Push up (With push up handles)
Perform push-ups with handles to deepen your chest engagement and protect your wrists.
Description
A variation of the classic push-up using push-up handles to increase range of motion and engage more muscle groups.
How to Do Push up (With push up handles)
- 1Setup
Place the push-up handles on the floor, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, ensuring they are aligned with your chest at the bottom of the movement. Grip the handles firmly with a neutral wrist position.
- 2Setup
Assume a high plank position with your body straight from head to heels, core braced, and your hands positioned directly over the handles.
- 3
Inhale as you slowly lower your chest towards the floor between the handles, allowing your elbows to track slightly back and out at approximately a 45-degree angle from your torso.
- 4
Continue lowering until your chest is below the level of your hands, feeling a deep stretch in your pectoral muscles due to the increased range of motion the handles provide.
- 5
Exhale powerfully as you push through the handles to extend your arms and return to the starting high plank position, fully engaging your chest and triceps at the top.
Tips
- Maintain a neutral spine throughout the entire movement by actively engaging your core and squeezing your glutes to prevent your hips from sagging or your lower back from arching.
- Control the eccentric (lowering) phase for at least 2-3 seconds to maximize muscle tension and enhance strength gains in your chest and triceps.
- Focus on driving through the heels of your hands on the handles, imagining pushing the floor away from you, to better activate your chest muscles during the upward push.
- Experiment with the width of your handle placement: a wider grip will emphasize the outer chest, while a slightly narrower grip will place more focus on the triceps and inner chest.
Common Mistakes
- ×Avoid letting your hips sag or your lower back arch by actively bracing your core and squeezing your glutes throughout the entire movement to maintain a straight body line.
- ×Prevent excessive elbow flare by keeping your elbows tracking slightly back and at about a 45-degree angle relative to your torso to protect your shoulder joints.
- ×Ensure you achieve a full range of motion by lowering your chest until it's below the level of your hands, utilizing the handles' benefit for a deeper pectoral stretch.
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