Bruce Lee made the two-finger push-up famous in 1964 at the Long Beach International Karate Championships, where he performed several repetitions of this advanced exercise. Martial artists use the two-finger push-up to increase their upper-body strength, balance and coordination. However, some critics argue that the maneuver is nothing more than a show stunt with very little practical value. Consult your doctor before trying any new exercise.
Bruce Lee
In 1964, Ed Parker -- considered the father of American Kenpo, a system of martial arts -- invited Lee to give a demonstration at the First International Karate Tournament in Long Beach, Calif. Among other feats, Lee performed several repetitions of a two-finger push-up -- not two fingers on each hand, but an actual two-finger push-up. With his left hand at his side, he performed push-ups supporting himself with his right hand's pointer finger and thumb.
Martial Arts
Martial artists perform body weight exercises -- like pull-ups, push-ups and dips -- as one part of their physical training. They use unconventional variations of standard exercises to increase their strength, endurance, power, balance and coordination. The explosive power gained from clap push-ups, drop pull-ups and other plyometric exercises transfers to martial arts movements. Two-finger push-ups work the same upper-body muscles as a standard push-up, but they also challenge your hand strength and endurance.
Push-Up Progression
If you want to learn to do a two-finger push-up, start with the basics and work your way up. Start with standard push-ups. Hold the top of the push-up position -- called a plank -- to develop your muscular endurance. Lift a leg or hand off the floor to work on your balance. Progress to decline push-ups, two-arm and two-finger push-ups, one-arm push-ups and then two-finger push-ups. Incorporate other challenging push-ups into your routine to develop your push-up strength from all angles. Try Spider-Man push-ups, lifting and bringing alternating legs forward as you push down; Hindu push-ups, going from the downward dog position to a camel pose as in yoga; and clap push-ups.
Considerations
Your feet's position changes the difficulty of the two-finger push-up. Lee performed the push-ups with his feet shoulder-width apart, which is more challenging than taking a wide stance. The farther apart your feet are, the easier it is to balance yourself with one arm. Whether the two-finger push-up provides more physical benefits than other push-up variations is open to debate. However, it's hard to argue that doing a two-finger push-up looks impressive.
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