Get in Tune with Bodyweight Training
Are you beginning to hit a plateau because you’ve been doing the same workout forever? Studies show that the human body is very effective at adapting to change. This is why it’s important to always sprinkle a bit of variation into your training regimen.
Bodyweight exercises are great for adding a little diversity into your training regimen. Push ups in particular are great for building strength and muscular endurance in your upper body. But push ups can get boring so adding a few push up modifications is vital for consistent gains.
A regular push up is performed with your hands directly by your shoulders and feet together. Your body should be tight and completely aligned from head to toe. From fully extended arms, lower your body down until your chest is slightly above the ground then push back up to complete one repetition.
Adding variation to your push up routine allows you to place more emphasis on different muscle groups. For instance, positioning your hands wide (past shoulder-width), you are more effectively targeting your chest muscles. On the contrary, if you put your hands directly underneath your chest (forming a diamond with your thumbs and fingers), you place majority of the focus on your triceps.
Another great way of adding variation to your push up routines would be to utilize some simple fitness tools. Two that are particularly effective are push up stands and bosu balls. Push up stands are great because they keep your wrists aligned in a safe position the whole time. They also allow for more stress to be placed on the chest because they provide you with a deeper lowering phase. Bosu balls are perfect for challenging the stability and balance of your upper body. There are some great tools that can really spice up your push up variations .
It’s kind of crazy how many variations you can come up with if you really take a second to think about it.
If nothing else, then remember to always stay two steps ahead of your body. Keep it guessing with unique variations to your exercise routine. If you never let your body adapt, then you will never experience plateaus and minimum gains.
Check out our section on bodyweight training if you’re looking for more information on bodyweight exercises such as push ups and push up exercises. Good luck!
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