Everything Push-Ups
by Nick Tumminello


The other day I decided to break from my low carb ways and have
a bagel. Bagels aren't normally my first choice as a splurge food,
but I got a weird craving. And since everything looks good to a
carb-restricted man, I ordered an "everything" bagel because it
has, well, everything.
In the short time it took me to scarf down that starchy
goodness, I realized the pure genius of the "everything" bagel.
It's a bagel that can become any bagel.
I wondered if there were any exercises with the same
multitasking elements.
A few came to mind, but the one that stood out was the push-up.
As I thought about all of the scenarios I've used some sort of
push-up in, I began to appreciate its versatility. I also realized
that even though the push-up is incredibly common, it's still
misunderstood and underutilized.
My goal is to give you a new appreciation for the push-up by
showing you that it's much more than just some horizontal
pushin'.


Push-ups play an integral part in complete chest
development.

Simple Solutions to Complex Problems
Over the years, I've performed thousands of postural and
movement assessments. In doing so, I've successfully used push-ups
as both an assessment tool and corrective exercise.
Here are the two most common movement flaws and simple ways to
correct them.

Flaw #1: Faulty Spinal Alignment
This is normally caused by a lack of body awareness, torso
strength, and postural stability.
Faulty spinal alignment can appear as:

• Sagging head

• Sagging back (lordosis)

• Hunching back (kyphosis)

Regardless of when the fault happens during the movement, it's a
muscle imbalance that needs to be corrected. The issue is that the
mover muscles are stronger than the spinal stabilizers responsible
for maintaining ideal alignment.
In other words, you're unable to control the movement and force
you create. This is the fast track to injury. For this reason, I do
a max rep push-up test during performance assessments.
The solution to this alignment problem lies with a very high
tech piece of equipment: a dowel rod.

This three-step progression using the dowel rod will help
correct faulty spinal alignment:

1. Build awareness: The quadruped position (bent legs) shortens
the lever arm (bent legs) and takes most of the load off the system
while still keeping the torso and arms in a very similar position
to the push-up.
The dowel is placed along the spine and kept in contact with
three points: the back of the head, thoracic region (between the
shoulder blades), and sacrum (tail bone). This forces you to become
aware of proper alignment.


2. Static control: The elbow plank (straight legs) takes what
was just learned and lengthens the lever arm. This increases
postural stability and endurance in a manner necessary to perform
the push-up successfully.
Everyone should be able to eventually maintain this position for
at least one minute.

The hold time is chosen by doubling your maximum push-up reps.
If your max is 30 push-ups, then you should be able to hold the
elbow plank for 60 seconds.
This standard is used because the average push-up is performed
at a 1:1 tempo, which translates into each rep taking two seconds.

3. Dynamic control: The final step is to integrate both
components into the actual movement itself.
The dowel push-up is more challenging than it looks because so
much effort is dedicated to maintaining alignment. As your postural
endurance improves, this push-up will become easier.

Once you've achieved the same rep max with the dowel as without
it, the dowel can be tossed back on the wood pile.

Flaw #2: Scapular Winging
Scapular winging can be a complicated problem and possibly
beyond the scope of even the most experienced coach. However, there
are some cases in which a few simple, well-designed corrective
exercises are the cure for what ails you.
To get everyone caught up to speed, a winged scapula is a
shoulder condition in which the scapula (shoulder blade) sticks out
at the back, particularly when performing pushing
exercises.

Common symptoms of a winged scapula:

• Pain and limited shoulder elevation

• Difficulty lifting weights

• Pressure on the scapular from a chair when
sitting
A winged scapula can be caused by one of two
reasons:

1. Damage to the long thoracic nerve: If
the long thoracic nerve is damaged, it can cause paralysis of the
serratus anterior. Damage to the nerve can be caused by a contusion
or blunt trauma of the shoulder, traction of the neck, and can also
follow a severe illness.

In this case, I'd highly recommend
consulting an orthopedic doctor for some poking and
prodding.

2. General weakness in the serratus
anterior: Here, the winging scapula can be improved with some
specialized exercises designed to build strength in the weak
serratus anterior.


If you're dealing with a winging scapula and are unsure of its
cause, play it safe and get an evaluation from a skilled
professional.

Corrective Exercises
There are three exercises to help correct and prevent scapular
winging through strengthening the serratus anterior. During all
three movements, pay careful attention to scapulohumeral rhythm and
symmetry while also maintaining a stable pelvis and neck.
Each of these exercises achieves essentially the same thing.
However, it's important to utilize a variety of methods in order to
find what's best for the specific situation.

• Hand walks


• Arm shuffle


• Push-up plus

With the push-up plus, your hands should be no wider than your
shoulders. Sometimes I'll even keep my thumbs touching. This allows
for an increased range of motion and demand on the serratus
muscle.
The above exercises are normally performed for 20 to 60
seconds.
Push-Ups for All Occasions
Now, let's incorporate push-ups into the business of building
stability, hypertrophy, strength, power, and power
endurance.


Not bad for a guy who's 107 years
old.


Push-Ups for Stability
Slide board band push-ups: These increase muscle tension around
the shoulder joint by forcing the posterior shoulder muscles to
contract by resisting the band pulling the hands together. Many
people who can't perform a normal push-up due to shoulder pain can
successfully perform this variation pain free.

You'll need a slippery surface, as the friction created by the
ground offsets the pull of the band. If you don't have a slide
board, use socks on a tile floor.
T- Stabilization push-ups: This push-up was influenced by the
spinal stabilization protocols laid out by Stuart McGill. It's
great for developing awareness and stability of the torso and
shoulders. The key to performing the T-stabilization push-up
correctly is to keep the pelvis and shoulders rotating at the same
rate.

This exercise can also be used to assess spinal stability and
torsional control.
You can further progress this exercise by bringing the feet
together. This reduces the base of support and increases the
stabilization demand.


Push-Ups for Hypertrophy
When training for hypertrophy, we want high volume and constant
muscle tension. Here are two unique variations that hit the
spot.
Swiss ball squeeze push-ups: The key is to place your hands
lower on the sides of the ball than with normal Swiss ball
push-ups. This small change ups the difficulty by forcing you to
squeeze the ball hard in order to avoid falling. The squeeze
creates a tremendous amount of tension on the pectorals, shoulders,
and triceps. A weight vest or elevated foot position can be used to
increase overload.


Normal ball push-up


Ball squeeze push-up
Arco wheel push/fly-ups: These are just plain tough! The
combination push-up and fly really maximizes chest and shoulder
recruitment. You'll soon find out that this movement demands a lot
of torso strength and control. A weight vest can be added for
additional torment.