Chest muscles and triceps work with your abdominal, shoulder and arm muscles to perform pushing actions. To boost your workout with higher intensity, incorporate your entire body to move and stabilize rather than just isolating your chest and triceps. This method saves you time, improves full-body strength and burn more calories.
Ball Push-Ups
Performing push-ups on a stability ball requires you to stabilize your hip and spine together while you perform a push-up. Put the tops of your feet and lower shins on top of a ball, and place your hands on the floor about shoulder-width apart. Tighten your buttocks and lower your chest to the ground with your elbows close to your ribs. Exhale and push yourself back up. Do not round your back, stick your neck forward or lose your balance on the ball. Perform three sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Standing Cable Chest Press
This exercise improves torso, leg and hip stability while training your chest and arms. Set the height to the cable column machine to as high as your chest. Face away from the machine and grab a handle with each hand. Move forward away from the machine until the weight stack lifts slightly off its resting place. Stand with one foot in front of the other.
Exhale and push your arms forward without moving your body so that your knuckles are pointing up. Slowly bring your hands back to your body by your armpits. Squeeze your shoulder blades together. Perform three sets of 10 to 15 reps. Use a heavier weight if you can perform this exercise easily.
Medicine Ball Push Pass
Stand about 2 feet away from a sturdy wall with one foot in front of the other. Hold a 6- to 8-lb. medicine ball with both hands held in front of your sternum. Bend your legs slightly and push your feet against the ground. Throw the ball against the wall by pushing your arms in front of you. Catch the ball after it has bounced once off the wall. Perform three sets of 15 to 20 reps as fast as you can.
Warning
Overdoing pushing exercises causes your chest muscles to tighten, which pulls your upper spine forward. This causes your shoulders to hunch forward and your spine to appear more like a C-shape rather than the normal S-shape. This can result in lower back and hip pain and weak back and hip muscles.
References
- "Essence of Program Design"; Juan Carlos Santana; 2004
- "Pain-Free Program"; Anthony Carey; 2005
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