The pushup is a bodyweight exercise that tells a story.
Pushups are one of the least glamorous movements I can think of, yet are one of the most difficult to execute properly. Performing them well tells me a lot about your athletic foundation.
I rely on pushups to assess a clients’ mobility, stability and whole body strength. I also use them to evaluate attitude and coach-ability.
Quality of form tells me how committed one is to excellence and performance because improvement requires consistent and patient effort.
Since the pushup is a basic movement, it’s often taken for granted or ignored altogether. This is why all of my clients get some variation of pushups in their programs and we include them in warmups often.
I want everyone I work with to master this exercise.
Sloppy movement suggests a casual interest in physical capability and a degree of apathy. This carries over into other areas of life. Think about that the next time you train in the gym or work on anything meaningful. What’s the quality of your effort like and are you getting the results you want?
If you want something in your life to improve, give it more love and attention. Start with your pushups.