Don't Get Too Comfortable

icandoit
icandoit Posts: 4,163 Member
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Remember when you started working out, how you couldn't do 5 consecutive push-ups without collapsing? Now that you've been training for a while, you can do sets of 10 without even breaking a sweat. Feels good, right? Well, maybe it feels a little too good. It might be time to push yourself a little — by doing some push-up variations to further train the chest, triceps, and shoulders.
Here are two advanced push-ups to add to your repertoire:

Plyo Push-up
Start in your usual push-up position. Slowly lower yourself to the floor. With an explosive burst, exhale and push yourself up, bringing your hands off the floor and clapping them together. Land in the push-up position and repeat. The plyometric push-up increases muscle power by adding some additional difficulty to the regular push-up.

Close-Grip Push-up
Start in a push-up position but keep your hands directly under your shoulders instead of outside your chest. Your legs should be extended straight out behind you, your feet slightly apart, so you are balancing on your palms and the balls of your feet. Keep your elbows pressed firmly against your torso as you slowly lower yourself down. Exhale, press back up to the starting position, and repeat. This close-grip push-up places more emphasis on your anterior shoulders and triceps as well as your chest

Replies

  • icandoit
    icandoit Posts: 4,163 Member
    Remember when you started working out, how you couldn't do 5 consecutive push-ups without collapsing? Now that you've been training for a while, you can do sets of 10 without even breaking a sweat. Feels good, right? Well, maybe it feels a little too good. It might be time to push yourself a little — by doing some push-up variations to further train the chest, triceps, and shoulders.
    Here are two advanced push-ups to add to your repertoire:

    Plyo Push-up
    Start in your usual push-up position. Slowly lower yourself to the floor. With an explosive burst, exhale and push yourself up, bringing your hands off the floor and clapping them together. Land in the push-up position and repeat. The plyometric push-up increases muscle power by adding some additional difficulty to the regular push-up.

    Close-Grip Push-up
    Start in a push-up position but keep your hands directly under your shoulders instead of outside your chest. Your legs should be extended straight out behind you, your feet slightly apart, so you are balancing on your palms and the balls of your feet. Keep your elbows pressed firmly against your torso as you slowly lower yourself down. Exhale, press back up to the starting position, and repeat. This close-grip push-up places more emphasis on your anterior shoulders and triceps as well as your chest
  • nopogal
    nopogal Posts: 162
    Good point!

    I have to do push ups at a decline, too, and it's a great workout. Just put your feet up on a bench or chair, then resume regular push up stance. It's a totally different feeling. Also, push ups on a yoga ball, with one hand on a medicine ball, or with a bosu ball flipped over, and the "ostrich push up"...assume downward dog position and carefully lower your head to the floor--more for your shoulders, but REALLY challenging!
  • LightenUp_Caro
    LightenUp_Caro Posts: 572 Member
    When I used to play tennis they would make us do the diamond push ups...you know the awful ones where you make a diamond shape with your index fingers and thumbs together....ouch.
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