Push-Up Progressions To Help You Conquer The Progress Plateau
guest post by Daniel Delisle
As you go about your workout routine, one move that you must make sure you have in place is the push-up. Few exercises will hit the entire upper body as well as the push-up does. It’ll work your chest, your shoulders, your triceps, and even your biceps and back to a small degree as they work to maintain proper stabilization.
This said, as you go about your routine, you might come to find that the basic push-up is no longer going to challenge you as much as necessary to keep progressing along.
What can you do then? Add in one of the following push-up progressions. By taking it to the next level, you can make sure that you never hit that dreaded progress plateau.
Here’s what to know.
Utilize The pushXpro
After mastering the basic push-up, try picking up the pushXpro and mastering the push-up on this. You will notice you will get far more core activation using this device and the muscle fibers deeper within the upper body are working as well.
Simply transferring your push-ups over to this piece of equipment will immediately garner you some strength improvements and help your progression.
Close Grip Push-Ups
Next, another way to advance the basic push-up is to perform a close grip push-up. Simply place the hands closer to each other as you go about the movement, making sure that you keep your form perfect.
You should immediately feel this one in your triceps as you go about the movement, seeing noticeable improvements in this muscle group.
One Leg Push-Ups
Another way to add more difficult? Lift one leg up off the ground. Any time you reduce your base of support, your muscles will have to work harder to maintain stabilization and ensure that you keep your core in alignment.
Lift one leg back up behind you, cross it over the other leg, and then continue on to perform the push-up. Once all reps are completed, switch sides and repeat.
Decline Push-Ups
Using your pushXpro, it’s time to take things up a notch. For this advanced variation, you’ll simply place the feet up on a box or bench behind you, one to two feet high. Place the hands on the pushXpro handles on the floor beneath you and push-up from there.
You’ll notice you feel this one more in your upper chest as it works to push you through the movement.
Knee To Shoulder Push-Ups
Finally, for the ultimate challenge, perform knee to shoulder push-ups. For this one, get into the standard push-up position, but as you lower yourself down into the push-up, bring one knee up to the shoulder as high as you can.
Pause in this position and then lower the knee back down until it is fully extended again.
Repeat this process on the next rep once again. Once you’ve finished your first set using one leg, switch legs and repeat to the other side.
So next time you need a challenge, don’t succumb to just adding more reps to the basic push-up. Use any one of these progressions and really kick things up a notch, and conquer the progress plateau!
You can check out the push X Pro here:
