Welcome to your modern fitness daily news report! Every weekday, we break down the trending fitness news, tips, and insider scoops to keep you informed. Each read will be under 3 minutes so that you can stay shredded and thumb through no-nonsense fit-quips. Thanks for reading!
TODAY’S LEVEL UP:
Pro Tip: The Push-Up, Done Right: A Joint-Friendly Press You Can Do Anywhere
Supplement Spotlight: Collagen Peptides — Support for Tendons, With Realistic Expectations
Quick Tip: Fix push-up wrist pain in 30 seconds
Myth or Real: "Push-ups can't build real muscle — you need a bench press."
Fit Trivia: Which chemical engineer with a Fulbright to MIT played a Soviet boxer in Rocky IV?
The Push-Up, Done Right: A Joint-Friendly Press You Can Do Anywhere
The push-up gets treated like a warm-up or a punishment. It deserves better. Done well, it's one of the most shoulder-friendly pressing exercises there is — and it needs nothing but a floor.
Why it earns a spot: Unlike a bench press, where your shoulder blades are pinned to a bench, a push-up lets them move freely. That's easier on the shoulder joint and trains the muscles that keep it healthy. It also works your core as a moving plank. And one widely cited observational study of male firefighters found those who could do 40+ push-ups had markedly fewer cardiovascular events over 10 years than those who managed fewer than 10. That's an association, not proof — but it's a decent reason to keep score.
Form cues that matter:
Hands just outside shoulder width, under your shoulders.
Elbows about 45 degrees from your body — not flared straight out like a T.
Body in one straight line. Squeeze your glutes and brace your stomach so your hips don't sag.
Lower your chest to about fist height from the floor.
Push the floor away at the top, letting your shoulder blades spread slightly.
Progressions, in order:
Incline push-ups — hands on a counter or bench. The higher the hands, the easier.
Floor push-ups.
Tempo push-ups — 3-second lowering.
Feet-elevated push-ups — feet on a low box or step.
Weighted — a vest or a band across your back.
Move to the next step when you can do 3 sets of 15 with clean form.
Programming: 2–3 times a week, 3 sets, stopping about 2 reps before failure. If your shoulder complains, raise your hands and shorten the depth rather than quitting the movement.
No gym, no excuse, no barbell on your chest. Just a pattern you can keep training for decades.
Supplement Spotlight: Collagen Peptides — Support for Tendons, With Realistic Expectations
Collagen is the main structural protein in your tendons, ligaments, skin, and bones. Collagen supplements promise to rebuild all of them. The real story is narrower — but there's something to it.
Here's what it does: Hydrolyzed collagen peptides supply amino acids — glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline — that your body uses to build connective tissue. Some small studies found that taking collagen (often with vitamin C) before exercise increased markers of collagen synthesis, and a few trials in active adults reported reduced activity-related joint pain. The evidence for actually remodeling tendons is still preliminary. One important point: collagen is a poor protein for building muscle — it's low in leucine and missing an essential amino acid — so don't count it toward your daily muscle-building protein target.
How to take it: Studies commonly use 10–15 grams per day. If you're using it for a cranky tendon or joint, take it 30–60 minutes before your training or rehab exercises, alongside some vitamin C from food or a small supplement.
Worth knowing: collagen is generally well tolerated. It's made from bovine, porcine, or marine (fish) sources — check the label if you have a fish allergy or dietary restrictions. Choose a third-party-tested product to avoid heavy-metal contamination.
We recommend collagen as an optional add-on for men managing achy tendons or joints — useful alongside smart loading, never a replacement for it.
FROM RYAN’S DESK
Life will test you. Stress will show up. Plans will fall apart. You will have days when everything feels harder than it should. Don't let one bad day turn into a bad week. Adapt, get back on track, and keep moving. A strong man isn't someone who never struggles. He's someone who refuses to stay down.
Quick Tip: Fix Push-Up Wrist Pain in 30 Seconds
If your wrists ache during push-ups, the problem is usually the angle — your wrist is bent back about 90 degrees under full load.
Three quick fixes:
Use handles or hex dumbbells. Gripping them keeps your wrists straight. This alone solves it for most men.
Raise your hands. Incline push-ups reduce both the load and the wrist angle.
Warm up the wrists first. On hands and knees, gently rock forward and back over your palms for 20–30 seconds, then circle your wrists both ways.
If pain persists with straight wrists, or you notice numbness or tingling into your fingers, get it checked rather than pushing through.
Myth or Real: "Push-ups can't build real muscle — you need a bench press."
Myth. Studies comparing the two have found similar gains in chest and triceps size and strength when the push-ups were made hard enough — for example, with resistance bands to match the bench press load.
The key phrase is hard enough. Thirty easy push-ups won't do what a challenging set of 8–12 does. Once bodyweight gets easy, make it harder: slow the tempo, elevate your feet, add a band or a weighted vest.
The bench press still has advantages — it's easy to load precisely. But if your shoulders don't love the bench, or you train at home, the push-up isn't a downgrade. It's a legitimate main lift.
Our Picks: Supps We Actually Use
Some of our coach’s favorite supplements:
Creatine (Travel Packs) - $36
Add this to your water in the morning or in your post-workout shake. Creatine is one of the few supplements that has a mountain of data proving its benefits. Don’t miss out on it!
A great way to hit your protein goals. Don’t rely on a protein powder alone, but add it as a post-workout shake or midday shake to increase your protein intake and hit your protein goals. Remember, high protein equals higher muscle and higher satiety.
Replenishes essential electrolytes. Use this if you sweat a lot, do intermittent fasting, or go on long-distance walks, hikes, or runs.
We are a proud partner of Thorne Supplements! We are affiliated and use these products. We may receive commission from your purchase.
Fit Trivia: Which Swedish actor — who earned a master's degree in chemical engineering and a Fulbright scholarship to MIT before turning to the screen — played the towering Soviet boxer Ivan Drago in 1985's Rocky IV?
Answer: Dolph Lundgren! He was also a champion in full-contact karate before Hollywood found him. "I must break you" became one of the decade's most quoted lines — though his real-life résumé suggests brains and brawn aren't a trade-off.
Ryan Engel, Intl. Fat Loss Coach
Ryan is a leading fitness coach and one of the most known professionals in the space.
He specializes in Body Recomposition and visual body aesthetics and has reached millions worldwide with his powerful messaging. He brings a unique, non-nonsense, yet sophisticated approach to body change.
Publisher: Ryan Engel
Editor: Michael Pender
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