The Perfect Pushup is an in-home fitness device designed to help you do more effective pushups. The rotating handles allow you to turn your hands as you do a pushup, creating a more natural movement. The elevated handles allow you to descend lower into the pushup, which engages more muscles.
Rotation
Take an overhand grip on the Perfect Pushup handles with your palms facing your feet. As you lower into the pushup, gradually rotate your hands inward. At the bottom of the pushup, your palms will face each other. Reverse the motion as you press back up so your palms face your feet again when your arms are fully extended. This is the basic Perfect Pushup execution. However, you don't have to rotate your hands. For some users, the rotation is more comfortable, but if not, you can still use the handles and not rotate your arms.
Elevation
Because the Perfect Pushup handles elevate your hands off the floor, you can descend lower into the pushup. The American Council on Exercise sponsored a study on the Perfect Pushup device and found that the elevation resulted in more muscle activation during wide and standard-grip pushups. Descending farther into a pushup creates an intense stretch in your chest and front shoulders that could result in injury if you are not prepared. Warm up your muscles with a couple sets of regular-depth pushups before extending the range of motion at the bottom of the movement.
Progression
The rotating handles of the Perfect Pushup device create an unstable environment, which makes a pushup more challenging. When you first begin using the device, gradually work your way from a beginner pushup to a full pushup to give your muscles a chance to acclimate to the instability of the handles. Start with bent-knee pushups then progress to full pushups. Once you master the full pushup, you can work on pushup variations, such as a wide or close-grip pushup.
Other Exercises
Although the Perfect Pushup is designed for the pushup, you can use the handles for other exercises, such as dips, pike presses and kickbacks. Use the handles for cardio activities that require you to place your hands flat on the ground, such as mountain climbers and 8-count body builders. If you experience wrist pain during these activities, using the Perfect Pushup handles straightens out your wrists and eliminates the pressure on the joints.
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