Used properly and with enough variation, the push-up can be a powerful tool in your training arsenal.
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9 Ways to Spice Up the Push-Up
The push-up is maybe the most ubiquitous and prescribed exercise in all of fitness-dom. They’re part of the fitness qualification testing for almost any military or law enforcement agency, athletes are tested on it in the pre-season, bodybuilders use push-ups as a finishing move on chest day. No matter where you go in this industry, push-up prowess is still considered a commodity. But as with any other exercise, the push-up can become stale. Here are nine ways you can reacquaint yourself with the torso-blasting benefits of this timeless bodyweight move.
1) Go for Max Reps
What tends to happen for many people – even if they’re doing them regularly – is that they perform the same amount of push-ups from workout to workout. Even if you’re doing multiple sets of, say, 20 reps, you are missing out on the benefits of pushing the envelope. This is inherently limiting and doesn’t increase performance. If you truly want to keep your push-up life exciting – you know, productive and stuff – you should try going for max reps every other workout. After a few warm-up sets – done well short of failure – get down and see how many push-ups you can do before reaching complete muscle failure. The next day soreness will remind you what the push-up is all about. Keep track of this number and look to add 2-3 reps every time you test yourself.
2) Max Reps in a Minute
This is the standard typically used by military and law enforcement for trainees. Some guys can get down and do push-ups all day (freaks). But how many can these guys do in 60 seconds? Every once in a while, take the time to set the clock, hit the deck and max out for 60 seconds. It may not sound like much time but your screaming triceps and pecs will think otherwise. This also has the benefit of driving a ton of blood to working muscles, giving you an insane pump that you thought was reserved for weight-based moves.
3) Try Tabata
Think you’re a push-up pro? Humble yourself with a little Tabata training. By performing eight, 20-second segments of work – each followed by 10 seconds of rest – you will quickly fatigue all contributing muscle groups, up to and including your core. Fitter athletes will find that they can do 15 or more in the first segment but that number quickly drops off as you tire. If you can manage more than 10 reps on your eighth and final segment, it’s time to incorporate a new variety of push-up (see tips that follow)
