When you attend a Yoga class you will more than likely be doing some sort of Sun Salutation that has chaturanga push ups in it. If you are not familiar with this move here is a quick rundown:
Chaturanga is the transitional pose between plank and upward facing dog, and it forms part of the vinyasa flow.It does have a strength building side effect but it does become increasingly challenging when you start to fatigue, Because of the nature of the transition, it is easy to get away with less than ideal form, which can cause repetitive stress injuries in the shoulders over time. The best way to prevent those injuries is to build strength. How can you build your strength to become better in yoga?? You first need to master the push up!
What many people don’t realize in doing push-ups is that the main driving force behind the movement are your triceps. They extend, stabilize, and resist flexion of the elbow. They contribute to poses like side plank, arm balances, handstand, and forearm stand. Your ability to perform multiple full range of motion push ups directly correlates to your strength in those types of poses.
Here are five basic points of performance for a push up.
Starting in a plank:
- Shoulders stacked over wrists
- Belly button and front ribs lifting towards spine
As you lower halfway:
- Elbows hugging close to side ribs
- Active legs
- Broad chest
Having the proper form is the key to making this transition easier on all your muscles as well as building the motor skills to build strength. If you don’t have a full push up yet don’t worry, you can modify it with doing push ups from your knees or hand release push ups.
Learning how to build the chest, shoulder, and triceps can require you to hit different muscle groups to facilitate growth and strength. If you want to become better you need to do accessory work to train your body to perform the movement that you want it to do. For example, if you want a stronger push up, do deficit ones. Also you can add in ring push ups for more shoulder stability work. Taking time to really train what you need to work in a movement is critical for you to allow yourself to be set up for success !!!
Push ups for Chaturangas!