Tricep push-ups and regular push-ups on the physioball are my new favorite variation of the traditional push-up.
By using a narrow hand-placement, you can really target the triceps muscles. This variation is shown on a ball, though you can do them on the floor as well.
Starting position for traditional push-up:
Shoulders over palms, arms are lengthened. shoulders are engaged and lengthened away from the ears. Neck is long.
Maintain a straight line in the torso from neck to knees.
Engage the abdominals and Bend the elbows to lower the torso in a straight line to hover above the floor. Return to starting position.
Use the Breath: Exhale on the way down, inhale on the way up. Make sure to breathe!
Plank position on ball:
Shoulders are over palms, pushing away from the floor. Neck is long and inline with the spine. Do not bend in the waist or at the hips. Ball is under pelvis and legs are extended. Feet together.
Use a see-saw action and imagery when doing the push-up.
Exhale as you bend your elbows and lower yourself to the floor. Inhale to push-up and return to the starting position.
For women, in addition to light freeweights, the ball is an excellent prop to use for strength training. It allows for a more effective targeting of muscles and of their ability to work together by supporting a portion of the lower body weight. This lower body weight can be a major obstacle in a woman's exercise regimen. We tend to work out the areas that are easiest while neglecting the areas we would really like to target for toning. The ball provides just the assistance one needs, let's say, to complete 10 push-ups!
Photo courtesy of http://exercise.about.com/od/exerciseworkouts/ss/tricepexercises.htm
