Subject: the advantages/disadvantages of performing push-ups with the fingers extend

My husband trains extensively, and has completed an Iron Man.  He thinks I 
should know the answers to his training questions just because I have had so 
many anatomy classes.  But animals don't do pushups, so I don't know whether 
fingers extended vs. palms flat make any difference.

Re: the advantages/disadvantages of performing push-ups with the fingers extend