Fast and Furious Fitness

These can be a tough one to work up to as well! Reverse pushups strengthen the entire back and core. . . especially the muscles of the upper back, and along the spine, when done in correct form. This movement is also excellent for strengthening the shoulder joint and increasing flexibility in that region. Here is a “step-by-step” on how to perform these: -

- Start off by lying on your back with your palms turned backwards, as if you were about to perform a gymnastic bridge.
- Your heels should be under your buttocks, and the legs should obviously be bent.
- The idea then is to push up, towards the ceiling - with your back muscles, using your arms merely for support purposes. At the “top” position, your arms should be fully extended, and back straight; your entire core should be tight, and facing the ceiling.
- From that position, gently lower back down until your upper back (not head!!) touches the ground. Repeat for as many reps as needed!
- The breathing is inhale on the way up, exhale on the way down.

Note: These can be tough to do without pictures, which I plan on adding in the future. However, something to keep in mind is not to push yourself up with your shoulders/arms, instead, try to push with the back muscles (similar to a proper pull up where the back muscles do the pulling instead of the arms). This not only gives you a better workout, but also reduces the chances of injury to the shoulder joint.

Have at!!

Rahul