Archive for April, 2009
If you want wider lats, have I got an exercise for you! This one will blow up your lats like no other type of pull-up I’ve found. The secret to this one lies in where you do the pull-up…
But I’m not very good at keeping secrets so here it is…
You do the pull-ups in the CORNER of the power rack!
I know it’s hard to contain yourself at this point, but try to keep it together! Once I explain how to do pull-ups in the corner of the rack and why this corner pull-up works so good, you’ll be itching to get to the gym and try it.
To really properly explain why it works so good, you first need to know how to do it so you can visualize how it works.
Now, to do this exercise, you’re going to need a power rack. And that’s pretty much it. Technically, you should also be able to do at least 6 to 8 reps of regular pull-ups in order to perform this exercise. But even if you can’t do that, I’m also going to show you a way to spot yourself so you can perform this exercise and get just as much out of it as anybody else.
So even if you can’t do full pull-ups, keep reading!
First, stand facing the corner of the rack. Now reach up with your left hand and grip the top cross-bar with a PALM-FACING-AWAY grip (a.k.a. reverse grip) about 18 inches from the corner. Now reach up with your right hand and grip the side top beam with the same grip at the same relative distance from the corner as your left hand. You want to be sure to keep your grip even on the beams. Definitely experiment with grip width to best match your armspan when performing this exercise.
Now you’re ready to pull!
Bend your knees and get your feet off the ground. You’ll immediately notice the tension in your lats in that bottom position. Perform a regular pull-up movement, bringing your body up as high as possible.
Here’s the big trick…as you pull yourself up, try to consciously PUSH OUTWARDS against the cross-beams of the rack. This outwards pushing combined with the pulling up puts huge tension on the extreme outer fibers of the lats.
So pull yourself up as high as possible then lower yourself slowly and under complete control. The negative on this exercise is very intense and the stretch it puts on your lats is phenomenal!
As you get towards the bottom, let your arms go completely straight to maximize the stretch on the lats. Be sure to keep tension in the shoulders, though. Even though your arms are straight, you want your body to still be supported by muscle tension in the lats and not the tendons and ligaments of your shoulder joints.
Now pull back up again, remembering to push outwards against the cross-beams as you pull up.
Keep going until you can’t do any more reps. It’s a tough exercise and an eye-opener even for people who generally can do a lot of pull-ups!
So how do you do this exercise if you can’t do a lot of (or any!) pull-ups? Self-spotting with your feet.
When you’re in the rack, you can either set the safety rail or the racking pin (the hook that you rack the weight on) to about 2 feet or so off the ground. The exact height will depend on how tall your rack is and how tall you are. Basically, you’re going to be using it as a step. As you do the pull-up, you’re going to set your foot on that pin/rail and use your legs to help you get the reps.
It’s important here to give yourself only as much help as you need to complete the rep you’re doing, NOT so much that you’re just standing up and down and going through the motions. You want to keep strong tension on the lats to get the most out of this exercise.
This technique is good not only for those who need help right off the bat but for doing forced reps when you CAN do full reps on your own. When you can’t perform another full rep on your own, set your foot on the pin/rail and keep going!
You can also perform this exercise using a palms-facing-in grip, but I’ve found it to be less effective in terms of hitting the outer lats than the palms-facing-out version.
Conclusion:
If wider lats are what you’re looking for, this exercise will do the trick. It’s a powerful variation of an old standard and will really fire your lats up fast! Test it out in your next back workout and be sure to let me know how SORE your lats are the next day…
By: Nick Nilsson
About the Author:
But I’m not very good at keeping secrets so here it is…
You do the pull-ups in the CORNER of the power rack!
I know it’s hard to contain yourself at this point, but try to keep it together! Once I explain how to do pull-ups in the corner of the rack and why this corner pull-up works so good, you’ll be itching to get to the gym and try it.
To really properly explain why it works so good, you first need to know how to do it so you can visualize how it works.
Now, to do this exercise, you’re going to need a power rack. And that’s pretty much it. Technically, you should also be able to do at least 6 to 8 reps of regular pull-ups in order to perform this exercise. But even if you can’t do that, I’m also going to show you a way to spot yourself so you can perform this exercise and get just as much out of it as anybody else.
So even if you can’t do full pull-ups, keep reading!
First, stand facing the corner of the rack. Now reach up with your left hand and grip the top cross-bar with a PALM-FACING-AWAY grip (a.k.a. reverse grip) about 18 inches from the corner. Now reach up with your right hand and grip the side top beam with the same grip at the same relative distance from the corner as your left hand. You want to be sure to keep your grip even on the beams. Definitely experiment with grip width to best match your armspan when performing this exercise.
Now you’re ready to pull!
Bend your knees and get your feet off the ground. You’ll immediately notice the tension in your lats in that bottom position. Perform a regular pull-up movement, bringing your body up as high as possible.
Here’s the big trick…as you pull yourself up, try to consciously PUSH OUTWARDS against the cross-beams of the rack. This outwards pushing combined with the pulling up puts huge tension on the extreme outer fibers of the lats.
So pull yourself up as high as possible then lower yourself slowly and under complete control. The negative on this exercise is very intense and the stretch it puts on your lats is phenomenal!
As you get towards the bottom, let your arms go completely straight to maximize the stretch on the lats. Be sure to keep tension in the shoulders, though. Even though your arms are straight, you want your body to still be supported by muscle tension in the lats and not the tendons and ligaments of your shoulder joints.
Now pull back up again, remembering to push outwards against the cross-beams as you pull up.
Keep going until you can’t do any more reps. It’s a tough exercise and an eye-opener even for people who generally can do a lot of pull-ups!
So how do you do this exercise if you can’t do a lot of (or any!) pull-ups? Self-spotting with your feet.
When you’re in the rack, you can either set the safety rail or the racking pin (the hook that you rack the weight on) to about 2 feet or so off the ground. The exact height will depend on how tall your rack is and how tall you are. Basically, you’re going to be using it as a step. As you do the pull-up, you’re going to set your foot on that pin/rail and use your legs to help you get the reps.
It’s important here to give yourself only as much help as you need to complete the rep you’re doing, NOT so much that you’re just standing up and down and going through the motions. You want to keep strong tension on the lats to get the most out of this exercise.
This technique is good not only for those who need help right off the bat but for doing forced reps when you CAN do full reps on your own. When you can’t perform another full rep on your own, set your foot on the pin/rail and keep going!
You can also perform this exercise using a palms-facing-in grip, but I’ve found it to be less effective in terms of hitting the outer lats than the palms-facing-out version.
Conclusion:
If wider lats are what you’re looking for, this exercise will do the trick. It’s a powerful variation of an old standard and will really fire your lats up fast! Test it out in your next back workout and be sure to let me know how SORE your lats are the next day…
By: Nick Nilsson
About the Author:
Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of BetterU, Inc. and has been inventing new training techniques and exercises for 17+ years. Nick has written many training books including “Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To Maximum Mass” & “Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss” – http://www.fitness-ebooks.com. For pictures and video of this exercise, click here.
Pull ups and Chin Ups are one of the best upper body exercises you can do. Read this article right now to discover 5 reasons why you should be doing them and how they can help you build muscle, burn fat, increase your functional strength, get more muscle tone, and much, MUCH MORE!
Almost everyone has heard about pull ups, but lots of guys don’t realize how important they are… what a great exercise they are, or all the benefits you can get from pull ups and chin ups.
So why would you do pull ups and chin ups? What are some of the benefits?
Here’s 5 big benefits of these exercises:
1. Functional Strength – The strength you build with pull ups will carryover to every area of your life and is a type of strength you might have to use one day (hanging off a building, climbing a wall, etc)…
2. Builds muscle – The pull up is one of the best ways to pack muscle onto your back, shoulders and arms…
3. Sport strength – Almost all sports require you to do a lot of pulling to play well, pull ups help in this regard…
4. Exercise Carryover – You pressing numbers will go up as you get better at pull ups…
5. Joint and Muscle Health – Making sure you do as many pull ups as you do presses will ensure you don’t have any muscle imbalances and you’ll stay healthy…
The last point is important because a lot of guys do tons of bench presses, incline, decline and other pressing movements and do hardly any pulling movements.
This is bad for many reasons, the biggest of which is muscle imbalances… another big reason why you want to avoid this is because you should (generally) be able to pull much more than you push for functional strength reasons.
So if you haven’t started doing pull ups and chin ups, then you need to start today…
By: vishal
About the Author:
Almost everyone has heard about pull ups, but lots of guys don’t realize how important they are… what a great exercise they are, or all the benefits you can get from pull ups and chin ups.
So why would you do pull ups and chin ups? What are some of the benefits?
Here’s 5 big benefits of these exercises:
1. Functional Strength – The strength you build with pull ups will carryover to every area of your life and is a type of strength you might have to use one day (hanging off a building, climbing a wall, etc)…
2. Builds muscle – The pull up is one of the best ways to pack muscle onto your back, shoulders and arms…
3. Sport strength – Almost all sports require you to do a lot of pulling to play well, pull ups help in this regard…
4. Exercise Carryover – You pressing numbers will go up as you get better at pull ups…
5. Joint and Muscle Health – Making sure you do as many pull ups as you do presses will ensure you don’t have any muscle imbalances and you’ll stay healthy…
The last point is important because a lot of guys do tons of bench presses, incline, decline and other pressing movements and do hardly any pulling movements.
This is bad for many reasons, the biggest of which is muscle imbalances… another big reason why you want to avoid this is because you should (generally) be able to pull much more than you push for functional strength reasons.
So if you haven’t started doing pull ups and chin ups, then you need to start today…
By: vishal
About the Author:
Read About Bodybuilding Also Read About Weight Loss Techniques And Benefits of Losing Weight
5 Tips to P90X Push Up Stands
One of the oldest forms of exercise routine known to man would be push – ups. Although it is an old practice, it is still use by many athletes and body builders due to its effectiveness. Push – ups help you build a stronger upper body but it does not end there, it also improves your endurance, blood circulation and most of all, burn extra calories.
Since it is one of men’s favorite exercise routine, experts are always researching for a product or an equipment that would provide better results when used with the mentioned routine. Better results would mean, it is safer to use, more comfortable, handy, and provides faster development. So then the P90X Push Up Stands was introduce to cater to the demands of the public.
This push up stands is built with optimum materials that make it very durable and very handy. It’s base is carefully designed so that it will not slide when someone is using it, making it very safe to use. The stand of this equipment is slightly angled for the purpose of reducing the chances of wrist strains since when you do workouts, the weight of your body is centered to your wrist. Without this feature, you will not be able to enjoy a lot of push ups since with a strained wrist, you will not be able to do your favorite exercise. With this stands, you will not have blisters in your hands, due to the fact that the grips of the stands are covered with foams. This one also provides greater range of motion. In other words, it eliminates a lot of stress in your muscles with the support that it gives to your body.
Here are some tips in using this tool.
1.When you open the package, read the instructions carefully and assemble it.
2.Do your stretching first to get warmed up before you do your push ups.
3.Start your routine. Do not abruptly increase your frequency since it might strain your muscle. You have to increase your frequency gradually to avoid any injuries.
4.During the routine, you can adjust your center of gravity with this tool so take full advantage of it.
5.After the routine, cool down, do another favorite routine of yours, or take a shower if you’re done for the day.
These are very simple tips that can help you get started properly with your favorite equipment. Take note this stand will not limit you to workout only inside your house. Fact is a lot of people are actually doing their push ups inside the office during their break time, because you can bring this tool anywhere you want since it’s so handy. So there you go, I’m sure with the tips and with your push up stand, you will be on your way to a more healthy body and a happier life.
By: Jesse Miller
About the Author:
One of the oldest forms of exercise routine known to man would be push – ups. Although it is an old practice, it is still use by many athletes and body builders due to its effectiveness. Push – ups help you build a stronger upper body but it does not end there, it also improves your endurance, blood circulation and most of all, burn extra calories.
Since it is one of men’s favorite exercise routine, experts are always researching for a product or an equipment that would provide better results when used with the mentioned routine. Better results would mean, it is safer to use, more comfortable, handy, and provides faster development. So then the P90X Push Up Stands was introduce to cater to the demands of the public.
This push up stands is built with optimum materials that make it very durable and very handy. It’s base is carefully designed so that it will not slide when someone is using it, making it very safe to use. The stand of this equipment is slightly angled for the purpose of reducing the chances of wrist strains since when you do workouts, the weight of your body is centered to your wrist. Without this feature, you will not be able to enjoy a lot of push ups since with a strained wrist, you will not be able to do your favorite exercise. With this stands, you will not have blisters in your hands, due to the fact that the grips of the stands are covered with foams. This one also provides greater range of motion. In other words, it eliminates a lot of stress in your muscles with the support that it gives to your body.
Here are some tips in using this tool.
1.When you open the package, read the instructions carefully and assemble it.
2.Do your stretching first to get warmed up before you do your push ups.
3.Start your routine. Do not abruptly increase your frequency since it might strain your muscle. You have to increase your frequency gradually to avoid any injuries.
4.During the routine, you can adjust your center of gravity with this tool so take full advantage of it.
5.After the routine, cool down, do another favorite routine of yours, or take a shower if you’re done for the day.
These are very simple tips that can help you get started properly with your favorite equipment. Take note this stand will not limit you to workout only inside your house. Fact is a lot of people are actually doing their push ups inside the office during their break time, because you can bring this tool anywhere you want since it’s so handy. So there you go, I’m sure with the tips and with your push up stand, you will be on your way to a more healthy body and a happier life.
By: Jesse Miller
About the Author:
Finding the perfect Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer takes time and effort. The P90X workout is a great place to start if a person is interested in flat abs. The P90X is also another workout that will help develop flat abs.
Are you wondering whether a pull up bar would be a good piece of exercise equipment? This page will explain how to do a pull up and the benefits of this exercise. A pull up is an exercise that works a large number of your neck, shoulder and back muscles all at the same time. The exercise is performed by grasping a bar and pulling yourself upwards. This exercise is also called a chin up because you try to get your chin up over the bar. You start by having your hands grasping the bar and your body hanging straight.
Then you pull yourself upwards until your chest is almost touching the bar and your chin is higher than the bar. You have to focus on keeping your body straight when doing this type of exercise. The main thing is to keep your feet off the floor, but you can bend your knees or cross your legs.
There are many variations of this exercise. You can use the wide grip position with your arms extended about twice the width of your shoulders. This variation helps you to emphasize your lats.
You can use the close grip variation where your hands are only 6 8 inches apart on the bar to work on the lower lats. Whatever exercise you choose to do in chin ups, the resistance is provided by your body. You should combine pull ups with other strength training exercises such as push ups or a bench press.
A pull up bar is a very inexpensive piece of exercise equipment. You can place it anywhere you want in your home or exercise room and use it as part of your regular exercise routine. Strength training for the muscles of your back and neck help you in your daily life as there are many occasions when you have to life something and dont have the strength required. Toning your back and neck muscles also helps to keep your body straight as you get older.
By: vishal
About the Author:
Then you pull yourself upwards until your chest is almost touching the bar and your chin is higher than the bar. You have to focus on keeping your body straight when doing this type of exercise. The main thing is to keep your feet off the floor, but you can bend your knees or cross your legs.
There are many variations of this exercise. You can use the wide grip position with your arms extended about twice the width of your shoulders. This variation helps you to emphasize your lats.
You can use the close grip variation where your hands are only 6 8 inches apart on the bar to work on the lower lats. Whatever exercise you choose to do in chin ups, the resistance is provided by your body. You should combine pull ups with other strength training exercises such as push ups or a bench press.
A pull up bar is a very inexpensive piece of exercise equipment. You can place it anywhere you want in your home or exercise room and use it as part of your regular exercise routine. Strength training for the muscles of your back and neck help you in your daily life as there are many occasions when you have to life something and dont have the strength required. Toning your back and neck muscles also helps to keep your body straight as you get older.
By: vishal
About the Author:
Read About Bodybuilding Also Read About Benefits of Antioxidants And Bodybuilding Diet Plan
In this article I am going to show you many new push up exercise variations that will drastically improve your upper body power but actually improve your overall conditioning. The creative exercise listed below can and should be used by high level athletes such as MMA fighters and Football players to become more explosive, as well as be used by fitness enthusiasts to build muscle in the chest shoulders and arms.
Rethinking the Clap Push Up
One of the popular push up exercises used for improving upper body power is the clap or plyo push- up. This exercise is great for developing explosive pushing power and we do use it on occasion. However, the constant pounding on the wrist from the landing is a concern of mine for some athletes like wrestlers and football players. These types of athletes are constantly being thrown down and therefore having to breaking the fall by landing on their wrists in much the same way as the plyo push-up.
The last thing I want to do as a coach is use an exercise that replicates something that an athlete’s probably does too much of already. Especially something that has a high risk vs. benefit ratio.
Here is a great alternative the plyo push-up that we have found to be just as effective at developing explosive pushing power while limiting impact on the wrist.
Box Jump Push –Ups
Perform 4-5×3-6
We prefer to use a closer, shoulder width hand position on this movement as it has more functional carryover to sports like wrestling and football.
This exercise can easily be progressed by increasing the height of the box.
Click here to view pictures and videos of all of the exercises listed in this article
Swiss Ball Ricochet Push-Up
This is one of my all time favorite exercises and another great way to develop explosive power and speed in the upper body. We prefer to do movements like this for time frames of 8-15 sec at max speed.
When performing this exercise be sure to maintain ideal spinal alignment throughout this movement.
Metabolic (Power-Endurance) Push –ups
The concept of metabolic strength training and power endurance is just starting to be explored in the world of performance training. In most sports, athletes are required to continuously explode and repeatedly produce power, sometimes for hundreds of reps.
This type of power endurance will not be developed with traditional 5×5; 3min rest type methods and therefore requires specialized protocols. Below are two push-up based metabolic protocols we use to ensure our athletes remain explosive and end up being the last one standing when the smoke clears.
I recommend establishing a proper technical, strength and power base before utilizing these protocols.
Get ready for a killer pump!
20/20/20 Push-Ups
This is a great metabolic circuit that is easy to remember and doesn’t require any additional equipment. We normally use this circuit at the beginning of our power endurance phase. It takes 1min to complete.
Perform with no rest;
20 sec Push-ups
20sec Push-up pause (hold bottom position)
20sec Plyo or clapper push ups
Rest 1-3min
The JC Push-up Circuit
This is an awesome metabolic protocol that I learned from my good friend and colleague Juan Carlos Santana. You’re going to need a medicine ball (MB) for this one.
Perform as circuit with speed;
5-10 MB Lock offs on each side
5-10 MB Cross over push-ups on each side (alternate sides)
5-10 MB Close grip push-ups
5-10 MB Drop and returns
Rest 1-3min
We normally start with 5 reps and progress one rep a week until 10eps is reached.
Both of these metabolic protocols can eventually be progressed so that the exerciser can complete 2-3 rounds without rest.
At one time I was able to complete 5 rounds of the JC circuit without rest. My chest, shoulders and arms never looked better. Not to mention it made my abs sore for a week.
By: Nick Tumminello
About the Author:
Rethinking the Clap Push Up
One of the popular push up exercises used for improving upper body power is the clap or plyo push- up. This exercise is great for developing explosive pushing power and we do use it on occasion. However, the constant pounding on the wrist from the landing is a concern of mine for some athletes like wrestlers and football players. These types of athletes are constantly being thrown down and therefore having to breaking the fall by landing on their wrists in much the same way as the plyo push-up.
The last thing I want to do as a coach is use an exercise that replicates something that an athlete’s probably does too much of already. Especially something that has a high risk vs. benefit ratio.
Here is a great alternative the plyo push-up that we have found to be just as effective at developing explosive pushing power while limiting impact on the wrist.
Box Jump Push –Ups
Perform 4-5×3-6
We prefer to use a closer, shoulder width hand position on this movement as it has more functional carryover to sports like wrestling and football.
This exercise can easily be progressed by increasing the height of the box.
Click here to view pictures and videos of all of the exercises listed in this article
Swiss Ball Ricochet Push-Up
This is one of my all time favorite exercises and another great way to develop explosive power and speed in the upper body. We prefer to do movements like this for time frames of 8-15 sec at max speed.
When performing this exercise be sure to maintain ideal spinal alignment throughout this movement.
Metabolic (Power-Endurance) Push –ups
The concept of metabolic strength training and power endurance is just starting to be explored in the world of performance training. In most sports, athletes are required to continuously explode and repeatedly produce power, sometimes for hundreds of reps.
This type of power endurance will not be developed with traditional 5×5; 3min rest type methods and therefore requires specialized protocols. Below are two push-up based metabolic protocols we use to ensure our athletes remain explosive and end up being the last one standing when the smoke clears.
I recommend establishing a proper technical, strength and power base before utilizing these protocols.
Get ready for a killer pump!
20/20/20 Push-Ups
This is a great metabolic circuit that is easy to remember and doesn’t require any additional equipment. We normally use this circuit at the beginning of our power endurance phase. It takes 1min to complete.
Perform with no rest;
20 sec Push-ups
20sec Push-up pause (hold bottom position)
20sec Plyo or clapper push ups
Rest 1-3min
The JC Push-up Circuit
This is an awesome metabolic protocol that I learned from my good friend and colleague Juan Carlos Santana. You’re going to need a medicine ball (MB) for this one.
Perform as circuit with speed;
5-10 MB Lock offs on each side
5-10 MB Cross over push-ups on each side (alternate sides)
5-10 MB Close grip push-ups
5-10 MB Drop and returns
Rest 1-3min
We normally start with 5 reps and progress one rep a week until 10eps is reached.
Both of these metabolic protocols can eventually be progressed so that the exerciser can complete 2-3 rounds without rest.
At one time I was able to complete 5 rounds of the JC circuit without rest. My chest, shoulders and arms never looked better. Not to mention it made my abs sore for a week.
By: Nick Tumminello
About the Author:
The director of Performance University, Nick Tumminello is a highly sought after coach and educator in the field of human performance enhancement. He is the developer of the Core Bar™ and has authored numerous best selling DVD’s which can be purchased at www.PerformanceU.net .
Nick also serves as the Strength & Conditioning Coach for Team Ground Control MMA. Nick lives in Baltimore MD where he regularly trains his athletes.
I’ve recently acquired a pull-up bar made by Iron Gym products. I have to say, I’ve had my eye on one of these for a while. Now I do have a full squat rack of where I’m able to do pull-ups from, but am I able to fit my squat rack in between my door way or in the hallway? Nope, I don’t think so. With that said, the mobility of the pull-up bar is phenomenal.
Right when I get out of bed in the morning, all I have to do is simply slip the pull-bar in between my door way and walla! I can knock out a mini workout or warm-up whenever I want. Not to mention the benefits of doing pull-ups are simply outrageous. Pull-ups is an exercise very few people can do, simply because of the lack of upper body strength. I know a few people who can power clean over 250lbs but at the same time they have hard time doing 5 regular pull-ups.
With this piece of gym equipment, you can do a variety of exercises. Not only can you do under hand pull-ups, but you can also do over hand pull-ups as well. Wide or close-grip, you choose for the better. The pull-up bar can also be used as a push-up platform on the ground. With push-ups, it allows you to hit more muscle fibers of the chest and thus allowing you to get more of an effective workout that what regular push-ups offer. Anyways, for $30, you can’t go wrong with the price. If you’ve always wanted to set up your own home gym, the pull-up bar is an awesome start. If you’re wanting to buy this product, it can be located at your local sports store.
By: vishal
About the Author:
Right when I get out of bed in the morning, all I have to do is simply slip the pull-bar in between my door way and walla! I can knock out a mini workout or warm-up whenever I want. Not to mention the benefits of doing pull-ups are simply outrageous. Pull-ups is an exercise very few people can do, simply because of the lack of upper body strength. I know a few people who can power clean over 250lbs but at the same time they have hard time doing 5 regular pull-ups.
With this piece of gym equipment, you can do a variety of exercises. Not only can you do under hand pull-ups, but you can also do over hand pull-ups as well. Wide or close-grip, you choose for the better. The pull-up bar can also be used as a push-up platform on the ground. With push-ups, it allows you to hit more muscle fibers of the chest and thus allowing you to get more of an effective workout that what regular push-ups offer. Anyways, for $30, you can’t go wrong with the price. If you’ve always wanted to set up your own home gym, the pull-up bar is an awesome start. If you’re wanting to buy this product, it can be located at your local sports store.
By: vishal
About the Author:
Read About Bodybuilding Also Read About Weight Loss Techniques And Benefits of Losing Weight
Any super body who can bend steel with his bare hands and jump tall buildings in a single bound can certainly do pull ups. Wouldn’t you agree? On the other hand, odds are anybody who’s unable to do pull ups, will probably have a pretty hard time with the bare hands steel bending and tall building jumping as well.
But it’s also interesting to see how many super bodies with bulging biceps, chest pounding pectorals, and thundering thighs, absolutely melt at the sight of a pull up bar. I suppose it’s an ego shot to someone who’s ripped from head to toe if he’s seen struggling with an exercise as simple and basic as pull ups. That being the case, these big dogs often stay as far away from the pull up bar as humanly possible. It’s just easier when you avoid it.
A Basic Instinct Lost to the 21st Century
Historically speaking however, pull ups are an exercise that any self respecting ape or chimpanzee (our ancestors some would claim) can do quite naturally, often with one arm, while chomping on a banana. But then apes and chimps are still pretty much the same size they were five or ten thousand years ago, while man has become…larger. I mean give the apes and chimps ready access to cars, computers, TV’s, video games, and fast food, and just see how long they can still do pull ups, right?
So the questions suddenly becomes, how can we self respecting male humans most effectively recapture our natural born ability to do pull ups in the midst of all the 21st Century cars, computers, TV’s, video games, pizza and beer? As you might expect, the answer to this question has several parts. Check it out.
Number One
First and foremost you have to be motivated. That is to say, if you’re one of those guys who’s been humiliated by pull up bars and drill sergeant coaches ever since you were a kid, you may just take pull ups as a personal challenge, a mountain to climb, a white rapids river to swim. I mean in a certain sense, the ability to do pull ups has always been one of those things that separates the men from the boys, and if you’re biting at the bit to take your place alongside the men, that means you’re motivated!
Number Two
Second you must now find a pull up bar that allows you to perform at least eight repetitions right from the get go. In other words you must have a place to get on before you can expect to make progress. What fills the bill? There are any number of contenders ranging from a high tech and expensive health club gismo called the Gravitron, to the adaptive machines that use springs and rubber bands to lighten your load, and allow you access.
A New and Simple Solution
But interestingly enough a young engineer from Perdue University named Jeff Gotts (Delta Fitness of West Lafayette, IN) has come up with an incredibly simple and naturalistic substitute for those who are interested. That simple substitute is…your own two legs! You see he combined a height adjustable pull up bar that raises and lowers in one inch increments, with what he calls leg assisted pull ups in which participants are encouraged to jump and pull up at the same time, giving almost anyone instant access to pull ups. It’s the kind of thing that makes me say, “That’s so simple. Why didn’t somebody think of this before?”
The Simple Strategy
The strategy here is equally as simple. You set the bar at a height where you can do at least eight leg assisted pull ups, jumping and pulling at the same time, and you do two or three sets. A couple of days later in workout number two, you do a couple sets of nine reps each. In the subsequent three workouts you do 10, 11, and 12 reps.
And when you do 12 reps, you raise the bar ONE INCH next time and start the whole 8 to 12 rep cycle all over again. Gotts reminds readers to “Avoid the temptation of trying to go too fast too soon. This strategy is built on a series of small, predictable improvements over a period of time. Stick with the strategy and you’ll come out a winner,” he said.
Eventually You Run Out of Leg Assistance
Over a period of weeks and months what happens is the bar gets higher and higher and you eventually run out of leg assistance. And when you’ve run out of leg assistance you’ve reached your goal of being able to do real, live, conventional pull ups just like the drill sergeant coach wanted you to do all those years ago. At this point you no longer melt at the sight of a pull up bar and you can finally take your rightful place alongside the men…if not the super body’s.
A Natural Antidote to Obesity
One more interesting observation comes from Jeff Gotts, the Indiana based entrepreneur. He contends that, “The ability to do pull ups is a cost effective and naturalistic antidote to the obesity problem in this nation. Think about it,” he said. “People who can do pull ups are NEVER obese. And people who are obese can NEVER do pull ups.”
“If school districts around the US would start teaching pull ups in kindergarten, and make the ability to do pull ups a high school graduation requirement, the obesity epidemic would be over in no time. People’s health would improve significantly, they’d be more productive, health care costs would plummet, and everyone benefits,” Gotts challenged.
In Summary
In summary, if you’re reading this article and you’re a budding super body who has yet to find a way to conquer the pull up mountain, and who may be carrying a little bit too much excess body luggage, take heart, get motivated, find a good height adjustable pull up bar, and start out with eight good reps.
Continue making small but predictable chunks of progress week after week, month after month and before you know it you will have reclaimed your natural born ability to do pull ups, and immunized yourself against obesity for as long as you maintain your hard won ability. The other thing is that you may want to back off on the pizza and beer. For these things the pull up Gods will smile on you and speed your progress. So I say let’s all carpe diem today. We have everything to gain, and nothing (except excess weight) to lose.
By: vishal
About the Author:
But it’s also interesting to see how many super bodies with bulging biceps, chest pounding pectorals, and thundering thighs, absolutely melt at the sight of a pull up bar. I suppose it’s an ego shot to someone who’s ripped from head to toe if he’s seen struggling with an exercise as simple and basic as pull ups. That being the case, these big dogs often stay as far away from the pull up bar as humanly possible. It’s just easier when you avoid it.
A Basic Instinct Lost to the 21st Century
Historically speaking however, pull ups are an exercise that any self respecting ape or chimpanzee (our ancestors some would claim) can do quite naturally, often with one arm, while chomping on a banana. But then apes and chimps are still pretty much the same size they were five or ten thousand years ago, while man has become…larger. I mean give the apes and chimps ready access to cars, computers, TV’s, video games, and fast food, and just see how long they can still do pull ups, right?
So the questions suddenly becomes, how can we self respecting male humans most effectively recapture our natural born ability to do pull ups in the midst of all the 21st Century cars, computers, TV’s, video games, pizza and beer? As you might expect, the answer to this question has several parts. Check it out.
Number One
First and foremost you have to be motivated. That is to say, if you’re one of those guys who’s been humiliated by pull up bars and drill sergeant coaches ever since you were a kid, you may just take pull ups as a personal challenge, a mountain to climb, a white rapids river to swim. I mean in a certain sense, the ability to do pull ups has always been one of those things that separates the men from the boys, and if you’re biting at the bit to take your place alongside the men, that means you’re motivated!
Number Two
Second you must now find a pull up bar that allows you to perform at least eight repetitions right from the get go. In other words you must have a place to get on before you can expect to make progress. What fills the bill? There are any number of contenders ranging from a high tech and expensive health club gismo called the Gravitron, to the adaptive machines that use springs and rubber bands to lighten your load, and allow you access.
A New and Simple Solution
But interestingly enough a young engineer from Perdue University named Jeff Gotts (Delta Fitness of West Lafayette, IN) has come up with an incredibly simple and naturalistic substitute for those who are interested. That simple substitute is…your own two legs! You see he combined a height adjustable pull up bar that raises and lowers in one inch increments, with what he calls leg assisted pull ups in which participants are encouraged to jump and pull up at the same time, giving almost anyone instant access to pull ups. It’s the kind of thing that makes me say, “That’s so simple. Why didn’t somebody think of this before?”
The Simple Strategy
The strategy here is equally as simple. You set the bar at a height where you can do at least eight leg assisted pull ups, jumping and pulling at the same time, and you do two or three sets. A couple of days later in workout number two, you do a couple sets of nine reps each. In the subsequent three workouts you do 10, 11, and 12 reps.
And when you do 12 reps, you raise the bar ONE INCH next time and start the whole 8 to 12 rep cycle all over again. Gotts reminds readers to “Avoid the temptation of trying to go too fast too soon. This strategy is built on a series of small, predictable improvements over a period of time. Stick with the strategy and you’ll come out a winner,” he said.
Eventually You Run Out of Leg Assistance
Over a period of weeks and months what happens is the bar gets higher and higher and you eventually run out of leg assistance. And when you’ve run out of leg assistance you’ve reached your goal of being able to do real, live, conventional pull ups just like the drill sergeant coach wanted you to do all those years ago. At this point you no longer melt at the sight of a pull up bar and you can finally take your rightful place alongside the men…if not the super body’s.
A Natural Antidote to Obesity
One more interesting observation comes from Jeff Gotts, the Indiana based entrepreneur. He contends that, “The ability to do pull ups is a cost effective and naturalistic antidote to the obesity problem in this nation. Think about it,” he said. “People who can do pull ups are NEVER obese. And people who are obese can NEVER do pull ups.”
“If school districts around the US would start teaching pull ups in kindergarten, and make the ability to do pull ups a high school graduation requirement, the obesity epidemic would be over in no time. People’s health would improve significantly, they’d be more productive, health care costs would plummet, and everyone benefits,” Gotts challenged.
In Summary
In summary, if you’re reading this article and you’re a budding super body who has yet to find a way to conquer the pull up mountain, and who may be carrying a little bit too much excess body luggage, take heart, get motivated, find a good height adjustable pull up bar, and start out with eight good reps.
Continue making small but predictable chunks of progress week after week, month after month and before you know it you will have reclaimed your natural born ability to do pull ups, and immunized yourself against obesity for as long as you maintain your hard won ability. The other thing is that you may want to back off on the pizza and beer. For these things the pull up Gods will smile on you and speed your progress. So I say let’s all carpe diem today. We have everything to gain, and nothing (except excess weight) to lose.
By: vishal
About the Author:
Read About Bodybuilding Also Read About Stretching Routine And Stretching Techniques
Push ups are one of the classic bodyweight exercises. Every bodyweight training program I know of uses push ups in one form or another. As a result, the ability to perform a proper push up, for high repetitions is a fitness milestone in bodyweight training.
But there is more to this classic bodyweight exercise than high repetitions and bragging rights. As a matter of fact, some people get so caught up in high repetitions that they forgo proper form, reducing the strength and endurance gains, and increasing the risk of injury. In this article I’ll reveal an alternative to high repetition push ups.
But first, what is a proper push up?
A proper push up is an incredibly demanding full body exercise, requiring both upper body strength and a strong, stable core for proper completion. This is important. It is not just an upper body exercise. It is a full body exercise.
Start by lying on the ground with you feet together and your hands on the ground by your shoulders. Your elbows are flexed and should remain close to your body throughout the entire movement. Don’t flair your elbows!
Perform a push up by pressing with your arms until your entire body leaves the ground. In the up position, only your hands and toes remain on the ground. The body has to remain stiff and straight throughout the entire lowering and raising. The only thing that should move during the movement is the arms.
This is very important. The body should be straight at the top, during and at the bottom of the movement. This is accomplished by using your core stabilizer muscles, **** and legs to make your body as ridged as possible.
As you can see, your whole body is involved in completing a proper push up, not just your upper body. Upper body strength and core strength must be coordinated to do a proper push up. If either your upper body or core is weaker than the other, errors will occur and performance will be lowered.
Ok, once you know how to perform push ups, most people try to go for high numbers. Yes, being able to do 100 push ups is a sign of great strength and endurance. But striving for high numbers is not the only way you improve!
You can also improve push ups by going from easy to difficult. Increasing the difficulty of the push up variation is an excellent way to build incredible strength. This method allows you to keep the repetition number relatively low, reducing the risk of overuse injuries. Plus, it reduces the possibility you will sacrifice quality for quantity, furthering your chance of injury!
Here is an example:
- Start with incline push ups
- The increase difficulty by doing the classic push up
- Increase the difficulty again by doing decline push ups
- And finally make it harder by doing handstand push ups
You could also throw in one armed push ups to increase difficulty. But the point is this, there are more ways to improve your strength and endurance with push ups than just increasing the number or repetitions you can do in one set.
Let this push up progression example serve as an example of other bodyweight exercise progressions. A lot of people say they get bored with bodyweight exercise because they only try to improve by doing more and more reps. Now you know, increasing repetition is not the only progression method in town. And in many cases, more strength and endurance improvements can be made by going from easy versions of an exercise to more difficult versions.
By: Eddie Lomax
About the Author:
But there is more to this classic bodyweight exercise than high repetitions and bragging rights. As a matter of fact, some people get so caught up in high repetitions that they forgo proper form, reducing the strength and endurance gains, and increasing the risk of injury. In this article I’ll reveal an alternative to high repetition push ups.
But first, what is a proper push up?
A proper push up is an incredibly demanding full body exercise, requiring both upper body strength and a strong, stable core for proper completion. This is important. It is not just an upper body exercise. It is a full body exercise.
Start by lying on the ground with you feet together and your hands on the ground by your shoulders. Your elbows are flexed and should remain close to your body throughout the entire movement. Don’t flair your elbows!
Perform a push up by pressing with your arms until your entire body leaves the ground. In the up position, only your hands and toes remain on the ground. The body has to remain stiff and straight throughout the entire lowering and raising. The only thing that should move during the movement is the arms.
This is very important. The body should be straight at the top, during and at the bottom of the movement. This is accomplished by using your core stabilizer muscles, **** and legs to make your body as ridged as possible.
As you can see, your whole body is involved in completing a proper push up, not just your upper body. Upper body strength and core strength must be coordinated to do a proper push up. If either your upper body or core is weaker than the other, errors will occur and performance will be lowered.
Ok, once you know how to perform push ups, most people try to go for high numbers. Yes, being able to do 100 push ups is a sign of great strength and endurance. But striving for high numbers is not the only way you improve!
You can also improve push ups by going from easy to difficult. Increasing the difficulty of the push up variation is an excellent way to build incredible strength. This method allows you to keep the repetition number relatively low, reducing the risk of overuse injuries. Plus, it reduces the possibility you will sacrifice quality for quantity, furthering your chance of injury!
Here is an example:
- Start with incline push ups
- The increase difficulty by doing the classic push up
- Increase the difficulty again by doing decline push ups
- And finally make it harder by doing handstand push ups
You could also throw in one armed push ups to increase difficulty. But the point is this, there are more ways to improve your strength and endurance with push ups than just increasing the number or repetitions you can do in one set.
Let this push up progression example serve as an example of other bodyweight exercise progressions. A lot of people say they get bored with bodyweight exercise because they only try to improve by doing more and more reps. Now you know, increasing repetition is not the only progression method in town. And in many cases, more strength and endurance improvements can be made by going from easy versions of an exercise to more difficult versions.
By: Eddie Lomax
About the Author:
Coach Eddie Lomax, author of Workout Without Weights uses 6 different progression strategies to get the most out of bodyweight training for combined fitness, fat loss and physique building.
It’s most likely the first exercise that you learned and the one lay-people do almost instinctively when they try to work out. Yet, the Push Up it remains one of the most valuable and effective movements, provided you know how to use it to its fullest potential.
I have found that although the push up is well known and commonly practiced in the world of strength training, it’s still very misunderstood and underutilized among performance and fitness professionals.
This article will show you how to use creative push up progressions and variations to;
Build Hypertrophy (increase muscle size)
and
Increase Strength
It’s my goal to give you a new appreciation for the push up and help you understand that its more, much more than just another “old school” gym class exercise.
A Quick Rant on The Perfect Push Up Handles
I will admit that I think those perfect push up handles are kind of cool. However, being cool doesn’t always translate into being effective. That aside, I have a philosophical problem with the name “Perfect Push Up”
I dislike using the word “perfect” in regards to the push up or any exercise for that matter.
First of all, nobody is perfect.
Secondly- the word perfect, in this case, implies that there is only one best way to do an exercise. Let’s face it, we come in all shapes and sizes and because of that we don’t all move in the same way. Therefore, it’s completely unreasonable to hold everyone to the exact same standards.
It is for this reason that I prefer to use the word “ideal” in regards to proper mechanics during sports and lifting. This is a much more general term that can be individualized by saying “what’s ideal for that person”.
“Perfection is reserved for the divine and not for humans”
Unknown
Push-ups for Hypertrophy (Bigger Muscles)
When training for Hypertrophy, we need 2 things;
- High volume
- Constant muscle tension
Here are 3 unique push up variations that fit the above categories and therefore are great for building hypertrophy
Swiss Ball Squeeze Push-Ups
In this exercise the hands are placed lower on the sides of the ball than a normal ball push up. This is a small change that makes the exercise more difficult by forcing the exerciser to squeeze the ball very hard in order to avoid falling and continue the exercise. The squeeze creates a tremendous amount of tension on the Pecs, shoulders and triceps. A weight vest and/or elevated foot position can be used for increased overload.
The Arko Wheel Push/Fly-Up
This exercise is just plain tough! The combination push-up / fly really allows you to maximize Pec and Shoulder recruitment. It should be note that this movement demands allot of torso strength and control. A weight vest can be added for overload. I think that’s its important to say that I have no affiliation with the Arko wheel company, I just love what you can do with these things.
Feet Elevated Push-Up w/Plate
If one arm push-ups aren’t your style then you might want to try this variation. This style push up can actually work to develop hypertrophy or strength depending on the weight, tempo, reps and rest used. Use a heavy enough plate and your abs will be talking to you as well.
Click here to see pictures and videos of each exercise listed above.
By: Nick Tumminello
About the Author:
I have found that although the push up is well known and commonly practiced in the world of strength training, it’s still very misunderstood and underutilized among performance and fitness professionals.
This article will show you how to use creative push up progressions and variations to;
Build Hypertrophy (increase muscle size)
and
Increase Strength
It’s my goal to give you a new appreciation for the push up and help you understand that its more, much more than just another “old school” gym class exercise.
A Quick Rant on The Perfect Push Up Handles
I will admit that I think those perfect push up handles are kind of cool. However, being cool doesn’t always translate into being effective. That aside, I have a philosophical problem with the name “Perfect Push Up”
I dislike using the word “perfect” in regards to the push up or any exercise for that matter.
First of all, nobody is perfect.
Secondly- the word perfect, in this case, implies that there is only one best way to do an exercise. Let’s face it, we come in all shapes and sizes and because of that we don’t all move in the same way. Therefore, it’s completely unreasonable to hold everyone to the exact same standards.
It is for this reason that I prefer to use the word “ideal” in regards to proper mechanics during sports and lifting. This is a much more general term that can be individualized by saying “what’s ideal for that person”.
“Perfection is reserved for the divine and not for humans”
Unknown
Push-ups for Hypertrophy (Bigger Muscles)
When training for Hypertrophy, we need 2 things;
- High volume
- Constant muscle tension
Here are 3 unique push up variations that fit the above categories and therefore are great for building hypertrophy
Swiss Ball Squeeze Push-Ups
In this exercise the hands are placed lower on the sides of the ball than a normal ball push up. This is a small change that makes the exercise more difficult by forcing the exerciser to squeeze the ball very hard in order to avoid falling and continue the exercise. The squeeze creates a tremendous amount of tension on the Pecs, shoulders and triceps. A weight vest and/or elevated foot position can be used for increased overload.
The Arko Wheel Push/Fly-Up
This exercise is just plain tough! The combination push-up / fly really allows you to maximize Pec and Shoulder recruitment. It should be note that this movement demands allot of torso strength and control. A weight vest can be added for overload. I think that’s its important to say that I have no affiliation with the Arko wheel company, I just love what you can do with these things.
Feet Elevated Push-Up w/Plate
If one arm push-ups aren’t your style then you might want to try this variation. This style push up can actually work to develop hypertrophy or strength depending on the weight, tempo, reps and rest used. Use a heavy enough plate and your abs will be talking to you as well.
Click here to see pictures and videos of each exercise listed above.
By: Nick Tumminello
About the Author:
The director of Performance University, Nick Tumminello is a highly sought after coach and educator in the field of human performance enhancement. He is the developer of the Core Bar™ and has authored numerous best selling DVD’s which can be purchased at www.PerformanceU.net .
Nick also serves as the Strength & Conditioning Coach for Team Ground Control MMA. Nick lives in Baltimore MD where he regularly trains his athletes.
The use of proper workout equipment for a P90X workout is a must. The equipment for a specific workout intensifies your daily workout routine as in the push up stands intensifying your P90X push-ups.
The push-up stands are available in two different stands—the Stand Push Up bars for professionals and the standard Push Up Stands for P90X workouts. These stands work in the same manner but their names sound very confusing so knowing which is which helps a lot. This article will just deal on the features of the second—the standard push-up stand.
The following are five notable features of the push up stands. Some of these features are also found in the push up bars.
1. The standard push up stand has a slide-free base. Its base is made in a circular form to facilitate proper weight distribution and balance. This base lies flat on the floor to prevent the stands from tweaking or falling. The stability of your stand greatly affects your performance. Using a stand that moves with the movement of your body may cause you to lose your balance and fall.
2 The construction of the stand is slightly angled to reduce wrist strains. Your body weight is concentrated on your wrist when doing a push up especially on a pair of stands. The slight angle of these stands will permit your optimum performance on your routine because of the lesser load on your wrist.
3 The grips of these stands are covered with foams to prevent hand strains. Holding any ordinary stand while doing a series of push-ups may cause blisters on your palms. You won’t experience any blister if you will use the P90X Push Up Stands on your next push up routines. The foam grip of this equipment permits easy grip and less strain on your hands.
4 The standard push up stand is much cheaper than the push up bars for professionals. A pair of the standard stands may just cost $25 compared to the 40-dollar worth push up bars.
5 The standard stand is portable and very durable. This equipment is made with a lightweight but durable metal material. The compact and small size of this stand makes it easy to carry around or anywhere you like. You can bring it on your office where you can do some of P90X push-ups during your break time.
The use of the push up stands is very important in doing the P90X workout. It does not only intensify your workout but it also ensures your safety and greater performance. So the next time you’ll do your push up, whether ordinary or extreme P90X, be sure to do it with the best push up stands.
By: Jesse Miller
About the Author:
The push-up stands are available in two different stands—the Stand Push Up bars for professionals and the standard Push Up Stands for P90X workouts. These stands work in the same manner but their names sound very confusing so knowing which is which helps a lot. This article will just deal on the features of the second—the standard push-up stand.
The following are five notable features of the push up stands. Some of these features are also found in the push up bars.
1. The standard push up stand has a slide-free base. Its base is made in a circular form to facilitate proper weight distribution and balance. This base lies flat on the floor to prevent the stands from tweaking or falling. The stability of your stand greatly affects your performance. Using a stand that moves with the movement of your body may cause you to lose your balance and fall.
2 The construction of the stand is slightly angled to reduce wrist strains. Your body weight is concentrated on your wrist when doing a push up especially on a pair of stands. The slight angle of these stands will permit your optimum performance on your routine because of the lesser load on your wrist.
3 The grips of these stands are covered with foams to prevent hand strains. Holding any ordinary stand while doing a series of push-ups may cause blisters on your palms. You won’t experience any blister if you will use the P90X Push Up Stands on your next push up routines. The foam grip of this equipment permits easy grip and less strain on your hands.
4 The standard push up stand is much cheaper than the push up bars for professionals. A pair of the standard stands may just cost $25 compared to the 40-dollar worth push up bars.
5 The standard stand is portable and very durable. This equipment is made with a lightweight but durable metal material. The compact and small size of this stand makes it easy to carry around or anywhere you like. You can bring it on your office where you can do some of P90X push-ups during your break time.
The use of the push up stands is very important in doing the P90X workout. It does not only intensify your workout but it also ensures your safety and greater performance. So the next time you’ll do your push up, whether ordinary or extreme P90X, be sure to do it with the best push up stands.
By: Jesse Miller
About the Author:
Finding the perfect Workout Routines takes time and effort. The P90X Push Up Stands workout is a great place to start if a person is interested in flat abs. The P90X is also another workout that will help develop flat abs.
