PUSHUPS
UPPER • 59s
The Pushup is another total body abs exercise but it primarily targets the chest, front delts & triceps. It’s also a key stepping stone exercise to the dip. A wider grip stresses the chest more. A closer grip makes the triceps work harder.
Use the classic body angle progression for pushup mastery: hands-elevated to floor to feet-elevated to piked. But even advanced trainees benefit from using all angles because they stress different muscles. Hands-Elevated hits the lower pecs. Floor hits the mid pecs. Feet-Elevated hits the upper pecs. And Piked stresses the shoulders most. One of my all-time favorite workouts is a mechanical change drop set where you do max reps of each variation with little to no rest, going from the hardest to easiest variation.
If you’re struggling with the pushup, start with eccentric-only reps where you lower from the toes and cheat up on the knees. You can also use bands to assist or resist. If your wrists bother you, use dumbbells or parallette bars which also extend the range of motion. Oh yeah- be sure to mobilize your wrists too!
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PULLUPS
The Pullup is the ultimate upper body exercise. It’s also the hardest for a few reasons. One, it involves all of your bodyweight. Two, your arms are overhead. This extreme joint angle challenges your mobility & stability to the max. Plus it creates a natural blood-flow restriction effect since ox...
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DIPS
The Dip is the king of chest & triceps exercises. And if you perform it properly, it also smokes the rear shoulders & upper back. Like the pullup, it’s an extreme joint angle exercise except your shoulder is in extension instead of flexion. Just like with pushups, keep your forearms vertical to t...
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PRESSES
Consider Presses to be the open-chain companion of the closed-chain pushup. Because your hands move independently in free space, presses increase the stability & mobility demands and strengthen each arm independently. Like with pushups, keep your elbows at a 30-45 degree angle from your trunk to ...
