go down to the point where your arms are parallel with your shoulders. This is because going down any further will eventually mess up your wrists."

Go as far as you want. It's like doing dumbell presses, you can actually go to the equivalent of "below your chest" with dumbells.

Go as far as you want. There's no harm, unless you have an injury, and it hurts, then by all means, STOP!

Iron

Typically, i do pushups early in the morning while the wife and kids are sleeping.

Lately, my 3 year old son has been getting up early. He joins me in my stretching routine, copies my situps and sits on my back during pushups. I can only do about 20 with him there but man those 20 feel great! Then he gets into bed with my wife while i prepare for work.

IMO, that's the ultimute pushup!

Godzilla

Kung Lek,

Fingertip pushups apply a lot of presure on the ligaments and tendons. There really arent to many others exersicses that can replace this one. If you are using a tiger claw for example, and you rake down at your oppenets face, he moves his head and your fingers hit his skull. If your ligamets and tendons are not able to withstand the force they will bend back and your bone will break. If your ligaments and tendons are densed up and over time that pressure from the push up will increase to load capabillitys of your fingers.

Using those grips things only work your forarm, as with if you are grbbing pellet filled bags.

I do fingertip push ups and my fingers when I thrust them into a heavy bag now will not fold as they used to, try hitting a phone book with just your finger tips that helps along with the pushups.

peace
bryan.

No. Your arms will fall off.

E Pluribus Rectum