Pushups: Take a step forward towards greater challenges.

The last post that I made about push ups was on how to make pushups easier if you can not perform a full pushup.

Once you are able to perform a pushup it might become boring.  Here are some ways that you can make your pushups more challenging.

1. Pushups on wobble disk/board – You can either have your feet on the wobble disk or your hands on the wobble disc/board.  You can also apply this to the other exercises below.
2. Pushups on one foot –  This places more emphasis on making sure your core is held stable as your move your arms.
3. Spiderman pushups–  As you lower chest down towards the floor take one knee and lift it out to the side and up towards the elbow on the same side.  Repeat on the other side during the next re petition.  This is challenging to maintain a strong core and also challenges the shoulders differently by changing the centre of gravity.
4. Decline pushups –  Perform a pushup up with your feet up on a chair or bench. This places more weight onto the shoulders and changes the angle of stress places on the shoulder. 
5. TRX pushup – If you have a TRX suspension trainer, or any other type of rings or suspension devices.  With your feet in the loops, perform a pushup.  Using the TRX you need to hold the core strong so that the body doesn’t sway during the pushup.  You can also perform the pushup up with your hands in the ring.  This requires more shoulder stability.
6. TRX Atomic Pushup – I love this exercise it challenges you with the pushup but also dynamically works the core. It is performed with the feet in the loops. After your perform a pushup up, you flex your knees and hips towards your abdomen. 
7. Renegade row –  This exercise can be performed with two dumbbells or kettlebells.  With your hands grasping the handles of your dumbbells/kettlebells perform a pushup up. With the kettlebells you need to be very still or the kettlebell may fall over (If performed incorrectly an injury could occur).  Once you are back to the start of the pushup then perform a low row with the kettlebell/dumbell.

Other ways you can make some of these exercises more challenging are by performing the exercise slower, faster, using plyometrics (clapping pushups), or using a weighted vest (or a small child on your back).

I hope these exercises variations help challenge you more and keeps you motivated with your fitness goals.

I am sure there are other pushup variations. Do you have any suggestions?

Dr Notley

P.S. Make sure you read my disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.

Originally posted on May 17, 2022 @ 4:40 pm