PUSH UPS...GLAMOUR AND GRIT Push ups. Everybody knows what they are. You probably did them in gym class. Soldiersdo them in basic training. Moms do them in exercise classes. Theyre used by exercisephysiologists to gauge muscular endurance, and drill instructors use them for punishment. ThinkRichard Gere in An Officer and a Gentleman doing push ups in the rain with Lou Gossett Jr.glowering over him. Or Demi Moore in GI Jane wowing us with one arm push ups. How aboutRalph Macchio in the Karate Kid building himself up to fight the bully. And, of course,Sylvester Stallones old school, boxing training in Rocky. My favorite will always be JackPalance grinding them out at the Oscars. More than any other exercise.. even probably more complete ones such as squats,deadlifts, or chin ups..push ups are the most widely known and performed exercise of all. Oneobvious reason for this is the only equipment you need is the ground; you can do them anywhere,inside or out. Another is that they can be modified to be made easier to perform, so theyreaccessible to beginning exercisers and seniors. An interesting and specific benefit to seniorscitizens is the push ups application in regards to injuries from falling. In a March 11, 2008article; An Enduring Measure of Fitness: The Simple Push Up, by Tara Parker Pope, Dr. JamesAshton-Miller, director of the biomechanics research laboratory at the University of Michigan,discusses this connection. What so many people really need to do is develop enough strength sothey can break a fall safely without hitting their head on the ground. If you cant do a singlepush-up, its going to be difficult to resist that kind of loading on your wrists in a fall. Thearticle also states that Researchers who study the biomechanics of aging, for instance, note thatpush-ups can provide the strength and muscle memory to reach out and break a fall. Whenpeople fall forward, they typically reach out to catch themselves, ending in a move that mimicsthe push-up. The hands hit the ground, the wrists and arms absorb much of the impact, and theelbows bend slightly to reduce the force. These are really interesting implications connectingthe benefits of push ups to the aging process. Another definite plus with the push up is you dont need a spotter or have to worry aboutgetting stuck under a bar. And if you fall, well..youre already on the ground! Possibledrawbacks to the push up? Unlike a deadlift, which works the hips and thighs and muscles in theback, trunk and forearms, most of the work during push ups is by some upper body muscles andtrunk stabilizers. Lets get real..in a reasonably fit person, theres not much active work for goingon in the leg muscles . Many bikers and runners will supplement their endurance training withsets of push ups and feel that they dont need to do any other strength training, not realizing thattheir leg strength and flexibility is poor. A potential problem with push ups is that as you become stronger, the number ofrepetitions and sets usually go up too, and repetitive/overuse type of injuries can occur. The mostcommon are wrist pains and shoulder soreness. Unlike a bench press where the forearms are in astraight line to the bar, during a pushup the hands are flat on the ground which forces the wriststo bend at a 90 degree angle. Over time, this can compress and irritate tendons and nerves.Shoulder soreness can occur because the deep, smaller rotator cuff muscles which stabilize theshoulder capsule during push ups are weak, and they become overloaded and inflamed from toomuch work. Both these conditions can be addressed, the wrists by using push up handles whichare gripped like a bar, and allow you to keep your wrists in a straight line. Theyre inexpensiveand can be bought in sporting goods stores. Hexagon, flat-sided dumbells can also be used in thesame way. With the shoulders, whats needed is specific work for the rotator cuff

muscles..particularly the external rotators. But regardless of these issues, the push up is a valuable and productive exercise for developing upper body and core strength. In this article Ill briefly describe the muscles involved while doing push ups, followedby some challenging variations of the standard push up for the intermediate and advancedtrainee. By using equipment such as medicine balls, stability balls, dumbells and lengths ofchain, push ups can be transformed from a high rep, endurance type exercise, to a high intensitymovement that builds muscle and fits into the most advanced weight training program. The push up variations discussed in this article are stability ball push ups, chain push ups,asymmetrical medicine ball push ups, alternate twist push ups, and boxers push ups.

ANATOMY OF A PUSH UP.

There are many types of push ups, each kind emphasizing specific muscular and athleticdemands. But all share similar joint actions and muscles being worked. The largest musclesinvolved are the pectorals and deltoids (chest and shoulders), which adduct and flex the upperarms at the shoulder joint (pull the arms across, and up to the front). The serratus anteriormuscles (deep muscles in the ribcage), abduct the scapulae (pull the shoulder blades towards theribcage, as when punching). And the triceps extend the elbows (straighten the arms). These fourmuscle groups are illustrated below. Other muscles involved during a push up are the rotatorcuff, mid-back, forearms, with hip and midsection muscles acting as stabilizers.

STABILITY BALL PUSH UPS

An interesting way to increase the intensity of push ups is to create added stress for thestabilizing muscles, along with the prime movers. Stability ball push ups adds the element of in-stability to a push up, which creates more work for the smaller, deep muscles of the rotator cuff.

And since maintaining balance and correct posture becomes a challenge, the core musclesof the trunk and hips really work hard. Ive also found that holding onto the sides of an unstableball while doing push ups, squeezing the ball to keep it steady, creates added work for thepectorals. Make sure the stability ball is properly inflated, your hands shouldnt sink into it. Setup like a regular push up; hands slightly wider than shoulders and under the chest. To decreasestress on the wrists, externally rotate the hands, turning them so the thumbs point forward. A goodway to get a feel for this exercise is to start with the ball braced against a wall or somethingunderneath to hold it in place. This will reduce some of wobble, giving you time to adapt to themovement. Once you can achieve 12-15 slow, solid repetitions, move the ball away from the walland try the exercise free standing. As with other kinds of push ups, you can work towards doingthem with your feet elevated on a bench or chair. This tilts more of your body weight forward,making the exercise harder. Tapping into the muscles that make up your core is especiallyimportant in this push up; be mindful in keeping your abs and butt muscles contracted throughout.

CHAIN PUSH UPS

Chain push ups are an interesting and really challenging variation to the standard pushup. First off, they most closely replicate a conventional weight training exercise, the dumbellbench press. And because youre suspended at the ends of two freely moving lengths of chain, your hands and arms can move in towards each other as you extend upwards. This also allowsyou to find a comfortable working angle for the elbows and shoulders. To do this exercise youllneed two lengths of sturdy chain, each exactly 4 feet long, and access to a Smith machine or squatrack. You can buy the chain, and have it cut for you, at a local hardware store. Make sure to countthe number of links in each chain to ensure both chains are exactly the same size. Also, pick up 2carabineers (those teardrop shaped, spring loaded clips). These are used to attach cable/pulleyhandles to the ends of the chains. All this will cost you around 15 bucks..and its well worth it.Set the bar in the Smith machine to about waist height, and loop both chains around the bar, a bit

wider than shoulder width apart. Now both chains are hanging down about 2 feet from the bar.Attach a pulley handle to the ends of each chain, with both handles hanging down under the bar.Adjust the height of the bar so the handles are suspended a couple of inches off the ground, andspaced apart at a width slightly wider than your shoulders. Grasp the handles and walk your feetback until your legs are straight, and handles are even with your chest. As when doing regularpushups, make sure to keep your back straight, with the abdominal and hip muscles tightlycontracted. Right away, before you even do the first rep, youll feel the muscles throughout yourtorso and shoulders working to stabilize and hold you steady. Slowly lower yourself until yourchest is between the handles, then powerfully press back up until arms are fully extended. Keepyour wrists in a straight line. At the bottom position your hands will be directly under yourelbows, at the top position they will be under your shoulders. Advanced progressions for thisexercise is to do them with one leg extended back and off the ground, or the feet up on a bench orchair..or a stability ball if youre able to.

ASYMMETRICAL MEDICINE BALL PUSH UPS

Like the previous two variations, AMB push ups add the element of instability to a pushup. Whats different about them is the uneven plane that youre working on by doing a push upwith one hand flat on the floor and the other on top of a weighted medicine ball. Start the exercisein standard push up position; feet slightly apart, back and head in a straight, neutral position.Hands are positioned slightly wider than shoulder width apart, one on the floor and the other ontop of the ball. In this top position, be sure to keep your back and torso level to the ground, nottwisted with one shoulder higher than the other. This means that the arm thats on the ball sidewill be slightly bent at the elbow. Now lower yourself until your chest reaches the height of thetop of the ball, then slowly press yourself back up until your arm thats over the floor-side of thepush up is straightened completely. The other arm remains slightly bent at the top position. The

added stress in this exercise comes from the muscles on the working, ball-side of the upperbody being overloaded due to the shakiness of the ball combined with the elbow never being fullyextended (locked out); the tension is continually on the chest and shoulder muscles. You can doeach side separately, working to fatigue on one set, then switching the ball to the other hand aftera rest period. Or you can do one whole set without a rest between sides. If you do this, make sureto stop well short of muscular failure on the first side or the workload will be uneven. Thestrength progressions for AMB push ups can start with doing them from the knees, with feetcrossed up and behind. Next would be with legs extended straight, military style. Advancedversions would be to use one leg, with the other lifted off the ground..in this case, remember toswitch legs during or between sets. And, of course, placing the feet up on a bench or chair duringthe exercise.

ALTERNATE TWIST PUSH UPS

Alternate twist (AT) push ups dont require any equipment, morphing a push up into ayoga-like, postural exercise. Start by getting into a standard position with the body straight, handsand feet at about shoulder width. Perform one push up, lowering chest between the hands thenpressing back to the top. As you straighten your elbows, begin to shift weight to your rightshoulder and lift your left hand off the ground while twisting your hips and torso. Keep on theballs of your feet while rotating at the hips and waist until your left hand is straight above you,fingertips pointing to the ceiling. Keep your neck in a straight, neutral position, with your headlooking to your left. Be mindful of your midsection being tight throughout, with your ribcagelifted. Keep your right elbow locked out straight. Pause for a second, then return back to theupright, top position for the next push up. At the top repeat the movement, this time lifting theright arm off the ground. In performing the AT push ups, I like to emphasize posture andbreathing. Visualize reaching high at the top, being fully extended throughout the torso and limbs.Take deep, full inhalations through the nose and exhale out of the mouth. To make this exercisemore difficult, you can hold the top, extended position for a period of time. Another way toincrease the intensity and build strength is to perform AT push ups with a dumbell in each hand.Again, adding weight to the exercise should not come at the expense of sloppy technique.Because of the twisting nature of this movement, it might be harmful to someone with a lumbar

disc injury. Be sure, as with all the exercises in this article, that you dont experience any painoutside of the healthy muscular burning and fatigue thats present during intense exercise.

BOXER PUSH UPS

The last push up variation is the boxer push up. These will start in a standard push up position,but with one big difference. Instead of the hands being opened flat on the ground, boxer-stylepush ups are done with the hands held in a tight fist position with bodyweight evenly distributedalong the knuckles and tops of each hand. The benefit to fighters is obvious; over time theknuckles and punching surface of the hands become toughened and de-sensitized. Also, becausethe wrists are held in a tight, straightened position, the forearm muscles get extra work. Foranyone involved in a combat sport, these are valuable benefits. The technique as you perform aboxer push up will also be a bit different. Hand position is a bit narrower than with a regular pushup, spaced directly under the shoulders, with the palm-side of the fists facing each other. As youlower to bottom position, keep your elbows into the sides of your body, close to the ribs. Pause acouple of inches off the ground and extend up to the top position. By keeping the elbows close tothe body the workload shifts from the pectorals to the shoulder (anterior deltoid) and tricepsmuscles. An additional element can be added to provide extra work for the serratus anteriormuscles, which are important in punching and pushing movements. Upon reaching the top of thepush up, extend the shoulder blades up and out, rounding the top of the back while lifting theshoulders. Visualize pushing the hands down through the floor. Keep your spine straight andabdominals tightly contracted, only the upper back is pushing out of its standard, straightenedposition. This powerful rounding movement against the weight of the body puts added emphasison the deep ribcage muscles. A warning..it is painful on the knuckles doing boxer push ups on ahard surface. If you want the muscular benefits from doing this exercise without needing totoughen the hands, you can use a folded up towel under the fists or wear padded lifting gloves.

As important as all the physical benefits Ive discussed, and often overlooked, is thepsychological boost you get from changing elements of your workout from time to time. Applythe tenets of good form and common sense, and put safety at a premium, as a chronic injury willeventually undermine the most determined trainee. Good luck !

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