How to Use Push-Up Bars to Build Max Upper-Body Strength and Get the Most From Every Rep

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One of the main benefits of using push-up bars is increased range of motion.
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If you're at the level where body-weight push-ups are too easy, you might want to experiment with adding a push-up bar to your upper-body routine.

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This piece of equipment makes push-ups more challenging by increasing the movement's range of motion — and that allows you to get more out of every rep.

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Ahead, learn how to use push-up bars correctly, their benefits, exercise variations and more.

How to Use Push-Up Bars With Proper Form

To use the push-up bars, place them on the floor in the same spot you'd normally put your hands during a push-up. Grip the handles and perform a push-up as you typically would.

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If you can't do regular push-ups, drop your knees to the ground and do push-ups from that position — the handles will still help if you're doing push-ups from your knees.

Here, trainer Noam Tamir, CSCS, CEO and founder of TS Fitness NYC, demonstrates how to perform push-ups with a push-up bar the right way.

Type Strength
  1. Place the push-up handles shoulder-width apart and in line with your chest.
  2. Grip the handles and start in a high plank position with your knees hip-distance apart.
  3. Bend your elbows at a 45-degree angle to your body and lower your body to the floor.
  4. Make sure to keep your body in one straight line from the neck through the spine to the hips and down to the heels.
  5. Press into your palms and push the handles away from you to come back up to a high plank, still keeping your body in one straight line.
  6. Repeat.

Push-Up Bar Muscles Worked

Using a push-up bar is a pressing or pushing exercise (which just means a move where you're pushing something away from you), and it targets multiple muscles in your upper body.

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A push-up bar uses all parts of your chest, including your pectoralis major and minor, as well as your deltoids (shoulders) and triceps (the backs of your upper arms), says Max Frankel, CPT, CSCS, a certified personal trainer and strength and conditioning specialist.

"Push-up bars are especially useful to get the entire chest at full range of motion," Frankel says.

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Push-up bars also activate a bit of your biceps, back and traps, he says.

Push-Up Bar Benefits

1. You'll Get Increased Range of Motion

There are a few ways to make an exercise harder: You can increase the number of repetitions that you do, do more sets, take shorter breaks, add more weight or increase range of motion. Adding bars to your push-ups gives you a fuller range of motion and therefore engages more muscles.

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"Push-up bars allow you to get deeper in a push-up and use more of the chest and arm muscles as well as part of your biceps, upper back and even your core muscles," Frankel says.

The research behind range of motion is promising. In a January 2014 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, researchers looked at the differences between lifting weights with a shorter range of motion versus a longer one. They found that a longer range of motion is better for growing muscle and getting stronger.

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The researchers also concluded that people who lift weights shouldn't sacrifice range of motion in an exercise so that they can lift more weight. So, if you're looking to make an exercise harder, try increasing the range of motion before increasing weight.

An August 2012 study in the ‌Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research‌ looked at the difference between partial and full repetitions when working the biceps. They found that using a full range of motion increases strength significantly more than using a partial range of motion, but they found that muscle growth was only slightly greater in the full range of motion group.

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2. It's Easier on Your Wrists

Some people may use push-up bars to protect their wrists. Using the handles makes push-ups much easier on your wrists because your wrists won't have to bend back as far as if you had your hands on the floor.

"Overextension of the wrist is one of the reasons people avoid push-ups to begin with," Frankel says.

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If you have wrist problems, the bars will feel better as it keeps the joint in a more neutral position.

"[Push-up bars] keep you wrist in a linear or neutral position so your wrist is not extended. An extended position puts more stress on your ligament and tendons," Tamir says.

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Using push-up bars puts less pressure on your wrists, so you can focus more on using your upper-body muscles than worrying about wrist pain.

Drawbacks of Using Push-Up Bars

1. Shoulder Injury Risk

While push-up bars may make the exercise easier on your wrists, we can't say the same for your shoulders.

One of the drawbacks of using push-up bars is the risk of shoulder impingement (when your rotator cuff tendons rub against your shoulder blade), Frankel says. The increased range of motion that you get from using push-up bars forces your shoulders to travel farther, which puts it at greater risk for injury.

To help avoid this, Frankel recommends going slow throughout the exercise and paying close attention to your form. And if you have any pre-existing shoulder problems, you may want to avoid using this piece of equipment and do regular push-ups instead.

2. Incorrect Use

Just as with any exercise, good form is key.

"If [push-up bars] are used inappropriately or incorrectly, there is risk for the push-up bars to roll over, which could cause serious injury to the wrist," Frankel, who's experienced this personally and seen this with his clients, says.

6 Push-Up Variations You Can Do With Push-Up Bars

Once you've perfected the push-up with your handles, you can switch it up and try different push-up variations to work additional muscles.

1. Close-Grip Push-Up

Type Strength
  1. Place your handles closer together than shoulder-width apart and keep your chest level and in a vertical position.
  2. Grip the handles and start in a high plank position with your knees hip-distance apart.
  3. Keeping your elbows parallel to your body, lower your body to the floor.
  4. Make sure to keep your body in one straight line from the neck through the spine to the hips and down to the heels.
  5. Press into your palms and push the handles away from you to come back up to a high plank, still keeping your body in one straight line.
  6. Repeat.

2. Wide-Grip Push-Up

Type Strength
  1. Place your handles 3 to 6 inches wider than shoulder-width apart, and keep your chest level and in a horizontal position.
  2. Grip the handles and start in a high plank position with your knees hip-distance apart.
  3. Keeping your elbows 45 to 90 inches away from your body, lower your body to the floor.
  4. Make sure to keep your body in one straight line from the neck through the spine to the hips and down to the heels.
  5. Press into your palms and push the handles away from you to come back up to a high plank, still keeping your body in one straight line.
  6. Repeat.

3. Knee Push-Up

Type Strength
  1. Place the push-up handles shoulder-width apart and in line with your chest.
  2. Grip the handles and start in a high plank position with your knees hip-distance apart.
  3. Drop your knees to the ground.
  4. Bend your elbows at a 45-degree angle to your body and lower your body to the floor.
  5. Make sure to keep your upper body in one straight line.
  6. Press into your palms and push the handles away from you to come back up to a high plank, still keeping your body in one straight line.
  7. Repeat.

4. Staggered Push-Up

Type Strength
  1. Place the push-up bar handles parallel to your body and slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Have one bar in line with your chest and the other at a hand's length in front of the other.
  2. Start in a high plank position with the knees hip-distance apart.
  3. Bend your elbows at a 45-degree angle to your body and lower your body to the floor.
  4. Make sure to keep your body in one straight line from the neck through the spine to the hips and down to the heels.
  5. Press into your palms and push the handles away from you to come back up to a high plank, still keeping your body in one straight line.
  6. Repeat.

5. Reverse-Grip Push-Up

Type Strength
  1. Place the push-up bar handles perpendicular to your body, shoulder-width apart and in line with your chest.
  2. Grip the handles in a pronated position with your palms facing away from your body.
  3. Start in a high plank position with your knees hip-distance apart.
  4. Bend your elbows at a 45-degree angle to your body and lower your body to the floor.
  5. Make sure to keep your body in one straight line from the neck through the spine to the hips and down to the heels.
  6. Press into your palms and push the handles away from you to come back up to a high plank, still keeping your body in one straight line.
  7. Repeat.

6. Dive Bomber Push-Up

Type Strength
  1. Place your push-up bar handles shoulder-width apart at chest level and in a vertical position.
  2. Start in a high plank position with your feet hip-distance apart.
  3. Walk your feet in and drive your hips up as high as you can.
  4. Keep your elbows 45 degrees with your body.
  5. Slowly lower your upper body to the ground, keeping your head down, core tight and spine in a neutral position.
  6. Go as low as you can, keeping your hips up.
  7. Press into your palms and push the handles away from you to come back up to starting position.
  8. Repeat.

4 Push-Up Bars Our Experts Recommend

Looking for an enhanced upper-body workout? Add these trainer-recommended push-up bars to your shopping cart to get the most out of this movement.

1. Pull-Up and Dip Wooden Push-Up Bars

These are made out of wood and have an ergonomic design that narrow at the bottom, Tamir says. The wood helps prevent sweaty hands, which keeps your grip steady and strong.

2. Readaeer Push-Up Bars

Tamir personally uses this push-up bar in his gym. "It's budget-friendly and has a nice soft grip," he says.

3. Perfect Push-Up Elite Anti-Slip Rotating Handles

"This is one of my favorite brands because these allow for rotation, activating even more of the forearm and minor muscles," Frankel says.

4. Perfect Fitness Push-Up Stands

These come recommended by Frankel because they have a wide base, so they're more stable and there's less of a risk for rolling over and hurting yourself.

FAQ

Common Questions

Are push-up bars effective?

Yes, push-up bars make push-ups easier on your wrists by preventing your wrists from extending too far and putting added stress on your ligaments and tendons, Tamir says. The bars also help you develop more grip strength and give you more range of motion to vary your grip position without putting extra strain on your wrists.

Do push-up bars make push-ups easier or harder?

Push-up bars can make push-ups harder because they increase the movement's range of motion, which engages more muscles. "This makes them more challenging because your body is traveling more distance," Tamir says.

What type of push-up bar is best?

Beginners should choose a push-up bar with a wider base for added stability and less risk of rolling over. More experienced exercisers can go with other options, including rotating handles, which can make the movement harder. Either way, look for an ergonomic handle with anti-slip grip to help maintain your grip and balance.

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