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Exercise(s) of the Week

March 11, 2010 by danny · Leave a Comment 

Yesterday I went over “X-Band Walks,” and how they can be use to get your glutes “turned on” and firing on all cylinders.  Today I am going to cover the very underrated, push-ups.  Most people seem to think push-ups are too difficult, (many newbie females) or too easy (guys that think they’re “Mr. Everything”).   Typical guy workout; bench press 2-3 times per week and hit every different angle on the bench – incline/flat/decline/slight incline/high incline/upside down/inside-out.  Ok, so a couple of those are made up, but you get the point.  I have nothing against any of these exercises, but ALL this pressing, combined with a lack of rowing exercises, and way too much sitting at the computer all day, can lead to shoulder pain/injuries.  Well, let me tell you, of the pressing exercises out there, push-ups are the easiest on the shoulders.  As a bonus, it also strengthens the serratus anterior (a muscle that is important for posture) and is a great exercise for your core.  Check out the video below for some of your push-up options.

While there are more options to make push-ups either easier or harder, this list of pushup variations covers quite a few.  Before we go over the different examples in the video, lets talk about proper push-up form.  This is important because most people have been doing them wrong for years, thinking they’ve been doing them right.  Going forward, don’t let that be you.

The Perfect Push-up

“Pull” yourself down with your shoulder blades, tuck your elbows 45 degrees relative to your torso, and keep your head/neck neutral (in line with your spine) throughout.  Pick a level that allows your to tap your chest to the floor or bench. i.e. if you can’t get all of the way down to the floor, start with “bench” pushups, or the “step” push-up.  Also, squeeze your abs and glutes throughout the movement.  Most people flare their elbows when doing push-ups.  This again, is harder on the shoulder, so I must reiterate – keep your elbows tucked the entire time.  Above I mentioned the importance of the serratus anterior.  To work this muscle, you must make sure that you go ALL THE WAY UP at the top of the push-up…do not stop an inch or two short.

Push-up Variations

Easiest to hardest from the video…

-Bench Push-ups
-Step Push-ups
-Floor Push-ups
-Feet Elevated Push-ups
-Spiderman Push-ups
-Band Push-ups (to make it even more difficult, just use a thicker band)

As I mentioned in yesterday’s X-Band post, I got my bands from Perform Better.  The link to right of the screen will take you to the bands and can be found under the category of “superbands.”

That raps it up for this weeks exercise(s) of the week.  Make sure to start incorporating X-Band walks for a more sexy booty.  And if you’ve ditched push-ups because they aren’t hardcore enough, please think again.  Good luck!

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