Push Ups For Sale

16. Jun, 2010 2 Comments

From the hundreds of exercises out there, push ups have to be one of my favorite. It’s a phenomenal exercise and can be done in dozens of variations. The best part is that it’s free, there is no equipment required, and can be done anywhere.

The push up is mainly a chest exercise, but also uses your triceps and front deltoids as synergists. Your biceps also play a role in stabilization as do your abdominals, obliques, and quadriceps. Done properly, it is an extremely effective exercise for building lean muscle, increasing bone density, and improving your cardiovascular system (just check your heart rate after doing 30 push ups in a row). From what I understand, doing a standard push up from your toes is the equivalent of pressing between 65-75% of your bodyweight. Doing this from your knees will reduce the load by about 50%.

Keeping proper form is an important part of its effectiveness. It’s crucial to keep your abdominals and glutes (butt) tight as you perform each rep. You want to keep your spine in a neutral position during the exercise. Of course, there are variations that will have you twisting, but those come after you have mastered the basic push up.  Also, make sure you breathe out every time you are pushing up. Holding your breath is a quick way to raise your blood pressure, get light headed, or pass out.  

Given that the push up requires no fancy gadgets or equipment, those looking to make money on this popular exercise have found ways to convince the public that they need them. The fitness market is HUGE and there is no shortage of fitness “experts” out there who will promote some useless piece of crap to earn a buck. One of the most frustrating things about being in this industry is seeing all the snake oil salesmen capitalizing on a hot trend or profitable market and selling something of very little value.

Below are several popular push up “necessities” that can be purchased just about anywhere:

 
These products are very profitable and to some degree may be useful, but in no way, shape, or form are they needed. Doing a push up on the ground, with your feet on a bench, or from your knees is all you really need to properly benefit from this exercise. The theory behind these 3 products is that they offer a greater range of motion and thus allowing  more muscle fibers to be recruited. This may be just fine for seasoned athletes, but for most of us it may ultimately just end up putting additional stress on the shoulder muscles which can lead to injury.
My advice is to stay away from these products and stick with the basics. The price tags are almost always higher than their value.
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2 Responses to “Push Ups For Sale”

  1. Donna Smith Reply 19. Jun, 2010 at 2:26 pm

    So this is why you insist on keeping push-ups in my routine despite my pathetic whining? I thought you were just heartless. I have found that doing push-ups has become more bearable after adding the plank into my routine. Maybe the chest and shoulder presses with weights have helped, too.

    • S Roy Reply 19. Jun, 2010 at 8:01 pm

      The shoulders and triceps are often the weak link to doing proper push ups. You’re getting there though!