With the Stay Home Order still in place, some of us have been dusting off our old set of weights and resistance bands at home. There are also a handful of workout challenges that have been going around Facebook or Instagram. One such challenge is the #PushUpChallenge. The challenge is quite simple. You do 20 pushups; you record yourself doing them. In return, you post the video on your page and tag your friends. It is a great way to stay active while not having the benefits of gyms or other equipment available.
There are ways to maximize your performance while doing push ups without creating shoulder pain. Shoulder pain while doing pushups, the acromioclavicular joint (AC joint) usually takes the most pressure if the push up done with the elbows close to 90 degrees (compare to your torso). Also avoid shrugging your shoulder while doing the pushups as it protracts (rotates forward) the scapula, adding more pressure on the AC joint.
To avoid causing shoulder pain, tuck your elbow to 45-60 degrees to isolate and focus on the pectoralis major. This position alleviates pressure on the AC joint and focuses on the pectoralis major.
You could also tuck your elbow as close to your torso as possible to be more triceps dominant.
Try these out the next time you do pushups. This is also good technique to keep in mind when doing regular bench press, incline or decline bench press once the gyms are opened back up!
If you have questions about your form contact us! We’d love to hear from you.