Today's Edge: Change the pace of your push-ups and get more out of them. People tend to go too fast on their push-ups and ignore good form. This results in a less effective exercise and puts you at risk for creating injury through bad form.
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BENEFITS:
The Slow-Down/Fast-Up Push-Up is a great way to make your push-ups more effective and challenging. By slowing yourself down it's easier to keep good form. Making the lowering phase slower allows you to get more time under tension. More time under tension is one way to trigger muscle growth. The explosive or fast up phase helps to recruit more muscle action and train for explosive upper body work.
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COACHING KEYS:
Keep your chin tucked comfortably in a double chin position. Keep your hands shoulder-width apart. Avoid letting your elbows flare out away from the body. Your elbows should be at a 45 degree angle from your body/rib cage. Squeeze your glutes tight, and keep your core engaged from start to finish. At the top position be sure to press your chest completely away from the floor.
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HOW TO USE:
Use this as an upper body warm-up on pressing days, as an exercise in your workout on pressing days, or as a super set with a grip dominant exercise in a total body workout. You can also bang a few sets out every hour in between sitting at your desk at work. Shoot for 2-4 sets of 8-20 repetitions.
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Tim DiFrancesco, PT, DPT, ATC, CSCS spent 6 seasons as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and is the founder of TD Athletes Edge. He is nationally renowned for his evidence-based and scientific approach to fitness, training, nutrition, and recovery for athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
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