Shine OnHow to do push-ups like a girl: 10-year-old bests cadet in contest
When a young girl challenges you to a push-up contest, don’t underestimate her.
Kaylyn Mintz, 10, showed off her impressive fitness level at a fundraiser for Active Heroes at a Wilmington, North Carolina mall on September 6.
Mintz challenged a male JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) cadet to a push-up contest — and won.
Police officer Kimberly Munley recorded the face-off.
"This little girl is my new hero!!!" Munley wrote on Facebook.
After the video of the push-up showdown went viral, it was revealed that young Mintz is a competitive gymnast who will soon be trying out for the Junior Olympic Gymnastic Team. She regularly does push-ups in practice.
And while we’re not really interested in taking on military personnel — in flip-flops! — adding push-ups to our workout routines is probably a good idea.
The push-up has the reputation of being “the world’s greatest exercise,” as it works the entire body and requires no equipment aside from the body itself.
"The push-up is the ultimate barometer of fitness. It tests the whole body, engaging muscle groups in the arms, chest, abdomen, hips and legs. It requires the body to be taut like a plank with toes and palms on the floor. The act of lifting and lowering one’s entire weight is taxing even for the very fit," Tara Parker-Pope wrote for the New York Times in 2008.
Push-ups can also help us age gracefully — muscles weaken with time, but increasing strength “can stave off the decline" — better recover from falls, and even build bone density:
"A push-up is considered a resistance exercise, so in addition to muscle strengthening, you also get bone-building effects. It can be as effective as working out with weights," personal trainer Jessica Bottesch tells WebMD.
Perhaps best of all, push-ups are free.
If you’re intimidated by the mighty push-up, first start by perfecting your push-up posture, then seek out a simple strength-building routine.
Women’s Health describes perfect push-up form:
"Get into plank position, with your hands under but slightly outside of your shoulders. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor. As you lower yourself, tuck your elbows, pulling them close to your body so that your upper arms form a 45-degree angle when your torso is in the bottom position of the move. Pause, then push back to the starting position as quickly as possible. Keep your core braced the entire time.”
If your hips sag at any point, your form has broken.
Because form is key, beginners or people with any sort of physical limitations might want to modify their push-ups rather than risk injury attempting traditional ones.
Real Simple suggests laying down a towel or yoga mat and doing push-ups on your knees:
"Get down on all fours and place your hands on the floor, slightly in front of your shoulders, fingers pointing forward. Lift up your feet and cross your ankles. Keeping your abdominal muscles contracted, lower toward the floor until your chest is three inches from the ground; push yourself back up to the starting position."
Personal trainer Rachel Buschert Vaziralli demonstrates the modified push-up in the following Howcast workout video:
Nerd Fitness encourages beginners to start with wall push-ups:
"Just like with a regular push-up, clench your butt, brace your abs, and set your hands on a wall at a width that’s wider than shoulder-width apart. Walk backwards with your feet until your arms are fully extended and supporting your weight (generally one decent sized step back with both feet will suffice). Keeping the rest of your body in a straight line, steadily lower yourself towards the wall until your nose almost touches the wall, and then explode back up to the starting position.”
When you’ve mastered wall push-ups, move on to elevated push-ups — or “incline push-ups" — where your hands are on an elevated surface like a kitchen table or bench.
Once you’ve found a push-up form you’re comfortable with, find a routine that works for you.
HundredPushUps.com offers a six-week plan to help increase your reps until you can do 100 consecutive push-ups. A free app can help you count push-ups and track your progress.
My husband and I are on Week 2 of the program. So far, so good.
And when you’re ready to up your push-up game, here are three variations sure to challenge you.
How many push-ups can you do?
