AskMen Pushup Challenge
How Many Pushups Can You Do? Is It Enough To Win The AskMen Challenge?
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How men react to a challenge can sometimes be the true measure of their masculinity. Sure, it can be childish or ill-fated, but when you tell men they can or can’t do something, a part of their minds lose reason and they can’t resist the temptation to prove they can best any challenge. And it doesn’t matter if the challenge comes in the form of eating copious amounts of hot dogs, driving faster than sanity would dictate, arm wrestling a behemoth whose arms are more akin to tree trunks than pipe cleaners, or owning the most rare Star Wars collectibles, men live for the challenge. We have to eat the most, go the fastest, be the best and the strongest — and we want bragging rights! The place this happens the most is in the gym. Sometimes it’s an unspoken challenge. You get on the treadmill next to a guy who’s pushing really hard and, guess what, that means you have to outlast him. You start loading up plates and see the guy next to you has more than you do and, here we go again, you have to beat his best. That's exactly why you're here right now. You don’t care why you need to be competitive, but you love a challenge and you need to show you’re the best.
Today’s challenge: push-ups.
Push ups? Yes. Push-ups. Before you swell out your chest and figure to sit this one out because you’re way beyond the simple push-up, let us ask one question: Can you do more push-ups than anyone in your circle of friends? We thought that would get your attention. But playing off your ego isn’t the only reason why we’re challenging you to do the most push-ups. In fact, this simple and age-old move harnesses more muscles than most crossfitters could name and showcases your upper body strength more convincingly than any muscle shirt — even that one you have with Arnold on it.
According to Toronto-based personal trainer, Nathane Jackson, CSCS, author of Nathane Jackson’s Whole Health Revolution (Appetite by Random House, 2016), “Push-ups target the pecs, triceps, deltoids serratus anterior, coracobrachialis and core all at once better than almost any other exercise.” Bottomline: Push-ups are a true measure of your overall strength. How many can you do? Before you start spinning yarns of push-up marathons gone by, let’s focus on form. “If your body is sagging, your arms aren’t in the right position, your core isn’t engaged and therefore you’re not properly aligned,” Jackson said before adding, “you’re not getting the most out of your push-ups.” And, just in case you were wondering, those half reps, barely moving reps, knees on the ground girly reps or the imaginary ones you did in your sleep don’t count. You want to prove your place on the push-up mountain? Time to master your form.
The Perfect Form for the Push-Up
Step One: Lie face down on the floor with your body in a straight line. Your hands should be palms down and flat on the floor by your chest and shoulder-width apart. Also, keep the tips of your toes on the floor and your upper arms at a 45-degree angle to your body.
Step Two: Brace your core like you’re expecting Thor’s hammer to crash into your abs. Tuck your chin (making that double chin thing your nephew thinks is cool), pull your rib cage toward your hips, squeeze your glutes and push-up while exhaling until your arms are fully extended. Keep your feet together, don’t raise your butt higher than your shoulders and don’t let your shoulders slump or fall out of line with your body.
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