According to physical therapist Gray Cook, founder of Functional Movement Screen in Danville, Virginia, pushing and pulling are two primary movement patterns to develop upper-body strength and endurance. Your upper body consists of all body parts above your pelvis. However, upper-body strength cannot produce adequate strength and stability without the lower body in many activities and sports. If you want optimal upper-body strength, you must also have a strong and stable lower body.
Functional Anatomy
According to Thomas Myers, author of "Anatomy Trains," your upper-body muscles and joints are connected to your lower body and limbs by connective tissues that create a web network throughout your body. If one part of your body is injured or is not moving properly, then it will affect movement of another body part that is distant from the origin.
For example, your shoulders, back, abdominal and buttocks are part of the back functional line, which is a myofascia line that connects your shoulders to the opposite hip. This movement pattern helps you move in contra-lateral movements, such as throwing, running and kicking. If you are a baseball pitcher and you have a stiff left hip, then you can't generate enough power to throw the ball with your right trunk and shoulder.
Function
Besides the basic pushing and pushing movements, as described by Cook, your upper body also rotates in various directions, such as horizontally and diagonally. These movements are common in golf, martial arts, dance and yard work. However, in order to generate the strength and movement necessary to perform, you must use your hips and legs to initiate the force.
Misconceptions
Most people believe that training on exercise machines or isolating muscle groups will help improve their athletic abilities. According to Vern Gambetta, director of Gambetta Sports Training Systems in Sarasota, Florida, most exercises on machines and isolated training puts you in a seated position, where you train one muscle group in one direction. However, that is not how your body moves naturally, especially in sports where you move in different directions in a standing position.
If you want to get stronger, build muscles and burn calories, train in other positions, such as standing or kneeling. Exercising in a seated position does not strengthen your core muscles or improve movement.
Expert Insight
According to Cook, super sets help improve muscular growth and circulation by performing a pushing and pulling exercise back-to-back without rest between sets. The idea is to work one muscle group while the opposing group rests. Super sets help you save time in your workouts while maximizing the expenditure of calories.
Sample Workout
If you wish to increase muscle size and strength, do the super set routine. Do a set of pull-ups followed by a set of push-ups. Or you can do a standing cable chest fly followed by a standing cable row. Do eight to 12 reps of each exercise.
If you want to increase muscular endurance, use the circuit training method in which you do six to eight exercises that trains different movement patterns. Include lower body exercises so your upper body can rest. Do 30 seconds of each exercise without resting between exercises. A sample circuit would include standing cable chest press, standing cable row, body-weight squats, medicine ball rotations, kettlebell swings, jump-roping and one-arm kettlebell shoulder press.
References
- "Anatomy Trains"; Thomas Myers; 2008
- "Athletic Body in Balance"; Gray Cook; 2003
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