Q: To perform push-ups properly and ensure that you can increase the number of push-ups you can do at once, it's important to learn the proper form for the exercise, and to stretch out thoroughly before you begin. Stretch your chest by performing the warrior pose, gripping your hands together behind your back at waist-height, then extending your arms gently away from your body to stretch out your chest. Hold for a count of 15-20, gently stretching your pectoral muscles. Stretch out your upper body and your lower body as well. Push-ups, despite being a mostly upper-body exercise, engage your whole core, requiring you to be loose and ready to exercise. For the push-up, the balls of your feet should be placed firmly on a non-slip and preferably slightly padded surface, like a yoga mat. You can wear trainers for additional foot support, if necessary. If you're just on the carpet at home, it's good to have shoes on to help you grip the floor slightly and avoid slipping. In bare feet or socks, it can be more difficult. If it is difficult for you to do a regular pushup, start by performing modified push-ups on your knees instead of your toes until you build enough strength to do a regular pushup. Your head should be facing the floor, you neck as straight as possible to avoid straining. Keep your shoulders back, not scrunched up toward your neck. You want your spine should be as straight as possible without disrupting its natural curvature. This straight line down the length of your back should continue down to the heels of your feet. It helps to set up a mirror, if you can, or have someone spot you, to make sure you've got a straight back while you're in push-up position. Have someone snap a quick picture of you, to make sure, then make the necessary adjustments. Both your arms and feet should be shoulder-width apart, though your hands may be spread further to make the push-up easier when you're first starting out. As you get better, you should bring them closer to shoulder-width for an ideal push-up. Keep your elbows in, however wide your hands are, and position your hands behind the plane of your shoulders. When you're in push-up position, imagine a straight line between your shoulders and the ground, and don't cross that line with your hands. Performing push-ups can put a lot of strain on your wrists. Use the outside edge of your hand, rather than the flattened palm, to perform the push-up. Some people also like to grip dumbbells, instead of doing flat-hand push-ups, for the same reason. Bend your elbows, keeping your back and your hips very straight and locked, and lower yourself down slowly. When your arms are at a 90 degree angle, push yourself back up until your arms are straight. It's not better to try to touch your nose to the ground, or to try to pop up in the air forcefully after doing a push-up, at least at first. Just focus on getting the mechanics right and keeping your back straight, if you want to eventually do more push-ups. Other varieties of push-ups, some of which involve deeper dips, done for added muscle-building, will usually involve slightly different hand positioning, and will be discussed in the last section. For the purposes of regular push-ups, don't dip further than 90 degrees. Done properly, you should start to feel a push-up in your abs, just as much as in your chest. Your core (abdominal muscles) should be tensed to maintain posture, but there should be no dynamic movement other than the arms, shoulders, and chest area throughout the movement. Try this, hold yourself in push-up position, but don't do a push-up. See how long you can hold it, staying very straight, locked in to the position. Where do you start to feel the burn? Keep those muscles tight as you do a push-up, and you'll stay engaged and straight during the exercise. It's not a race. Lower yourself in a smooth and swift movement, breathing in as you go down and expelling air outward as you push yourself up into position. You'll be able to do more push-ups in the long-term if you do fewer, more slowly, at first. If you're blasting through push-ups very quickly, it might seem like a good way to increase the number you can do, but it's important to focus on building strength at first, then worry about numbers later. If numbers are your goal, of course, your ultimate goal is to do more push-ups, more quickly. Push-ups done quickly are somewhat less challenging.
A: Stretch out beforehand. Position your weight on the balls of your feet. Keep your shoulders back and your spine straight. Position your hands and arms properly. Bend your arms to a 90 degree angle. Keep your core locked. Go slowly at first.

Q: Lift the sofa onto its front side so its back faces straight up toward the ceiling. Look under the sofa to see if it has base bars. If they're present, you should see two or three bars screwed or bolted from one end of the sofa's base to the other. Check the heads of the screws or bolts that secure the base bars. Use a drill with the appropriate bit to unfasten each screw or bolt from the base bars. You'll probably need Robertson drive bits, as base bars are often secured with square Robertson screws. It's best to get someone to help you remove a sofa's base bars, especially when removing the final bar. When you detach the last bar, the individual seats and console will come apart freely. Having someone stabilize the sofa will help keep its components from rolling away, getting damaged, or damaging nearby objects.
A: Turn the sofa over to locate the base bars. Unfasten the base bars' bolts. Have a helper hold the sofa as you remove the last bar.

Q: Make sure it does not dry and harden. Use the scoop to place some cement on your hawk. Use your trowel to take the cement off the hawk and spread it onto the wall. Skim just enough cement over the lath so that it is covered. Use the scratcher to scratch the entire skimmed area. If your current batch is dried out, mix a new one. Clean them so they don't get ruined. Use a wash brush and bucket of water, or whatever else that may work. You will know the patch is dry when it turns from a dark grey to a light grey.
A: Mix and prepare cement. Apply the cement to the patch. Scratch the patch. Make more cement. Clean your tools. Wait for the scratch coat to dry.

Q: There are many summer schools or courses which are at least 5 nights long, and you can learn things at the same time too. This can also be an asset to your personal statement if you do something related to your intended course of study, e.g. Medlink for Medicine, JACT summer schools for Classics, etc. They will probably have some information on some courses that could be useful for you, and some teachers even teach also at these events! There are loads of great volunteering opportunities wherein you can fulfill your requirements for the Residential section and do some good at the same time. You could go abroad and help with a project, like building a school, or look for some smaller projects, again like with the elderly or the disabled. You could also see if there's a school/scout/guide group that wants to do something like a summer camp who would appreciate your assistance. If you don't find anything related to your academic interests, or you don't have any especial academic interests, search online for fun things you could do. There are many many places that offer week-long activity residentials, e.g. The National Trust, so search around until you find something that catches your eye.
A:
Go on a course. Ask your teachers for ideas. Do some volunteering. Research online.