The Road to a Stronger Chest!

Push ups will forever be in my training regimens. It is one of those exercises that can easily be overlooked for how beneficial it is to your training program. A push up demands total body control and stability along with strength and endurance.

What do we look for in a push up?
Neutral spine and a straight body line from head to toes (of course this is done with glute activation, engaged core and many little features learned from training). There may be more cues, but these are the fundamentals I look for.

Now for some people successfully performing 1 push up is an accomplishment, but for those of you who can rep out 50+, I think it is time to step it up a little. Just like any other exercise one option to increase the intensity is by adding resistance. Band resistance push ups are great option to stay in a horizontal plan rather than elevating your feet to more of an overhead movement (another great option for a different goal).

The following video is an example using a 2 inch band. The band is wrapped from both of my hands across my upper back.

I like using a band because it is easy to use when I am training solo and there are many different thicknesses. I have used metal and olympic plates in the past, but it is more challenging to keep them on your back.

If you have tried these I would love to hear your feedback and the results you have found from them.