The Perfect Push Up

[Omaha Red Sox]

Push ups are push ups. You do not need a device to get stonger. You can just do different variations:

Straight
Diamond
Wide
Narrow
One hand

What about the one where you clap?

[treat24]

Push ups are push ups. You do not need a device to get stonger. You can just do different variations:

Straight
Diamond
Wide
Narrow
One hand

What about the one where you clap?

you do those on explosions

The pushups in my routine:

1. regular (on fists/dumbell/pushupbar)

2. incline (hands on bench, chair, whatever)

3. decline (feet on something hard and sturdy)

4. beach (with dumbells, your wrists should be facing forward)

5. triple stop (regular push up on fists/dumbell/pushupbars only you pause and hold at 2/3rds, 1/3rd, and as low as you can to the ground)

6. medicine ball (this can be done with a weight plate or a block of wood or a thick book... you put your right hand on the book, left on the ground. you push yourself off the ground and to the other side. your left hand should land on the object, right hand on the ground... repeat)

7 pushup row (done with dumbbells, push up, row with the right, go down, push up row with the left, etc... I assume you know what I mean by "row")

8 explosion (simple, pushup as hard as you can. better to clap or spread your hands out or something so you can gage how much you are actually working it.)

9 diamond (make a diamond with your two hands. when you do this the diamond should be at about your heart/upper chest when you are down. your elbows will go out to your sides as you do it which works your triceps nicely.

10. wide stance (obvious right. it will seem pretty easy but it works different muscles.)

11. swiss ball decline (feet on the ball...)

12. swiss ball incline (this is such a b*tch, I can't even tell you. hands on the swiss ball... i hate them. took me forever before i even had balance or strength to do 10 without having to stop or readjust)

I don't always do them in that order... I kind of do what i'm feeling at the time. Those are my 12 types i do though... 120 pushups, 5-10 minutes tops... works nicely...

I do realize you need a swiss ball and maybe some dumbbells... but you can just do the 10 without the swiss ball. However, that works your core so well... you should do decline/inclines with your feet/hands on something that is very unbalanced to get that same effect, great on the abs.

[joelamosobadiah]

It's not ideal, but the inclines on a bed isn't too bad. Just put your hands/feet on the sides of a bed and it is a little bit unbalanced if you don't have a ball. It's better than a hard bench at least.

EDIT: Thanks for the list Treat. That's a great basic workout.

[Tiki]

I always just do the ones on the dumbbells and than you lift the right hand up after one, and the left after the next.

[treat24]

I always just do the ones on the dumbbells and than you lift the right hand up after one, and the left after the next.

7 pushup row (done with dumbbells, push up, row with the right, go down, push up row with the left, etc... I assume you know what I mean by "row")

[deluxe_247]

anytime i see these commercials i always think it looks like a easy way to sprain a wrist...rotating your wrists/balancing with your weight on them isnt the greatest idea IMO.

pushups are good for toning up and and for muscle endurance purposes, but if you are looking to pack on some weight, you should prob look at hitting a weight bench. the weight of your body alone usually isnt sufficient enough to pack on good size...not sure if thats what you are looking to do...but thats what the commercial suggests.

[treat24]

anytime i see these commercials i always think it looks like a easy way to sprain a wrist...rotating your wrists/balancing with your weight on them isnt the greatest idea IMO.

pushups are good for toning up and and for muscle endurance purposes, but if you are looking to pack on some weight, you should prob look at hitting a weight bench. the weight of your body alone usually isnt sufficient enough to pack on good size...not sure if thats what you are looking to do...but thats what the commercial suggests.

completely agree... my pushup set is for tone and endurance...

[Tiki]

anytime i see these commercials i always think it looks like a easy way to sprain a wrist...rotating your wrists/balancing with your weight on them isnt the greatest idea IMO.

pushups are good for toning up and and for muscle endurance purposes, but if you are looking to pack on some weight, you should prob look at hitting a weight bench. the weight of your body alone usually isnt sufficient enough to pack on good size...not sure if thats what you are looking to do...but thats what the commercial suggests.

Yeah I never thought of that I guess it could be possible. Maybe they mean if you take some protein supplements you'll gain weight.


P.S.-Never noticed that feature that says "At least one new post has been made to this topic. You may wish to review your post in light of this." Huh.

[joelamosobadiah]

anytime i see these commercials i always think it looks like a easy way to sprain a wrist...rotating your wrists/balancing with your weight on them isnt the greatest idea IMO.

pushups are good for toning up and and for muscle endurance purposes, but if you are looking to pack on some weight, you should prob look at hitting a weight bench. the weight of your body alone usually isnt sufficient enough to pack on good size...not sure if thats what you are looking to do...but thats what the commercial suggests.

Yeah I never thought of that I guess it could be possible. Maybe they mean if you take some protein supplements you'll gain weight.


P.S.-Never noticed that feature that says "At least one new post has been made to this topic. You may wish to review your post in light of this." Huh.

You have obviously never posted in the GC threads on Sundays.

[eastcoaster]

anytime i see these commercials i always think it looks like a easy way to sprain a wrist...rotating your wrists/balancing with your weight on them isnt the greatest idea IMO.

pushups are good for toning up and and for muscle endurance purposes, but if you are looking to pack on some weight, you should prob look at hitting a weight bench. the weight of your body alone usually isnt sufficient enough to pack on good size...not sure if thats what you are looking to do...but thats what the commercial suggests.

Hmmmm...hadn't thought of the rotation aspect as an issue, but can see how that would be. Makes more sense to just approach them from different angles and forget the rotation during

And I was just looking for toning/endurance. Great list, treat - thanks