Pump Up Your Chest With This 10-Minute Press-Up Workout
You probably have plenty of fitness goals, but may have written off some of them because you don’t have the time to follow an intense workout plan.
The exercises in this workout target your chest muscles as well as the fronts of your shoulders and the backs of your arms. Because all the moves work the same body parts you’ll get blood flooding to the target muscles, which will give you a great pump.
Even though this workout only lasts ten minutes, it poses a real challenge. The workout requires you to perform press-ups and press-up variations, ideally for three rounds at 30 reps a round, but the workout is structured in such a way that you can tailor it to match your current level and return to it again and again to build up your strength and progress until you can rattle it off with no problem. A worthy goal in anyone’s book.
1. Press-up
Reps: 10 Rest: 0sec
Get into a press-up position with your body in a straight line from head to heels. Make sure your core is braced and your hips aren’t raised because that will take tension off your abs. Also ensure your hips don’t sag because that will place stress on your lower back. Start with your hands directly below your shoulders and, as you lower, keep your elbows in to your sides rather than letting them flare out to the sides. Lower until your chest is almost touching the floor, pause for a second, then press back up powerfully. Complete all ten reps, then go on to the next move without resting.
2. Diamond press-up
Reps: 5 Rest: 0sec
This is similar to a press-up but your hands are placed together so your thumbs and index fingers touch, forming a diamond shape. It’s essential to keep your elbows in to your sides rather than letting them flare out to the sides. If you’re unable to press back up, just do the lowering phase of the move as slowly as you can. Complete all five reps, then go on to the next move without resting.
3. Press-up
Reps: 10 Rest: 0sec
Use the same form as you did for the first set of press-ups. By now you’ll be starting to fatigue so pay attention to your form. Complete all ten reps, then go on to the next move without resting. If you can’t manage ten reps, do as many as you can and then move on to the next exercise.
4. Eccentric press-up
Reps: 5 Rest: 90sec
An eccentric press-up is one where you only do the lowering part of the move. Start in a conventional press-up position, lower to the floor, pause, then reset to start in the top position again. Once you have done five reps you’ve completed one round. Rest for 90 seconds and go again. Aim to complete three rounds in total.
