Question

When performing a shoulder hand spacing push up versus a closer hand spacing with hands positioned closer to the mid torso, how does this effect activation within the; Pectoralis Major and Minor differ . Also, if using the shoulder hand spacing push up what happens to muscle activation within The Pectoralis Major and Minor when you; elevate your feet, elevate your hands?

Answer 1

Push-ups are an effective excersise that uses your own body wieght to target serval key muscle groups and effectively build strength and muscle mass whne performed in a proper form.

Push ups are of diffrent variations to target different muscle groups.

Two mucles are form the pecs - the pectoralis major spans from the shoulder to the middle of the chest, and the pectoralis minor is on the outer edge of the chest, just behind the peactoralis major.

1)Standard Push (shoulder width pushup)

• This is the most common type of push up.
• In this pushup pectoralis major and the triceps brachii are mainy worked.
• It also activates the stabilizing muscles such as-biceps,rectus abdominus, obliques,quadriceps, erector spinae.

2)Wide-Grip Push up (placing hands wider than the shoulder)

• When compared to standard pushup this wide grip push is found be giving a less mucle activation in the pectoralis major and triceps branchii.
• But in wide grip push up there is a 20% more activation of biceps than in a standard push up.
• This has a lesser activation of pectoralis minor than standard push up.

3)Close-Grip Push ups

• Close grip push ups gives a 10% greater pectoralis major and 15% greater triceps branchii activation than a standard push up.
• This close grip push ups can give a more activation to the pectoralis minor(a smaller muscle deeper inside the chest than the pectoralis major) and infraspinus mucle( a major muscle of the rotator cuff)
• This push is the most effective and safest pushup.
• This push up is good for building pectoralis minor than a standard push up.

There is also low pushup( keeping the hands lower to the frame of the body) and high push up (keeping the hnds above the frame of the body).

• In low push up there is less triceps activation and more pectoralis major activation.
• In high push up the triceps and pectoralis are activated more than a standard pushup.

4)Inclined pushups(the upper body is elevated)

• It activates the lower chest and back muscles more.
• In this excersice the pectoralis minor is more activated .
• This pushup is easier than a regular pushup and is mainlydone for beginners and a higher rep range can be acheived.

5)Declined pushups (the lower body is elevated)

• It activates the upper chest muscles and front shoulder muscles more.
• In this excersise the pectoralis major is more activated.
• This push up targets the upper chest and fronts of shoulder more aggressively than a regular push-up.
• The higher your feet are the harder the decline push up and this is due to the reqirement of a much more shoulder stability.