Exercises that work over 800+muscles are truely amazing in their design! I love the 4 movements that I classify as the “King” of all movements…the squat, deadlift, clean, and the snatch! These 4 barbell movements will give you the total package by blasting 800+ muscles! Now what about the exercises that only involve the bodyweight and can be done with no equipment? Well the pushup is the “King” of all bodyweight movements to build overall strength with no equipment! The best thing about the pushup is it can be done anywhere and multiple times per day if needed:) Studies show that 1 in 15 women can perform a good pushup on the toes…so even if you have to do these on your toes they are still productive!
The pushup when performed correctly can produce astonishing results! You would be shocked of the physique that is created by this great movement! In the last 22 months I have experimented with using the pushup and have done a ton of varieties. A common question that I hear is how do you increase the intensity of bodyweight movements? How can you get stronger without adding weight? The key to developing overall strength is your tempo and angle of each movement. So for instance you might use a tempo like this 2-1-2 or 2-0-2. The tempo is 2 counts down, 1 count pause, 2 counts up. Changing the cadence can throw a major curve ball to your especially if you have never varied your speed. A major BURN!!
A couple things to note. My PR for pushups is 147 pushups in 2 minutes. Now these reps are performed extremely fast…but if I would slow down and really focus I have reached failure with 3 – 4 sets of 30 reps at a slow to moderate pace!
Here are my favorite pushup variations!
Decline Pushups- The decline pushup is the #1 pushup to perform to activate every single muscle fiber of the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. Place your feet on a box to cause the decline effect!
Spider Pushups- The spider pushups is a great way to stess the core while performing the pushup. Bring your knee up to your elbow on the downward part of the movement. Alternate your legs with each rep.
Pike Up Pushups- The pike up pushup is a great way to stress the deltoids and triceps. Elevate your butt high up in the air to cause a decline affect to the pushup.
Medicine Ball Pushup- The medicine ball pushup is a way to increase the intensity. Place on hand on top of the ball. The hand that has the ball will have more stress given to the tricep and deltoid.
There are countless combinations to add to your routine…adding variety to your program is a great way to break through those stubborn plateaus!
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