By Cameron Sinclair ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

Push ups are great for upper body power, strength, and stability, and are much more appropriate for rugby than the more common bench press.

The essential but often overlooked components of the push up are integrity of movement at the shoulder joint, and maintaining straight torso. It’s ridiculously easy to do both, by ensuring the push up continues until the arms are fully extended at the elbow, and the chest and thighs touch the ground in unison (whether doing push ups on the knees or toes). Keeping the feet together is more challenging than apart, and the gaze should be fixed in a position on the ground in front that keeps the neck and spine in a natural (straight) alignment.

Try push ups on the fists, fingertips, with one arm, or another person balanced on the back. Add alternating dumbbell or kettlebell rows, or windmill lifts between push ups. Try balancing on objects, alternating hand positions, or moving around. Moving into a Plyometric sequence, try alternating from fists to fingertips, with claps in front, slaps on the chest, with claps behind, and once mastered, try clapping both in front and behind.