Morning & Bedtime Pushup Workouts

Pushups can help you build strength and endurance in your chest, shoulders, triceps and core. They're an exercise you can do as a warm-up to your weight training routine or as a stand-alone exercise. If you're committing to a morning and bedtime pushup routine, there are many versions of this exercise to add challenge and variety to your workout.

  1. Correct Pushup Form

    • Correct form for traditional pushups is to have your hands slightly wider than shoulder width with your fingers facing forwards. Your head, neck, back and hips should be in one straight line. Keep your abdominlas tight to engage your core muscles and try to avoid letting your hips pop up or sag forward. Different pushup variations may require a change in hand placement.

    Good Morning Muscles

    • After a good night's sleep your muscles are well rested but still cold. Warm up first with a few minutes of light cardio and then do two sets of traditional pushups to failure. Next, elevate your feet on the bed, chair or exercise ball to for decline pushups. Do two sets of decline pushups to failure with 30 to 60 seconds rest in between. Finally, increase the difficulty again with plyometric clap pushups. Start out like a traditional pushup. Use all your strength to push your upper body off the floor, clap your hands and then catch your body as it comes down. Slowly lower back down and repeat; do two sets to failure.

    Time for Bed

    • For bedtime pushups, warm up again with two sets of traditional pushups to failure. Rest for 30 to 60 seconds and then up the challenge with diamond pushups. Diamond pushups change the focus to your tricep muscles and add extra challenge to your chest muscles. Start in traditional pushup position but place your hands close together under your chest and touch your thumbs and index fingers to make a diamond shape. Push up until your arms are straight and slowly lower back down. Do two sets to failure with a 30 to 60 second rest in between. Another effective pushup is the stability ball pushup. By placing your hands on a stability ball, you increase the challenge to your chest, arms and core muscles by adding instability to the pushup. Place your hands on a stability ball about shoulder width and extend your arms until they are straight. Keep your body straight as you lower back down to starting. Do two sets to failure.

    Pushup Precautions

    • If you do pushups in the morning and at bedtime it's possible you may get sore muscles. If the soreness is intense, take day or two off to let the pain subside. If some of the pushup variations are too difficult, modify the exercises by doing them on your knees until your strength improves. Check with your doctor to make sure you are healthy enough for exercise and never work through sharp pains.