Introduction
Push ups are, without question, the best upper body exercise. They strengthen the triceps, chest, shoulders and even the core when performed properly. They are an essential element to any bodyweight circuit routine. But what if you have mastered the to the point that you have to do dozens to make it challenging. On the contrary, what if you are a "newbie" to strength training or you are a woman who does not have the upper body strength to perform standard push ups. With these variations, you can customize your circuit to match you fitness level as your strength improves. You can even bundle them together in sequence to make a challenging superset that would challenge the veteran bodybuilder.
Elevated Push Ups
To increase difficulty just change the angle by raising the feet. This is easily done by putting the your feet on a chair. Stairs are ideal because as you become stronger, you can move your feet up the steps. A wall can also be used. Brick and stucco work a little better than smoother walls because of the friction factor, and like steps, you can easily increase difficulty by moving your feet up the wall. Still another aspect of wall push ups is the necessity to push your feet into the wall as you push up. Remember, that as you increase the angle the shoulder muscles are engaged more and the chest muscled are worked less.
Inclined Push Ups
These are elevated in reverse, with the hands on the chair instead of the feet. These work equally well on stairs because you can progressively lower your hands as you get stronger. Wall push ups will work also but only at the steeper angles. The angle of the wrist becomes uncomfortable and the friction becomes inadequate to keep you on the wall as you approach being parallel.
Kneeling Push Ups
Though they may be called "girl push ups" by some, performing the exercise on your knees is highly effective for building upperbody strength for novice exercisers or those who simply lack the body strength to perform a standard push up. They are also handy to throw in if you want to perform a superset or the triple superset that I will explain in the next paragraph.
The Push Up Triple Superset
The triple superset is excellent to use as a component of a circuit, in between non-opposing leg exercises, or as a chest workout alone with a brief rest period between each set. It is for advanced exercisers who have developed significant upper body strength. Start with your feet elevated against a wall and perform push ups until failure. When failure is reached, lower your feet to the ground and perform the exercise until you reach failure again. Now lower your knees to the ground and perform kneeling push ups until failure.
Conclusion
Your workouts are like anything else in your life; your clothes, your food choices, your choice of friends are all specific to you. Why not make your workouts personal, tailored to you, designed to stimulate growth without overtraining. Variations will help you do that.
Get your Free Fast Weight Loss Workout at http://turbulencetraining4u.com. Clint Grimes, is a retired US Navy commander. He is certified by the California Interscholastic Federation and is currently the strength and conditioning coach for the boys soccer teams at El Toro High School in Lake Forest, CA. You have permission to publish this article in your web sites, ezines or electronic publication, as long as the piece is used in its entirety including the resource box, all hyperlinks (HTML clickable) and references and copyright info. |
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