In the fast-paced world, push notifications are a way for apps to keep you up to date with what is happening. They also help us discover new content and stay connected with our friends. In this article we’ll explore four areas in which users can get more out of their push notification strategy when it comes to survival games on mobile devices such as PUBG Mobile or Fortnite Battle Royale
The “greasing the groove” is a technique that can be used to get more out of your push. It involves turning up the pressure and taking advantage of the moment.
Note from the editor: This is a guest post by Anthony Arvanitakis.
Push-ups are the most manly and fundamental upper-body strength workout. Since the birth of physical conditioning, they’ve been turning boys into men. I won’t go into detail about their advantages (e.g., they don’t need any equipment, they’re wonderful for the whole upper body, etc.) since you already know that. Rather, I’ll be addressing the question, “Why do push-ups yield wonderful results at first, but after a few months, I don’t notice any meaningful progress?”
No more aches and pains, no new muscular growth… You don’t actually feel or seem to be becoming any stronger. All you get is a higher number of repeats, which is the issue! After a certain point, most of you can perform too many push-ups.
“Isn’t that good?” you may wonder. Isn’t increasing the number of repeats an indication of improvement?”
Well, it is debatable. Yes, if you’re attempting to break the Guinness World Record for push-ups. However, if you want a stronger and more defined figure, this is not the way to go. Here’s the deal: if you can perform more than 20 repetitions of any strength-training activity, it simply signifies that the exercise’s intensity is no longer difficult enough for you. You’re not really activating your muscles, which is why you’re not gaining muscle or strength. All you’re doing is increasing your ability to propel yourself off the floor.
Getting More Out of Bodyweight Exercises by Using the Mind-Muscle Connection
Instead of wasting time performing push-ups after push-ups with no actual effect, you may utilize a muscle to make this workout as difficult as it was when you first started. Not only that, but you’ll receive a chest pump like you’ve never felt before by exercising this muscle! What is the name of the muscle? Your mind is the most powerful tool you have! You’ll be able to raise muscular tension and do fewer, but higher-quality repetitions if you master the Mind-to-Muscle Connection. I’ll guide you through this connection and then offer you some pointers on how to utilize it to get the most out of your push-ups.
Cues from the outside vs. internal cues
External Indicators
The majority of individuals pay attention to exterior strength-training stimuli. All training qualities that are a) quantifiable (i.e. repetitions, sets, resting durations, etc.) and b) visible to the naked eye are included in this category (such as using good form while executing the exercise). The importance of external signals cannot be overstated. As a newbie, these should be the first thing you concentrate on doing right. However, after you’ve learned them and the activity has become less difficult, integrating them with internal signals is crucial.
Internal Indicators
Internal cues, or the inner sensory input your body provides during training, are the subject of the Mind-to-Muscle Connection (MMC). The muscular burn you experience during the final repetitions of a workout, for example, is an internal cue. Another is the muscular pump you get after completing a set. Internal signals may assist you in making the workout more challenging without adding more weight, enabling you to continue to improve your strength and muscular growth.
Another fantastic advantage of using internal signals is that you may practice strength-building workouts without putting too much strain on your joints. This is particularly beneficial beyond the age of 30, when joints become more sensitive and prone to damage.
Quality over quantity is the way to go when it comes to building strength.
In a strength-related activity, Mind-to-Muscle strategies will not help you accomplish more repetitions or lift more weight. They, on the other hand, make each exercise more difficult to do. It won’t be easy at first; you’ll have to set aside your pride, since performing fewer repetitions seems less macho. However, doing fewer, more difficult repetitions will result in higher strength gains than performing a large number of simple reps. The quality of your strength and muscular growth is more important than the quantity. Additionally, using MMC cues can offer you a higher sense of control over your body, reduce injury, and allow you to get more out of your exercises. You’ll never want to perform bodyweight workouts like push-ups any other way after you’ve learned how to use it!
Push-ups: 4 Ways to Use the Mind-Muscle Connection
The four most significant internal signals for perfecting the pushup are listed below. Today, experiment with all of the recommendations (one at a time) to obtain a broad knowledge of them. Begin practicing tip #1 the next day, then add one more new cue each day until you’ve mastered them all.
Tip #1 from MMC: Activate Your Pecs
Push-ups are mostly used to produce a robust chest and powerful arms when it comes to shaping your body. However, if you’re like most individuals, you’ll notice that they’re predominantly felt in your shoulders and arms. So, let’s get started by understanding how to engage your pecs correctly.
Arm adduction is the primary function of your chest. What exactly is it? You’ll see what I mean if you do the following exercise (or watch the video below):
- Bring one arm in front of you (elbow straight) and put the fingers of your opposite hand on your chest, just an inch or two above your nipple, starting from a standing posture.
- Start pushing against a wall and towards your body with your arm (i.e., push with your right arm towards the left).
You’ll feel your chest muscle contract almost immediately. Try to learn how to “turn on” your pecs on cue after exercising with the wall. Then, during push-ups, focus on keeping your chest active. Assume a push-up position and activate your chest before beginning the activity. Begin with push-ups and keep your arms active throughout the activity.
MMC Tip #2: Warm Up the Muscles (Scapular Retraction and Depression)
Keeping your shoulders stiff and shrugged is one of the most typical push-up blunders. This not only causes shoulder nerve impingement and neck stress, but it also disables the chest muscles. Scapular retraction (squeezing your shoulder blades together) and depression (pushing them downwards) not only maintain your shoulders in perfect alignment, but they also extend your chest. What is the significance of this? Because hypertrophy is increased when muscular tension is generated from a prolonged condition (muscle growth).
MMC Tip #3: Take a Step Forward
Because I am an amputee, bodyweight activities are more difficult for me (I have a below-the-knee prosthesis on my left leg as you can see in the video below). This is really advantageous to me since it allows me to think in new and innovative ways. For example, I couldn’t put the weight of my lower body on my feet for the first several months after having a prosthesis, so I began placing as much weight on my arms as possible. This is a tremendous game-changer for muscle activation during push-ups, I quickly recognized!
Normally, you raise roughly 60% of your weight with your upper body muscles in a push-up; the remainder is lifted by your legs and hips. However, by leaning forward and putting as much weight on your arms as possible, you can lift up to 80-90 percent of your body weight. That’s a significant change!
In terms of application, all you have to do is experiment to find the right degree of forward leaning that will enable you to complete at least 5 great, challenging repetitions.
Important note: Excessive wrist hyperextension during strength training might lead to long-term problems. Leaning too far forward may hasten the onset of these problems. In general, learning to perform push-ups on your knuckles (or using grips) is highly recommended; not only is it a healthier technique to execute push-ups, but it also improves the range of motion on each rep (you can go deeper).
Tip #4 from MMC: Don’t Lock on Top
When it comes to strength training, there is good cheating and poor cheating. During a push-up, for example, not getting all the way down is considered cheating. Maintaining a little bend in your elbows at the peak of each rep might assist make the exercise more challenging (good cheating). What is the reason behind this? You can relax by straightening your elbows at the top; by keeping them slightly bent at the top, you may maintain tension at all times!
So, instead of resting on your wrists by locking out your elbows in the top position during a set of push-ups, keep them slightly bent. It should just be a few degrees (10°-15°) – just enough to keep the strain in your chest.
Conclusion
There’s no need to wreak havoc on your joints and tendons by doing pointless repetitions with sloppy technique. Always remember that muscular tension outweighs meaningless repetitions when it comes to growing strength. Leave your ego at the door and concentrate on appropriate technique. Begin by learning fundamental (external) technique before moving on to internal clues. Try to stay focused and in the moment. An unfocused exercise, as I like to say, is just half a workout!
There’s no need to wreak havoc on your joints and tendons by doing pointless repetitions with sloppy technique. Always remember that muscular tension outweighs meaningless repetitions when it comes to growing strength. Leave your ego at the door and concentrate on appropriate technique. Begin by learning fundamental (external) technique before moving on to internal clues. Try to stay focused and in the moment. An unfocused exercise, as I like to say, is just half a workout!
Anthony Arvanitakis is a motivating bodyweight strength coach and best-selling author of books like How to Sculpt a Greek God Marble Chest with Push-Ups. On his website, HomemadeMuscle.com (where you can also receive his Free Beginner’s Guide), you can learn more about him.
The “how to grease the groove” is a guide that gives 4 ways to get more from your push. The four methods are: making it harder, adding variety, changing your grip, and using different muscles.
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