Push-Ups

Visualization

Andre Turan, the only American to earn a world record for the most push-ups on the back of his hands while carrying a 40-pound pack (he did 40), says that:

“The body has a much greater wisdom and capacity than our thoughts limit us to. So by going outside of the box in picturing difficult movements or feats of endurance, we can picture ideals that the body can slowly accept as a new normal. It’s not complex. You just take time to sit and feel the movement in your mind’s eye in between sets of training, sharpening the kinesthetic experience with each trial. Even when you’re exhausted, doing this for five minutes can make a tangible difference. You have to make the achievement a must — as if your life depended on it.”

Common Mistakes

Some of the most common mistakes, according to experts:

• Going too fast
• Dropping down too low
• Not raising up high enough
• Leading with the head
• Misplaced hands
• Flaring the elbows too far out from the body
• Dropping the hips
• Piking, or lifting the rear up
• Relaxing core muscles