David PerlmutterPresident,, Perlmutter Health Center · Board-Certified Neurologist | Functional Medicine Pioneer | #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author | International Speaker | Host of The Empowering Neurologist Podcast

Classic Push-Ups, from The Grain Brain Whole Life Plan

14 Nov 2016 · 1 min

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In this short instructional video, Dr. David Perlmutter demonstrates the correct way to perform a classic push‑up, emphasizing body alignment, hand and foot positioning, elbow angle, and breathing. He advises keeping the feet forward with toes tucked, maintaining a straight back, looking ahead, and having fingers point forward. The movement involves lowering until the elbows bend to about 90 degrees and then pushing back up while exhaling. He recommends three sets of twelve repetitions. For those who find the standard version too challenging, he offers a knee‑modified push‑up as an easier alternative, also prescribing three sets of twelve. Throughout, he highlights the exercise’s benefits for the triceps and pectoral (chest) muscles.

Chapters

Push-ups. You knew they were coming. Great exercise, though. Good for your triceps, good for your pectoralis muscles, your chest muscles, and it's really very straightforward. You've seen it 100 times, but I'm going to show you the right way to do them. You want to have your feet facing forward, in other words, your toes tucked under, and keep your back straight. Look forward, fingers facing forward, and drop down. Let your elbows bend about 90 degrees, and then right back up while you push the air out. Exhale. We'd like to get 3 sets of 12 just like this. Now, an easier way of doing it, if that's a little bit too challenging for you, is then try them on your knees just like this. And again, go for 3 sets of 12. So this is a terrific exercise, again, strengthening your triceps and working your chest.