Fastest Push Up and Sit Up Exercises for Beginners

The bad news is they are hard, but the good news is, if practiced consistently, pushups and situps are some of the easiest skills for your body to get used to doing. Improvement is rapid and physique changes are stunning. What's more, you can do them anywhere, at just about any time.

  1. Start on Your Knees

    • Start with the bent knee pushup. After you can do three sets of 10 bent-knee pushups, start doing one non-bent-knee pushup followed by nine done on your knees. Always do the hard part first. Next, try to do two without using your knees and then eight with bent knees. Only progress when you are doing your pushups with a straight back, not sagging, piking or snaking. Touch your chest all the way to the floor, straightening your arms completely. You will improve fastest if you give your arms one or two days between workouts to recover and get stronger.

    Use a Power Rack

    • If you have a power rack you can use, here is another option. Place a barbell in a power rack at chest height. Do 10 to 12 pushups with good form touching the bar with your chest. When you can do three sets of 12, you can lower the bar a notch. Start at two sets of 10, progress to three sets of 12, then lower the bar another notch. Keep at it until you can do some on the floor. Build up to five good pushups on the floor, then progress to three sets of five.

    Gentle Crunches

    • Lie face up on the floor with your knees bent. Put your hands behind your head. Pull your shoulder blades and your elbows back without arching your lower back. Keep your elbows in this position the entire exercise. Engage your abs and tuck your chin slightly. Slowly bring your head and shoulders off the mat, pulling your ribcage toward your hips. Curl up until you lift your upper back off the mat. Slowly return to the start position. Repeat 10 times. Rest and do two more sets of 10.

    Have a Ball

    • Lie on a large exercise ball, with your shoulders, back and tailbone on the ball. Your feet should be shoulder width apart, flat on the floor, and your knees bent. Put your hands behind your head and squeeze your shoulder blades together, pulling your elbows back. Keep your arms in this position throughout the skill. Curl your ribs forward toward your thighs. Hold for a second, then slowly uncurl and lower back to the ball. Do 10 repetitions. Rest and repeat for a total of three sets of 10.