When You Do Girl Push Ups, Are You Supposed to Cross Your Feet?

"Girl push-ups" are an excellent exercise to build muscle and tone in the arms (triceps) and shoulders. To a lesser degree, they also tone chest and abdominal muscles. Crossing your feet is not required, though it is a great way to maintain balance.

Who Should Do Girl Push-Ups?

• Do not let the name fool you, girl push-ups are neither exclusively recommended for nor designed for women. They are, in essence, a lighter form of push-up that requires less strength, and as a result are often employed by women, who are both smaller in shoulder width and have less muscle mass than men. Girl push-ups are best used by women (and men) who are unable to do regular push-ups. You should add them to your routine as a beginner's exercise, adding a few more reps to your exercise routine each week or as they become easier, until you have the muscle capacity to begin traditional push-ups.

Proper Form for the Girl Push-Up

• The form for a girl push-up is identical to the form for a regular push-up, with one key difference: the knees are rested on the floor and you lift your weight from them instead of your toes.

  Step 1: Lie on your stomach on the floor or an exercise mat. Do not use a super-soft surface such as a bed; instability makes these more difficult and can even result in muscle strain.

  Step 2: Place your hands palm-down on the mat, extended straight out from your shoulder and below your elbow, making your arm perpendicular to the floor.

  Step 3: Starting from the knees, lift your feet off the floor and straight into the air, forming what would look like an "L" shape. At this point, you can either cross your feet or simply hold them together.

  Step 4: Holding your body straight, lift yourself from the floor/mat, until your elbows are almost--but not fully--extended. Lower yourself as far as you can without losing control or touching the mat, and then lift yourself again.

  Step 5: Repeat.

Why Cross the Feet?

• It is not necessary to cross your feet while performing a girl push-up. However, it is necessary to make sure that the legs are extended straight into the air and not falling to one side. If the feet lean too far to the left or right, it can lead to the muscles on one side of the body being forced to work harder, disrupt balance and cause you to fall over or even--however unlikely--result in injury if the body is twisted in the wrong way.

  Some practitioners of the girl push-up prefer to simply hold their feet together, but many find that this involves extra concentration and muscle control that they do not care for while performing the exercise. When you cross your feet, they form a natural hook that holds them together while you exercise, leaving your mind free to focus on the push-up and not the form.