Cool push-up variation

[Aquajock]

I read about this move in "Men's Health" this past weekend; I'm trying to get up the nerve to do it:

HAND-STEPPING:

Go into a standard straight-leg push-up position, placing yourself directly in front of a 3" or 6" bench or step. Take your left hand and step it onto the bench/step, then follow this with your right hand; then place the left hand back on the ground and follow this with the right. Do 12 complete sets of these, then follow up with 12 standard push-ups. Do as many hand-step / push-up sets as you can.

Has anyone tried this one?

A-jock

 

[Gayle]

A-jock,

I haven't tried this but, it sounds similar to a push-up variation done with a medicine ball. The April 2003 issue of M&F Hers has a medicine ball workout with this funky kind of push-up -- one hand on the ball, one hand on the floor. It looks intriguing. My medicine ball (and stability ball) are scheduled for delivery tonight, so I hope to try this out.

 

[KathyH]

Hi Annette! No I haven't tried this move but I have tried putting both of my hands onto a medicine ball in a plank position. Now try doing a pushup. WOW is this ever hard! It was from Strength Express tape by Mindy Mylrea. I was wobbling every which way trying to stay onto the ball; never mind trying to do a push-up.LOL I'll have to try this new hand-step push-up though.

This is off topic but I was wondering for quite some time now (if you don't mind me asking) just how much strength training you do per week & what exactly your regimen is. I cycle my strength training every 6 weeks. Right now doing 4 sets of 10 for large muscle groups & 5 sets of 10 for small muscle groups & also throwing in a muscle endurance 1x a week too. I've been trying to sculpt my shoulders more & also trying to get more cut. Was wondering if you could help.

Thanks, Kathy :7

 

[Aquajock]

Hi, Kathy! Thanks for the suggestion with the planks on the medicine ball! That may motivate me to get one - have been using dumbbells as substitutes in the medicine ball work in I.S.

As far as my strength training program goes, I doubt I could be of much help to anyone by describing it, but here goes. I normally do 2-3 land workouts a week, and each land workout starts with a cardio or leg-circuit cardio component (I-Max 1/2 or extended Cathe hi/lo on Sundays, and a cardio-leg-circuit routine Mondays and Thursdays). On Sundays I do about 25 minutes of barbell squat/lunge work and ankle-weight single-joint leg work. In each land workout, I like to do about 10-13 minutes of ab/core (longer spinal hyperextension set on Sundays), and an all-inclusive upper-body routine that takes about 35-40 minutes.

I'm a little goofy in that I can't stand splitting off cardio and strength into different sessions, I can't stand split sets for strength, and I have to do my kick-butt cardio before strength training to fire everything up (not to mention limber up). My weight loads for my multi-joint leg work are anywhere from 45 to 60 pounds, and 7-lb ankle weights. My weight loads for my upper body work are anywhere from 21 lb dumbbells up to 57-lb barbell depending on what I'm doing.

I also teach and do two aqua workouts a week, which are great cross training plus real joint savers!

Don't know if that helps you at all, but there it is.

A-jock
Bald But Sincere

 

[KathyH]

Hi Annette! Thanks for responding to my nosy question. It does help. Take care, Kathy

 

[briee]

OOOOOOOh this does sound cool, gotta try this. Just love those pushups!!!!

Briee

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi A-Jock! How funny you mention this move, I was just re-visiting it today. I included this exercise in the original line up for Boot Camp (I called it hand step-ups)but when we got down to the fine tuning stage of Boot Camp I took it out because it didn't have the right effect that I was looking for. I'm looking into bringing it into the new workouts. Take Care!

 

[DebbieH]

AJ~This sounds great and HARD! I love finding NEW moves. Thanks, I will be giving this a whirl today. (Need to get GOOD at them before Cathe throws them our way! ;-))

Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH http://www.smilies-world.de/Smilies/Smilies_klein_1/wavey.gif If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!

 

[laventi]

Hi Annette! I am going to try this one - thanks for sharing. I was just telling my husband that I really want to start building up my push-up strength.

I did a set in class the other day where I had them do 10 regular tempo push-ups, followed by 10 "walking" push-ups, followed by 10 push-ups at the fastest speed they could do - felt good!

Thanks again! Lynn

 

[getnfit@39]

AM I STILL ON EARTH?............

Am I still on earth? I'm still trying to keep up with normal pushups, then possibly graduate to tricep pushups and the ever popular 1 arm pushups (although only in my dreams!)

Walking pushups? Catch me next millenium!

Donna

Fitness~ It's a journey, not a race!

 

[Aquajock]

RE: Ah, Donna, Donna . . .

You and me both, my friend. You should see me when I'm trying to do the walking planks in the Cardio-Weights ab section - I usually fall to the center of the universe (which, btw, looks a heckuvalot like Dubuque).

I'm gonna try the hand-step-ups tonight after Gauntlet and abs - I'll call DH down for these to give him a good laugh.

BTW, doesn't everyone feel like they're touched by an angel when Cathe responds directly to a post they've written?

A-jock
Bald And Happy:7

 

[in2aerobics]

sounds fun!:7 I've not heard of it until now, thank you, I will have fun trying it out. I've heard of the jump clap push-up, where you push your self up with your arms, clap, repeat 12 times, then follow up with normal pushups for 12. Something to that effect. Anyway, I'll try both.:7 Thank you so much!