| Do you want to know what the best all-around | | | | anywhere, anytime and it costs no money, something |
| upper-body exercise is? Of course you do! You must | | | | a lot of people are probably looking for. Additionally, the |
| be thinking it is something really complex, something | | | | pushup is great because there are so many variations |
| you have never heard of and need to spend money | | | | and ways to mix it up and make it a little more difficult |
| to do. Well you're wrong! This exercise is possibly the | | | | and interesting. |
| simplest most effective exercise out in the fitness | | | | There are four different variations of pushups, besides |
| world. It requires no weights! That's right, none. All you | | | | for the standard pushup, which I would like to focus on. |
| need is yourself. That is it! | | | | - The first is the close grip pushup. This pushup will |
| So enough of introduction, the exercise I refer to is one | | | | focus more on the triceps and shoulders but also put |
| which most of you are probably familiar. I am referring | | | | some stress on the chest muscles. |
| to the pushup. The pushup and the pullup are tough | | | | - The second is the plyometric pushup. This is the clap |
| contenders for the best upper body exercise. But it's | | | | pushup. You're doing a standard pushup except when |
| time to spice up the traditional pushup and give you | | | | you push yourself up, you are going to do it with |
| some variations that are even more effective. | | | | enough force (explosively) that your body will raise and |
| A lot of people seem to think that it is not worth doing | | | | you will be able to quickly clap your hands. This is |
| pushups in lieu of bench pressing. I mean lifting | | | | obviously advanced, but also extremely effective, as it |
| hundreds of pounds off your chest is definitely more | | | | will develop tremendous power. |
| effective (and manly) right? | | | | - The third type is the Incline pushup. You are going to |
| Well, this outlook is flawed. The pushup will always | | | | put your hand on a high surface and do a pushup. It is |
| provide solid results. The pushup is unique from the | | | | an easier form of pushup and effective, especially if |
| bench press because it is a closed-chain exercise, | | | | you are new to strength training, and cannot currently |
| meaning that during the exercise, your hands and feet | | | | do standard pushups |
| remain in constant contact with a certain surface (the | | | | - Lastly there is the decline pushup. This pushup |
| floor). | | | | increases the load on your chest. Therefore it is a |
| Because of this, the pushup forces you to significantly | | | | more difficult form of the pushup. To do it, you must |
| utilize your chest muscles. This is opposed to a bench | | | | place your feet on a raised surface and your hands |
| press or fly, which is an open-chain exercise, where | | | | on the floor and do a pushup. This style of pushup |
| your hands and feet are free to move. In an | | | | works your upper chest very effectively. |
| open-chain exercise, your body will be in a position | | | | As you can see there are plenty of ways to build |
| where the chance of utilizing other muscles, such as | | | | impressive strength and size in the chest muscles, as |
| the shoulders, arms etc... be much higher. Thus, the | | | | much, if not more than the bench press. The pushup is |
| amount of energy being put forth by your chest will be | | | | called a classic exercise for a reason. It can yield |
| decreased. | | | | tremendous results for impressive upper body |
| Many people dismiss the pushup as being too easy, or | | | | development. I like to utilize all these different exercises |
| unmanly. Yet how many of these big time benchers, | | | | in a workout I designed. I take each exercise and do |
| the guys who can bench three hundred, could actually | | | | ten reps of each in circuit fashion. If you want an |
| do a significant amount of pushups, one hundred for | | | | intense full body workout, alternate the variations of |
| example? Even fifty? I would venture to say only a | | | | pushups with bodyweight squats and lunges to really |
| few. | | | | ramp up your fat burning and full body development. |
| The beauty of the pushup is that it can be done | | | | |