Full Range of Motion Push Ups

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TyFit08
TyFit08 Posts: 799 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I seem to only be able to get a full range of motion on a push up if I'm doing them on a bar. Otherwise it hurts my wrists and I only go halfway. I am currently doing Jillian Michaels 90 Day Body Revolution which has a variety of pushups (one leg, alternating knees, push up into a side plank etc) . While I can do all of these moves since I'm not getting all the way down, I wonder if I would be better off working on my form on a traditional push up instead of doing all of these crazy ones? Am I cheating myself by not getting all the way down? Andy tips on how to improve range of motion on pushups?

Replies

  • rherington
    rherington Posts: 85 Member
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    Yes you are cheating yourself by not doing full pushups. If it is wrist pain try doing them by making a fist and doing them. Your wrist is not flexed by doing this.
  • BradHallFitness
    BradHallFitness Posts: 152 Member
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    My recommendation is to get push up stands to help alleviate the wrist issue. My wrists when I started working out 2 years ago were very tweaky when doing push ups. Even now my wrists every once in a while feel tweaked when I do Yoga (Vinyasa's) or push ups. So I will use push up stands so that my wrists stay straight in line and then there are no tweaks and I have zero pain.

    When looking for push up stands make sure you get the stands with a circular or rounded base. Why? Because a rounded base does not tip over on you if you accidentally get the stands too wide. So it's an injury prevention thing. I'll be glad to help you choose some, just send me a message.

    Brad
    P90X Certified Professional
  • kateowp
    kateowp Posts: 103 Member
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    I got a pair of push up bars & really love them. Well, as much as you can love push up bars.
  • vtachycardia
    vtachycardia Posts: 374
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    http://www.functionalpatterns.com/2012/07/15/the-dogma-of-the-week-are-pushups-bad/

    Something to consider.
  • TyFit08
    TyFit08 Posts: 799 Member
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    My husband has a pair of push up stands in a box. I never used them. I guess I will take them to the gym with me next time. Usually the only way I can get a full range of motion is when I lower the bar on the smith machine and do pushups on it. But I really want to improve my traditional push ups and maybe its pointless for me to be doing all these fancy ones in this routine if I still need so much more improvement.
  • justjenn1977
    justjenn1977 Posts: 437 Member
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    I do push ups in yoga on blocks... because it helps with the wrist pain...

    I also make sure that I do alternate stretches after push ups (I bend my wrists the oposite way of the push up and stretch the wrist...) I can now do them pain free :)
  • TyFit08
    TyFit08 Posts: 799 Member
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