E104-Why Men Should Do Press Ups

In this short discussion, I share my thoughts on why all men, young and old should participate in various forms of chest / pectoral exercises, or better yet...just do press ups.

During a recent routine visit to my GP, I sat in the waiting room for approximately fifteen minutes, whereby on two occasions I saw parents bringing their son's in.

Both boys were overweight with clearly visible excess fatty tissue on their upper torsos, namely the chest area / pectorals.

The build up of fat in their chest area, was so advanced, given their age (about 12 to 13 years) that even with t shirts on, it was unhealthy at worst and unsightly at best.

Hopefully the parents were taking them to the GP with this physiological issue in mind.

The correct term for this is condition is Gynecomastia an imbalance of the hormones estrogen and testosterone in men or boys, causing the appearance of female breast tissue in the chest.

To fix gynecomastia, lifestyle changes like exercise and diet may help, but the condition often requires medical intervention. Treatments include medication for hormonal imbalances, and for more persistent cases, surgical options like liposuction (to remove fat) or mastectomy (to remove glandular tissue) may be considered. 

Exercise or more specifically strength based movements, from bodyweight resistance to free weights are essential to assist with the fight against the dreaded 'man boobs' condition, which is currently on the increase.

Here's where PRESS UPS or PUSH UPS can help reduce the build up of excess fatty tissue here. Whilst this healthy intervention may not be 100% guaranteed to rid men's body's of Gynecomastia, it will certainly improve strength and aesthetics.

The best things about press ups, are they're free to do and take little to zero set up and instruction.

HOW TO START PRESS UPS -

Start with 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions, 3 times per week, ideally with only your hands and toes / balls of feet in contact with the floor. Should you find this too challenging to start with, try putting your knees on the floor, to help, effectively reducing the amount of weight / resistance, until you are strong enough to go back onto your feet.

Lower your torso by flexing elbows to 90 degrees, or if feeling strong enough, lower down until your chest touches the floor.

Exhale as you press back up to the starting position, maintaining a straight body from head to toe.

By week 2, aim for 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps, maintaining good form as always. Your chest, triceps, front shoulders, upper back and core strength will definitely be getting stronger already, as you will be experiencing rapid physiological adaptations, being that you are new to this superb strength based bodyweight exercise.

When you can competently complete 3 sets of 20 reps, try adding slow descent and fast ascents to restimulate the muscles involved.

Good luck and get to it......TODAY

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