Learn to Perform a Perfect Pushup

Happy Friday,

Welcome back to the Tactile Training Newsletter! This week, your pectorals are going to be popping. To make that happen, we are diving into the art of the pushup. I’ll be using detailed tactile descriptions to help you learn how to perfect the form. I will also cover pushup progressions and modifications so you can learn no matter where you are on your fitness journey. As always, this will be added into the Tactile Training Functional Workout Plan for you to try.

Tactile Training: The Pushup and the Pectorals

• The pushup is a bodyweight exercise that primarily targets the chest or pectoral muscles, shoulders or deltoid muscles, and the triceps muscles. All of these muscles are put to work while engaging your core for stability and strength.

• Your pectorals are located on the front of your torso, just above your ribcage. To feel them, place your hands on the upper part of your chest just below your collarbones and press your palms gently into your body. The muscles you feel there are your pectorals.

• Pushups are a fantastic full-body movement to build upper-body strength, improve core stability, and enhance overall endurance. They can be modified or progressed to suit your fitness level, making them a highly versatile exercise.

• My mission is to make exercise accessible. Today, we’ll use tactile cues to build strength and stability while mastering the pushup!

Step One: Lay on the floor in a Prone Position

• Begin by finding a flat, stable surface that is clear of debris to perform this exercise. If you’re working on a hard floor, consider placing a yoga mat, towel, or soft padding underneath your body to reduce discomfort.

• A prone lying position is face down meaning your belly, chest, hips, thighs, and face are all facing and or in contact with the floor. Your back and butt is facing the sky or ceiling.

• Once we are in a prone position we can move on to our next step.

Step Two: Bring hands should width apart

• From the prone position, we need to now move our hands to be shoulder width apart. You can do this by spreading your fingers wide and placing them flat on the floor.

• Slowly slide your open palms downward on the floor alongside your torso until your thumbs are roughly in line with your nipples. Your elbows should be bent and up off of the ground. Your hands should be spread wide apart and feel as if they are immediately underneath your shoulders and right alongside your chest.

• Next, we will position the rest of our body.

Step Three: Position your feet and brace your core

• Now that are hands are in position and we are prone, we need to adjust the rest of our body. Bring your feet and thighs together as if you are trying to hug an almond between your legs. You should feel your feet and thighs squeezing together.

• Next, you will flex your toes upwards towards your nose as if you are digging your toes into the ground from this position. Unless you are performing a modified kneeling pushup, we will be doing the pushup from our toes, so we need to have them ready to receive your body weight.

• Unless performing a modified kneeling pushup, lift your knees off of the ground so they are no longer resting on the floor but rather hovering a few inches above it.

• Now, you will squeeze your glutes or butt cheeks together as if you are trying to squeeze an almond between them. I know it sounds weird, but this is an important part of bracing your core. You should feel your butt cheeks tense up.

• The last thing you need to do before we perform our first pushup is to brace your stomach. To do this, imagine someone is about to hit you in the gut. If you brace for impact, you will feel your stomach and core tighten. Do this now.

Step Four: Push yourself upwards off of the ground

• Press downwards through your open palms and fingers into the floor. As you press downwards, you will feel your body begin to move upwards towards the sky or ceiling.

• Focus on keeping your body in one straight line and maintaining the tension we created before the repetition began. Your core should stay engaged throughout the motion to prevent your hips or lower back from sagging. Use your chest and arms to power the movement.

• Continue to push yourself upwards until your arms are fully extended and you are as far away from the floor as possible. Avoid locking your elbows out at this end range of motion. Once you have reached this position, it is time for our next step, the return downwards.

Step Five: Return to starting position and repeat

• Following the same path up, slowly allow yourself to return back to the starting position. As you move towards the ground, continue to maintain the straight line and tension throughout the core. This will help keep our hips even and form proper.

• Your chest should lead the motion and you will feel it getting closer to the ground. Your chest should hover just above the floor without touching it at the bottom of the repetition.

• You may then immediately push upwards again to repeat this exercise and perform a second repetition. Continue to repeat this process for eight to ten repetitions, or as many as you can comfortably perform with good form. Remember to:

  • Move slowly and maintain control.

  • Keep your breathing steady. Inhale as you lower yourself and exhale as you press back up.

• When you are ready to rest, fully release to the ground and relax. Great work! You’ve completed your first set of pushups.

• For additional tactile feedback, I recommend placing a small object such as a book, cell phone, or yoga block on the lower back to make sure you are moving your body evenly throughout repetitions. If the item slides off or moves forward or backwards, you are not maintaining a strong and even core throughout the movement. Try to perform the repetitions without the object moving.

Step Six: Optional Modification for Beginners (Kneeling Pushup)

• If performing a full pushup feels too challenging, you can modify the exercise by keeping your knees on the ground. Return to step three and make one simple change.

  • Instead of lifting your knees off of the ground, you will keep both knees in contact with the floor and throughout the entire movement. You will perform everything else exactly the same.

  • This modification reduces the weight being lifted and allows you to build strength progressively. Once you can perform ten to fifteen repetitions on your knees, you can begin to work your way up to a full pushup with your knees off of the ground.

Step Six: Optional Progressions (Weighted or Elevated Pushup)

• Once you feel confident with full pushups, you can make them more challenging by adding resistance, elevation, or both.

  • Elevated Feet Pushup: Place your feet on an elevated surface, such as a low bench or the first step of a set of stairs. Your hands will remain on the ground. This increases the difficulty by shifting more weight to your upper body. The higher the elevation of your feet, the harder the challenge. Try walking your feet up one step at a time for a gradual increase in difficulty.

  • Weighted Pushup: Place a small weight, such as a backpack or sandbag on your upper back to add resistance. Be sure to keep proper form and avoid adding weight until you can perform pushups with confidence.

Tactile cues and descriptive movements such as this can be used to help make fitness more accessible. If you are interested in learning other exercises and ways to describe movements, let me know!

Weekly Challenge: Tactile Training Workout

Now its time to include today’s exercise into the Tactile Training Functional Workout Plan. With every newsletter, we will continue building a progressive and functional workout challenge you can use at home or in the classroom. If you are an educator or parent of an individual who is blind or visually impaired, try this routine out for yourself!

If you’d like to revisit tactile cueing instructions covered in previous newsletters, you can find them at the following link: https://tactiletraining.beehiiv.com/

As always, please consult a physician’s approval before beginning any new exercise program. Participation is voluntary and at individual’s own risk.

• The workout is the following:

  • Perform 10 Pushups (Option to modify or perform progression if desired)

  • Perform 10 bodyweight squats

  • Perform 10 split squats with both legs leading and trailing (Option to perform weighted progression)

  • Perform 10 calf raises (Option to perform weighted progression)

  • Perform a fifteen to thirty second plank hold based on your ability. (Option to perform a kneeling plank regression if needed).

  • Perform 10 Glute Bridges (Option to perform single-leg progression if desired).

  • Perform 10 Bird Dogs (Option to perform knee to elbow progression if desired).

  • Rest 30 seconds and repeat for three rounds total.  

• The cooldown stretching routine is the following:

  • Perform a supine hamstring stretch for thirty to sixty seconds and repeat on the other side.

  • (Option to repeat for up to three rounds)

If you enjoy this content or want a specific exercise described in a future post, respond to this email and let me know!

I hope you enjoyed this week’s newsletter and workout program! If you have questions or suggestions for future newsletters; contact me at [email protected]. Until next time!

- Coach Brandon