4 Push-Up Variations You Should Try Today
Poor push up often gets shunned by lifters & just sits quietly by itself at the corner. Gym-goers opt for more explosive movements, and push ups are probably only used before their workout as warm up.
Well, it’s time to restore its wounded pride.
This classic exercise can be continuously refined & developed to match your fitness level, and most of all, they can be easily implemented into your workout routine regardless of your objective.
So, What Are The Variations That Can Push Your Limit?
Let’s face it; unless you’ve no exercise experience at all, regular pushups are as easy as shooting fish in a barrel. Most individuals can easily pump out dozens of push ups without exerting much effort. The following variations however, will make you question your manhood again. Even the strongest powerlifters will feel like being challenged when they attempt to perform these movements.
a. Band Resisted Push Ups
If you find bodyweight reps to be too easy, try taking it to the next level by using resistance band. Start by putting your fingers through the band, put your thumbs up, put a spin in the band so that it makes a x pattern, rotate your thumbs through, put behind your back, then perform your push ups like you normally would. When you push yourself up, you’ll notice an increase in the intensity as the band tightens, which forces you to recruit your triceps muscle to work harder.
b. Incline Extended ROM Push Ups
When you’re performing exercises with full range of motion (ROM), this will ensure muscles are put under higher stimulus to optimize muscle growth. However, you can only go for so low until your chest touch the floor before you even achieved full ROM. This problem can be solved when you exercise on an elevated level. Just simply pick any equipment you can put under your hands.
c. Drop Push Ups
Start off in a push up position with both of your hands placed on an elevated platform, then drop off the platform before pushing your body up to its original position.
Like most plyometric exercises, drop push ups are done by minimizing your contact time with the surface, before exerting maximum force to push the body back up. As you’ll be exerting a high amount of force in a short period, this will force your nervous system to adapt & get stronger.
d. Offset Push Ups
The setup for offset pushups involves placing one of the platforms higher than the other. As you perform the exercise, you’ll notice it puts a lot more pressure on the lower side while stretching the pectoral muscle on the upper side.
Not challenging enough? Try using a stability ball as platform and challenge yourself to recruit more stabilizer muscles while performing this exercise.
Hopefully by now you have changed your perception towards this exercise. Bench presses, dumbbell flyes and machine presses are all great pectoral exercises, and everyone should include at least one of them in their workout routine. However, if you started to get bored of your current routine, stall out of progress, or just wanted to give yourself some challenge, try these pushup variations during your chest day – you won’t be disappointed.
