Want to hear some Bro Blasphemy?

For most people,

The Pushup Should be The FOUNDATION of Most Upper Body Pressing.

Yes, the bench press can probably be loaded to a greater degree.

Yes, the overhead press requires more “total body stability”

But, from my perspective, the pushup is the foundational upper body pressing movement.

Virtues of the Pushup:

• Trains the whole body. A well done pushup is just a “moving plank”.
• Trains the rotator cuff: Rotator cuffs respond to compression and distraction. Pushups are compression.
• Closed Chain (unless they’re suspended) so probably a bit safer/ easier on the shoulder.
• Pushups allow the scapula to move “freely” decreasing shoulder discomfort.

Why Do Pushups On Handles?

#1: Most people, especially as we age and have lived a lifetime in front of a computer, have craptastic wrist flexibility and strength.

This means that “regular” pushups with the wrist flexed hard can be painful.

Handles can help keep the wrist neutral and alleviate wrist pain most of the time.

Yes, I know, you’re supposed to “grip the ground” and have “structure” to the hand.

But effectively doing that when you lack wrist flexibility and hand/ wrist strength is harder than you’d think.

Handles get past that immediately and…

#2: Handles Give you Something to Actively CRUSH During the Set.

Crushing the handles activates the rotator cuff helping to alleviate shoulder discomfort and train timing/ strength of the cuff.

Crushing also “tightens” the entire body ensuring a better “line” during exercise execution.

#3: Increased Range of Motion at the Chest

Pushup handles can help increase the range of motion at the chest, increasing the stretch across the chest and guessing pec activation because of that.

Pushups on Handles

Checklist:

• Straight wrist: Even pressure through the hand.
• Forearm VERTICAL
• Handles UNDER the shoulders.
• Shoulders in the joint <—-pull them away from the ears. 
• Glutes tight
• Quads tight
• Pad of the toes on the floor, NOT the ball of the foot.

Bro Tips:

• CRUSH with the pinkie and ring fingers the whole time. <—this will help to keep the humerus from internally rotating and help keep the wrist straight.
• Don’t “overreach” to get depth, think “open the chest”
• The chest/ sternum/ right between the nipple line should be the theoretical first thing to touch the ground, NOT THE CHIN
• On that note, pull your chin back and “pack” your neck, don’t allow it to hang down. That will round the thoracic spine and the scapula will get stuck.
• Never fall into the bottom, think about PULLING yourself down, like you’re trying to compress a spring that’s under the chest.
• Don’t press the body away from the floor, think about punching the hands THROUGH the floor.

Bro Tips of Bro Tips:

Pushups are NOT an up and down movement.

They should have a slight arch to the movement. <—-much like rowing movements

Moving slightly OVER the hands so they end up, more or less, at the nipple line in the bottom and pressing slightly BACK out of the bottom so the hands end up directly under the shoulders at the top.