To celebrate the one year anniversary of when I released The Ultimate Push-Up Program (it’s actually a little over a year), here are 5 innovative exercises for improving your push-ups. These exercises can be performed at home or the gym.
#1) Single Leg Isometric Glute Bridge + Leg And Weight Lowering
This exercise strengthens the glutes, improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Hold a weight in both hands and extend your arms so they are above your chest.
- Get into a single leg glute bridge position. Bend one knee, and place your shin in a vertical position. Fully extend the other leg and plantarflex your foot (point it away from you).
- Extend your hips by pressing through the back portion of your foot and squeezing your glutes, NOT by arching your lower back.
- Your body should form a straight line from your knee to shoulders. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now slowly lower your leg and arms/the weight towards the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
- When you return to the starting position pause and do a proper reset. Most people rush and do not do a proper reset and this makes the exercise quite ineffective.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to drop.
- Do not allow your knee to fall inside or outside of your foot.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#2) Single Arm Landmine Presses From L Sit
This very challenging landmine exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Rest the end of a barbell in a corner, against a sturdy object, or you may use a landmine attachment.
- Get into an l-sit position. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position, legs fully extended, and off the floor.
- Grab the end of the barbell. I intentionally have my wrist in a slightly flexed position.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
- Now perform a press. Once you hit your end range (a range where you are able to maintain proper form), perform the reverse movement and return the barbell to the starting position.
- In the bottom position your elbow should be at about a 45-60 degree angle with your torso. Don’t allow your elbow to flare out.
- Do a proper reset between each press. Do not rush!
- Aside from your upper body (on the side that is performing the press) the rest of your body should remain in a fixed position.
- Do not allow your legs or feet to touch the floor. Keep your quads contracted.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace) and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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#3) Prone I-T’s
This exercise improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Place two objects so they are parallel, and are approximately just outside of shoulder width apart.
- Start so your body and arms form a “t.”
- While keeping your wrists and elbows in a fixed position, use the muscles around your shoulder blade area to lift your arms over the blocks, and so your arms and body form a ‘’I.’’
- Pause for a count in the ‘’I position,’’ and return your arms to the starting “t” position.
- Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move.
- When you do the ‘’I’’ your shoulder blades should upwardly rotate and protract (move away from your spine and away from the opposite hip).
- When you do the ‘’t’’ your shoulder blades should downwardly rotate and retract (move in towards the spine and towards the opposite hip).
- Don’t let your shoulder blades or shoulders elevate towards the ears, and don’t let your hands or arms touch the objects or the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not compensate and perform the movements by hyperextending your lower back, flaring your ribcage, lifting your chest or head off the ground, or shrugging your shoulders.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#4) Prone Band Resisted Hip Abductions
This exercise strengthens the glutes, and improves lumbo-pelvic stability.
Coaching Tips:
- Place a resistance band around your forefeet, and place your feet on towels/sliders. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.
- Get into a plank position from your forearms and feet. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to heels.
- Position your shoulders so they are above your elbows.
- While remaining in a plank position, and while keeping your knee and ankle in a fixed position, use your glutes and slide your leg and foot laterally/away from the midline of your body.
- Return your leg and foot to the starting position with control.
- You may perform all reps on one side before changing sides (what I’m doing), or you may alternate sides.
- For the duration of the exercise, press your body away from the floor and protract your shoulder blades (spread them apart and move them away from your spine and around your ribcage). Do not mindlessly hang out.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulder blades or shoulders to elevate towards your ears. Keep your shoulder blades down/depressed. Imagine you are driving your shoulder blades down towards your heels.
- For the duration of the exercise, your body should remain in a straight line from your head to heels. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or hips to pike or collapse.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#5) Hollow Body + Single Arm Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Presses
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and grip strength. This exercise is extremely anti-rotational in nature.
Coaching Tips:
- Lie on the floor. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Lift up your legs so they are in a vertical position, fully extend your knees, point your feet away from you (plantarflex).
- Grab onto a kettlebell by the horn, and so it’s in a bottoms-up position.
- Slowly lower your legs towards the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form (and feel your anterior core muscles). Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace).
- Now perform a single arm press.
- Gain a moment of control when you are in the top position, and then return the kettlebell to the starting position with control.
- In the bottom position, do not allow your elbow to flare out. It should remain at about a 45-60 degree angle with your torso.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or hips to leave the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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