Push up stands are small supports that stabilize the hands while performing a push up exercise. Push ups are an exercise that works all the major muscle groups of the upper body, including the chest, arms, shoulders and back. It's no surprise that the push up is a time-tested staple among athletes and military trainees. To perform a push up, you grip the handles with your hands under your shoulders, knees or feet on the ground behind you, lower your body toward the ground to the desired depth, then push yourself back up. Novice or beginning trainees often put their knees on the ground to reduce the resistance. Though this has been called a "girl push up," don't let it fool you. There are girls that can do strict push ups with the best of us. Push ups offer a great, safe upper body workout almost anywhere at any time. The benefit of push up stands is that they help to stabilize the body during the exercise. Like other forms of resistance training, push ups can increase strength and muscle mass, as well as help us burn calories.
What to Look for
Regular push up stands are very versatile, allowing you to perform a few different exercises. Push ups, dips and leg lifts are just a few options. Some come with adjustable heights to vary the resistance and intensity of your workout. Popular brands include Altus, Harbinger, Valeo, the Push Up Pro and the Perfect Push up. The Perfect Push up has rotating handles, which are said to provide comfort and control, engaging muscles "the way nature intended." By allowing the hands to turn inward at the bottom of the push up movement, tension shifts to the triceps and strain on the joints is reduced. However, you have to pay for the functional superiority. The Perfect Push up will run you $39.99, while the more basic models cost between $15 and $20. Perfect Push up also offers a travel kit that stows conveniently in a case for increased portability. This model costs $59.95. All push up stands are pretty versatile and travel friendly. Make sure the handles are padded for comfort and check that the stability allows enough traction on the floor to avoid injury.
Common Pitfalls
Make sure you don't fall prey to marketing ploys and sensationalism. The good old-fashioned push up is still a very good exercise. Push up stands, rotating handles or not, can improve the function and comfort of the exercise. Remember that anyone with hands and a floor can perform push ups for free. The push up is a great workout, but does not provide full body exercise stimulus. Nor does it deliver all the benefits of cardiovascular training. Most important of all, make sure to use your push up stands. The problem with home-based exercise equipment is that when we are at home we generally want to relax or get things done around the house. The idea is to add resistance training to an already healthy diet and lifestyle.
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