Negative Pushups: Building Strength, Improving Control, and Mastering the Full Pushup

How to do negative pushups?

Negative pushups, also known as eccentric pushups, involve focusing solely on the lowering phase of the pushup, providing a powerful method to build strength, improve control, and progress towards full pushups by leveraging the greater strength of muscles during eccentric contractions.

What are Negative Pushups?

Negative pushups isolate the eccentric (lowering) phase of the movement. During this phase, your muscles are lengthening under tension, which is a period where your muscles are significantly stronger than during the concentric (pushing up) phase. By concentrating on a slow, controlled descent, negative pushups overload the target muscles, facilitating strength gains, muscle hypertrophy, and neuromuscular adaptation without requiring the concentric strength to push back up. This makes them an excellent training tool for individuals who cannot yet perform a full pushup, or for advanced trainees looking to enhance muscle development and control.

Why Incorporate Negative Pushups?

Integrating negative pushups into your training regimen offers several distinct advantages rooted in exercise physiology:

• Building Foundational Strength: For those struggling with full pushups, negatives allow you to train the specific movement pattern and build the requisite strength in the chest, shoulders, and triceps, bridging the gap to a complete pushup.
• Enhanced Muscle Hypertrophy: Eccentric contractions are known to cause greater muscle damage and subsequent adaptation, leading to increased muscle protein synthesis and hypertrophy (muscle growth). The controlled lowering phase maximizes time under tension, a key driver for muscle development.
• Improved Neuromuscular Control: Performing a slow, controlled negative requires significant mind-muscle connection and stability. This enhances proprioception and kinesthetic awareness, improving overall body control and coordination.
• Injury Prevention: Strengthening muscles and connective tissues through eccentric loading can make them more resilient to future stresses, potentially reducing the risk of injury during more dynamic movements.

Muscles Engaged

Negative pushups primarily target the same muscle groups as a traditional pushup, with an emphasis on their eccentric function:

• Primary Movers:
  • Pectoralis Major (Chest): Responsible for horizontal adduction and flexion of the shoulder joint as you lower your body.
  • Anterior Deltoid (Front of Shoulder): Assists the pectoralis major in shoulder flexion and internal rotation.
  • Triceps Brachii (Back of Upper Arm): Extends the elbow, controlling the bend as you descend.
• Stabilizers:
  • Serratus Anterior: Protracts and rotates the scapula, crucial for shoulder blade stability.
  • Coracobrachialis: Assists in shoulder flexion and adduction.
  • Rotator Cuff Muscles (Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor, Subscapularis): Provide stability to the shoulder joint.
  • Abdominals (Rectus Abdominis, Obliques): Maintain a rigid torso and prevent hip sagging.
  • Glutes and Quadriceps: Contribute to overall body rigidity and a straight line from head to heels.

Step-by-Step Guide to Performing Negative Pushups

Proper form is paramount to maximize effectiveness and minimize injury risk.

• Starting Position:
  • Begin in a standard pushup position: hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, fingers pointing forward, aligned with your chest.
  • Your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels. Engage your core, glutes, and quadriceps to maintain this rigid plank position.
  • Look slightly forward to keep a neutral neck alignment.
• The Eccentric Phase (Lowering):
  • Slowly and deliberately lower your chest towards the floor by bending your elbows. Aim for a count of 3-5 seconds for the descent.
  • Keep your elbows tucked closer to your body (around a 45-degree angle to your torso) rather than flaring them out to the sides.
  • Maintain the straight body line throughout the descent, preventing your hips from sagging or rising.
  • Lower until your chest lightly touches the floor or you reach your maximum comfortable depth, ensuring your shoulder blades retract.
• Resetting for the Next Repetition:
  • Once at the bottom, push yourself back up to the starting position using your knees, hands, or by simply standing up. The goal is not to perform a concentric pushup here.
  • Reset your body into the perfect plank position before initiating the next negative repetition.
• Repetitions and Sets:
  • Aim for 3-5 sets of 5-8 repetitions. Focus on quality over quantity, ensuring each negative is controlled and slow.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Loss of Core Engagement: Allowing your hips to sag or arching your lower back compromises spinal integrity and reduces the exercise's effectiveness. Maintain a strong, rigid plank.
• Flaring Elbows: Letting your elbows point directly out to the sides places undue stress on your shoulder joints and rotator cuff. Keep them at approximately a 45-degree angle.
• Too Fast Descent: Rushing the negative phase negates the primary benefit of eccentric overload. The slower and more controlled the descent, the more effective the exercise.
• Incomplete Range of Motion: Not lowering your chest fully to the floor reduces the muscle activation and the training stimulus. Aim for a full, controlled descent.

Progression and Regression

Negative pushups are themselves a regression from a full pushup, but they can be further modified:

• Regression (Making it Easier):
  • Incline Negative Pushups: Perform the negative pushup with your hands elevated on a stable surface (e.g., a bench, sturdy chair, or wall). The higher the incline, the easier the movement.
  • Knee Negative Pushups: Start in a pushup position on your knees, maintaining a straight line from knees to head, and perform the eccentric phase.
  • Shorter Range of Motion (Initially): If a full descent is too challenging, start by lowering as far as you can with good form, then gradually increase the depth.
• Progression (Making it Harder):
  • Slower Descent: Increase the time under tension by extending the eccentric phase to 5-8 seconds or longer.
  • Elevating Feet: Perform negative pushups with your feet elevated on a box or bench, increasing the load on the upper body.
  • Weighted Negative Pushups: For advanced trainees, carefully add weight (e.g., a weight plate on your upper back) to increase resistance during the descent.
  • One-Arm Negative Pushups: A very advanced progression, involving lowering with one arm while the other is extended for balance.

Integrating Negative Pushups into Your Routine

Negative pushups can be strategically incorporated into your workout plan:

• As a Primary Strength Builder: If your goal is to achieve your first full pushup, make negative pushups a core part of your upper body or full-body workouts. Perform them early in your session when you are freshest.
• As a Finisher: For more advanced individuals, negatives can be used at the end of a chest or triceps workout to maximize eccentric overload and muscle fatigue.
• As a Warm-up: A few controlled negative repetitions can prime the muscles and nervous system for more intense pushup variations.
• Frequency: Depending on your recovery and overall training volume, aim to perform negative pushups 2-3 times per week, allowing adequate rest between sessions for muscle repair and growth.

Conclusion

Negative pushups are an invaluable tool for anyone looking to build upper body strength, improve muscular control, and ultimately master the full pushup. By understanding the biomechanics of eccentric contractions and diligently applying the step-by-step guidance, you can effectively leverage this powerful exercise. Remember to prioritize proper form, control the descent, and be patient with your progress. Consistency and attention to detail will pave the way for significant strength gains and a more resilient physique.