There are benefits to both fast and slow push-ups, so it really depends on your fitness goals and what you are trying to achieve. Here are five reasons why you might choose to do push-ups fast or slow: Reasons to do push-ups fast: increase power and explosiveness, burn more calories,build endurance, increase muscle activation and improve coordination. While the reasons to do push-ups slow include: increase time under tension, better form and technique, build strength, improve mind-muscle connectiona and increase flexibility.
Ultimately, the best approach is to mix up your push-up routine and incorporate both fast and slow reps. This will help to ensure that you are targeting all muscle fibers and achieving a well-rounded workout.
Fast push-ups require your muscles to work quickly and explosively, which can help to improve your power output.
This is because fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are responsible for explosive movements, are recruited during fast push-ups.
By performing fast push-ups, you can train your nervous system to activate these fast-twitch muscle fibers more efficiently, which can translate to improved power and explosiveness in other movements and activities.
For athletes who need to generate force quickly, such as sprinters, basketball players, and football players, incorporating fast push-ups into their training regimen can be especially beneficial.
It can help them to improve their ability to accelerate and change direction quickly, as well as improve their jumping and throwing abilities.
Fast push-ups are a great way to improve your power and explosiveness, which can have a positive impact on your athletic performance and overall fitness level.
Burn more calories.
When you perform push-ups quickly, your heart rate increases and you start to breathe more heavily. This increase in heart rate and respiration helps to burn more calories during the exercise.
As you perform fast push-ups, your body has to work harder to maintain the pace, which requires more energy and burns more calories.
This makes fast push-ups a more effective cardiovascular workout than slow push-ups, as they can help to increase your heart rate and oxygen consumption, which can lead to greater calorie burn.
Moreover, fast push-ups can be incorporated into a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout, in which you perform short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by periods of rest or low-intensity exercise. HIIT has been shown to be an effective way to burn calories and improve cardiovascular health.
Doing push-ups quickly can help you burn more calories, improve your cardiovascular health, and even contribute to weight loss when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise routine.
Build endurance.
When you perform fast push-ups, your muscles have to work harder and faster to maintain the pace, which can help to increase your muscular endurance.
Muscular endurance is the ability of your muscles to work for an extended period of time without becoming fatigued.
By incorporating fast push-ups into your workout routine, you can train your muscles to work at a higher intensity for longer periods of time, which can translate to improved endurance in other exercises and activities.
In addition to improving muscular endurance, fast push-ups can also improve cardiovascular endurance.
When you perform fast push-ups, your heart rate increases and your body starts to use oxygen more efficiently.
Over time, this can lead to an improvement in your cardiovascular fitness, which can help you to maintain high-intensity exercise for longer periods of time.
By pushing your muscles to work quickly through fast push-ups, you can improve your endurance and ability to maintain high-intensity exercise for longer periods of time, leading to improved overall fitness and performance.
Increase muscle activation.
Fast push-ups are a great way to increase muscle activation and stimulate growth because they recruit more fast-twitch muscle fibers.
Fast-twitch muscle fibers are responsible for generating power and explosiveness, and they have a greater potential for growth than slow-twitch muscle fibers.
By performing fast push-ups, you force your muscles to work quickly and explosively, which can activate these fast-twitch muscle fibers and stimulate growth.
This can lead to increased muscle size, strength, and power.
Additionally, fast push-ups can be a great way to add variety to your workout routine and challenge your muscles in new ways.
By varying the speed and intensity of your push-ups, you can target different muscle groups and keep your body guessing, which can lead to increased muscle activation and growth.
Incorporating fast push-ups into your workout routine can be an effective way to increase muscle activation and stimulate growth, particularly in the fast-twitch muscle fibers that have a greater potential for growth.
Improve coordination.
Fast push-ups require more coordination and control than slow push-ups, as you need to maintain proper form and control your movements while moving quickly.
This makes them a great exercise for improving overall athletic performance, as coordination and control are important factors in many sports and activities.
By incorporating fast push-ups into your workout routine, you can improve your coordination and control, which can translate to improved performance in other exercises and activities.
For example, if you play a sport that requires quick movements and changes of direction, improving your coordination and control through fast push-ups can help you to move more efficiently and effectively on the field or court.
In addition to improving coordination and control, fast push-ups can also help to improve overall strength and power, which are important factors in many sports and activities.
By training your muscles to work quickly and explosively, you can improve your ability to generate power and force, which can translate to improved performance in activities like sprinting, jumping, and throwing.
By incorporating fast push-ups into your workout routine, you can improve your coordination, control, strength, and power, leading to improved overall athletic performance.
Reasons to do push-ups Slow.
And here i explain the reasons why you need to do the push ups slow:
Increase time under tension.
When you perform a slow push-up, you are essentially increasing the duration that your muscles are under tension.
Instead of quickly lowering yourself down and pushing up, you take your time to lower your body towards the ground and push up slowly.
This extended time under tension can help to stimulate muscle growth, as it creates more micro-damage to the muscle fibers.
In response, your body repairs and strengthens the muscles, leading to increased muscle mass and strength over time.
Moreover, slow push-ups can improve muscle endurance by increasing the amount of time that your muscles can contract before fatiguing.
This is because slow push-ups require more muscle fibers to be activated and engaged for a longer period of time than fast push-ups, which primarily target the fast-twitch muscle fibers.
By training your muscles to withstand more tension for a longer period, you can improve your overall muscle endurance, making it easier to perform other exercises and activities.
Slow push-ups are an effective way to increase the time under tension on your muscles, which can lead to muscle growth and improved muscle endurance.
Better form and technique.
When you perform slow push-ups, you are forced to pay more attention to your form and technique.
This is because you are moving more slowly and deliberately, which makes it harder to cheat or use momentum to complete the exercise.
As a result, slow push-ups can help you to maintain proper form and alignment throughout the entire movement, which can reduce the risk of injury and ensure that you are targeting the right muscles.
For example, when you perform a slow push-up, you are more likely to engage your core muscles and maintain a straight line from your head to your heels.
This can help to prevent lower back pain and other injuries that may occur if you arch your back or let your hips sag during the exercise.
Additionally, slow push-ups can help you to focus on activating your chest, triceps, and shoulders, which are the primary muscles targeted during this exercise.
By using proper form and technique, you can ensure that you are getting the most out of your push-up workout and avoid unnecessary strain on other parts of your body.
Slow push-ups promote proper form and technique, which can help to reduce the risk of injury and ensure that you are targeting the right muscles.
This is especially important for beginners, who may be more prone to making mistakes or using incorrect form when performing exercises.
Build strength.
Slow push-ups are an effective way to build strength in the upper body, as they require greater control and stability than fast push-ups.
When you perform slow push-ups, you engage your muscles for a longer period of time, which can lead to greater muscle activation and recruitment.
This increased activation can help to build strength and muscle mass in the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core.
In addition, slow push-ups can help you to develop greater control over your body, as you have to maintain proper form and alignment throughout the entire movement.
This increased control can translate to other exercises and activities, making it easier to perform movements that require balance and stability.
Moreover, slow push-ups can be modified to target specific muscle groups and increase the challenge of the exercise.
For example, you can perform push-ups with your hands closer together to target your triceps or with your feet elevated to increase the load on your chest.
Slow push-ups are an effective way to build overall upper body strength and control, making them an important exercise to include in your fitness routine.
Improve mind-muscle connection.
The mind-muscle connection refers to the ability to consciously focus on and feel the muscles contracting during an exercise.
By improving this connection, you can enhance the recruitment of muscle fibers and improve muscle activation, which can lead to increased muscle growth.
When you perform slow push-ups, you have more time to focus on contracting and engaging the muscles throughout the entire movement.
This can help you to develop a better mind-muscle connection and improve your ability to feel the muscles working.
For example, you may be able to better feel your chest muscles contracting during the lowering phase of the push-up and your triceps contracting during the pushing phase.
Over time, this improved mind-muscle connection can lead to greater muscle activation and growth. By focusing on the muscles during each repetition, you can ensure that you are getting the most out of your workout and targeting the right muscle groups.
Slow push-ups can help to improve the mind-muscle connection, which can lead to greater muscle activation and growth.
By consciously focusing on the muscles during each repetition, you can ensure that you are getting the most out of your workout and improving your overall fitness level.
Increase flexibility.
Slow push-ups can be an effective way to increase flexibility and joint mobility in the upper body.
When you perform slow push-ups, you are required to move through a greater range of motion than you would during fast push-ups.
This increased movement can help to stretch and strengthen the muscles and joints involved in the exercise, leading to greater flexibility over time.
For example, during the lowering phase of the push-up, you are required to move your chest closer to the ground, which can help to stretch the chest muscles and improve shoulder mobility.
During the pushing phase, you are required to extend your arms fully, which can help to stretch the triceps and improve elbow mobility.
Over time, performing slow push-ups can help to increase your overall flexibility and range of motion, which can improve your posture, reduce the risk of injury, and enhance your performance in other exercises and activities.
Slow push-ups can be an effective way to increase flexibility and joint mobility in the upper body. By moving through a greater range of motion during the exercise, you can stretch and strengthen the muscles and joints involved, leading to greater flexibility over time.
Slow Push-Ups |
Fast Push-Ups |
|---|---|
| 1. Focus on muscle activation and control | 1. Focus on muscular endurance and power |
| 2. Target slow-twitch muscle fibers for endurance | 2. Target fast-twitch muscle fibers for explosive strength |
| 3. Ideal for beginners and those with limited strength | 3. Ideal for advanced athletes and those seeking a challenge |
| 4. Emphasize proper form and technique | 4. Require greater coordination and control |
| 5. Allow for greater time under tension for muscle growth | 5. Help to improve cardiovascular endurance |
| 6. Can be used for rehabilitation and injury prevention | 6. Add variety and challenge to your workout routine |
| 7. Can be performed with a wider range of motion | 7. Can be performed with greater speed and explosiveness |
| 8. Allow for more precise targeting of specific muscle groups | 8. Help to improve overall athletic performance |
| 9. Can be performed with less risk of injury | 9. Provide a greater metabolic challenge for fat burning |
| 10. Can be used for muscle activation and warm-up | 10. Help to increase muscle activation and stimulate growth |
| 11. Can be done anywhere, with no equipment required | 11. Can be a time-efficient workout option |
| 12. Can be modified to make easier or more challenging | 12. Allow for greater variety and progression |
| 13. Promote mindfulness and mind-body connection | 13. Can be used for high-intensity interval training |
| 14. Help to improve posture and stability | 14. Can be used for plyometric training |
| 15. Can be performed for a longer duration without fatigue | 15. Help to increase power and explosiveness |
| 16. Can be used for active recovery and cooldown | 16. Can help to prevent muscle imbalances |
| 17. Can be incorporated into a yoga or Pilates practice | 17. Can be done as part of a bodyweight circuit |
| 18. Can help to improve joint health and mobility | 18. Can be used for pre-workout activation |
| 19. Can be used for isometric holds and slow negatives | 19. Can be used for post-workout metabolic conditioning |
| 20. Can be a low-impact exercise option | 20. Can be used to increase overall fitness and performance |
| 21. Can be used for active rest between sets | 21. Can be used for explosive power development |
| 22. Can be used for muscle endurance training | 22. Can be used to increase anaerobic capacity |
| 23. Can be used for muscle hypertrophy training | 23. Can be used as a conditioning tool for sports performance |
| 24. Can be used for core strength training | 24. Can be used as a finisher to a workout |
| 25. Can be done as part of a full-body workout | 25. Can be used as a warm-up for a workout |
| 26. Can help to improve overall body awareness | 26. Can be used to increase overall strength |
| 27. Can be done with added weight for increased resistance | 27. Can be used for agility and speed training |
| 28. Can be done with one arm for increased difficulty | 28. Can be used for explosive power development |
| 29. Can be used to help correct muscle imbalances | 29. Can be used for hypertrophy training |
| 30. Can be done in a variety of hand positions for variation | 30. Can be used as a challenge for mental toughness |
| 31. Can help to improve joint stability and mobility | 31. Can be used for metabolic conditioning |
| 32. Can be used for active recovery between workouts | 32. Can be used to increase anaerobic power |
| 33. Can be used for injury prevention and rehabilitation | 33. Can be used for conditioning in combat sports |
| 34. Can be used for muscle activation before exercise | 34. Can be used for conditioning in team sports |
| 35. Can be done with isometric holds for added challenge | 35. Can be used for conditioning in individual sports |
| 36. Can help to improve overall body strength and conditioning | 36. Can be used for conditioning in endurance sports |
| 37. Can be incorporated into a stretching routine | 37. Can be used for conditioning in power sports |
| 38. Can be used for mobility and flexibility training | 38. Can be used to improve explosiveness |
| 39. Can be done with a pause at the bottom for added difficulty | 39. Can be used for conditioning in speed sports |
| 40. Can help to improve mind-muscle connection and focus | 40. Can be used for conditioning in agility sports |
I hope this more extensive chart is helpful to you!
Science behinde them- related vidoe here ^^
Conclusion
After exploring the benefits of both slow and fast push-ups, it’s clear that both styles have their advantages.
Slow push-ups are ideal for beginners, those with limited strength, and individuals seeking rehabilitation or injury prevention.
They emphasize proper form, allow for greater time under tension, and can be performed with a wider range of motion.
Fast push-ups, on the other hand, are better suited for advanced athletes and individuals seeking a challenge.
They target fast-twitch muscle fibers for explosive strength, help to improve cardiovascular endurance, and can provide a greater metabolic challenge for fat burning.
Ultimately, the ideal speed for your push-ups will depend on your fitness level, workout goals, and personal preferences.
So, whether you choose to go slow or fast, make sure to prioritize proper form and technique, and enjoy the benefits of this classic exercise.
