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The Biomechanics of the Push-Up: Implications for Resistance Training

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The Biomechanics of the Push-Up: Implications for Resistance Training One-On-One The One-On-One Column provides scientifically supported, practical information for personal trainers who work with apparently healthy individuals or medically cleared special populations. COLUMN EDITOR: Paul Sorace, MS, RCEP, CSCS* The Biomechanics of the Push-up: Implications for Resistance Training Programs Bret Contreras, MA, CSCS,1 Brad Schoenfeld, MSc, CSCS, NSCA-CPT,2 Jonathan Mike, USAW, CSCS, NSCA-CPT,3 Gul Tiryaki-Sonmez, PhD,4 John Cronin, PhD,5 and Elsbeth Vaino, BS, CSCS6 1Department of Sport Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand; 2Department of Exercise Science, Lehman College, Bronx, New York; 3University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico; 4Department of Health Science, City University of New York, Lehman College, Queens, New York; 5Sports Performance Research Institute, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand; and 6Ottawa Osteopathy and Sports Therapy, Ottawa, Canada SUMMARY INTRODUCTION he push-up has long been advo- boxing (22), and martial arts (13), and THE PUSH-UP IS WIDELY USED BY cated as a means to assess local they play a prominent role in the basic FITNESS PROFESSIONALS TO muscular endurance of the upper training programs of the U.S. Military DEVELOP UPPER-BODY T body. A variety of timed and untimed (18). Plyometric push-ups are consid- STRENGTH, POWER, AND LOCAL push-up tests are commonly employed ered essential for optimizing stretch- MUSCULAR ENDURANCE. as part of a fitness assessment, and these shortening cycle–induced adaptations ALTHOUGH THE LOAD DURING A tests have been validated across a wide for the upper body (21). PUSH-UP IS LIMITED BY AN INDI- range of populations (23). Moreover, Although the load during a push-up is VIDUAL’S BODYWEIGHT AND research shows a high correlation limited by an individual’s bodyweight ANTHROPOMETRY, MANY BIOME- between push-up ability and the number and anthropometry, many biomechan- CHANICAL VARIATIONS OF THE of bench press repetitions performed as ical variations of the exercise can be EXERCISE CAN BE PERFORMED. a percentage of body weight (1), thus performed to alter muscle activity by THESE VARIATIONS MAY INVOLVE providing an efficient and inexpensive providing either a lesser or greater ALTERING HAND AND FOOT POSI- alternative to free weight testing. challenge to the target musculature. TIONS, WHICH IMPACTS MUSCLE In fitness settings, push-ups are widely These variations most often involve RECRUITMENT PATTERNS AND used to develop upper-body strength, altering hand and foot positions, which JOINT STRESSES. THE IMPLICA- power, and muscular endurance. They impacts muscle recruitment patterns TIONS OF THESE VARIATIONS MAY are staple exercises in fitness and gym and joint stresses (3,15). Other varia- BE OVERLOOKED WITH RESPECT classes; they are used by strength and tions include using various implements TO THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS AND conditioning professionals to train such as unstable surfaces, suspension GOALS OF THE CLIENT. athletes in sports such as baseball (10), training devices, and specially designed Copyright Ó National Strength and Conditioning Association Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-scj.com 41 One-On-One Table 1 Biomechanical data pertaining to the standard push-up Relative load 69% of bodyweight in top position (2) 75% of bodyweight in bottom position (2) Compressive spinal loading on L4/L5 1,838 N (1) Prime mover mean muscle activation normalized to maximum voluntary contraction Pectoralis major 61% (1) Triceps brachii 66% (1) Anterior deltoid 42% (1) Upper-body stabilizer and synergist muscle activation normalized to maximum voluntary Latissimus dorsi 11% (1) contraction Biceps brachii 4% (1) Posterior deltoid 17% (4) Upper trapezius 45% (3) Middle trapezius 18% (3) Lower trapezius 27% (3) Serratus anterior 56% (3) Core muscle activation normalized to maximum voluntary contraction Psoas 24% (1) External oblique 29% (1) Internal oblique 10% (1) Transverse abdominis 9% (1) Rectus abdominis 29% (1) Rectus femoris 10% (1) Erector spinae 3% (1) push-up equipment. However, the to facilitate glenohumeral range of shoulder width) (9). It is commonly implications of these variations often motion. Table 1 showcases biomechan- believed that the wide base activates are not well understood with respect ical data found in the literature regard- the pectoralis major to a greater degree to the individual needs and goals of ing the standard push-up exercise. than the other positions, whereas the the client. Therefore, the purpose of Push-ups can be performed with a mul- narrow base optimizes the activation of this column is 2-fold: first, to examine titude of variations to bring about dif- the triceps brachii (8). This is consistent the research pertaining to the biome- with the basic principles of applied anat- ferent muscular recruitment patterns. chanical aspects of the push-up; omy. Specifically, the pectoralis major is The knee push-up shortens the lever, second, to make practical recommen- a primary horizontal flexor, and flaring which reduces bodyweight loading to dations for their application to exercise the elbows would seemingly improve 54% in the top position and 62% in the performance. the muscle’s length-tension relationship, bottom position (19) and substantially thereby facilitating its ability to generate reduces prime mover (9) and core mus- THE BIOMECHANICS OF THE greater force (12). On the other hand, culature requirements (11). PUSH-UP a narrow base with the elbows held The standard push-up requires a general Perhaps the most popular variations close to the body would place the pec- stiffening of the knee joints, hip joints, are achieved by altering hand position. torals in a biomechanically disadvanta- pelvis,andspinetokeepthebodyin Although a number of potential hand geous position, thus requiring greater a straight line from head to feet while positions exist, the most common clas- force output from the triceps brachii. the shoulders and elbows flex and sifications include wide base (150% However, electromyographic (EMG) extend to raise and lower the body shoulder width), normal base (shoul- studies evaluating muscle recruitment and the scapulae retract and protract der width), and narrow base (50% patterns during push-up performance 42 VOLUME 34 | NUMBER 5 | OCTOBER 2012 Table 2 Push-up variations for novice, intermediate, and advanced exercisers Novice variations Wall push-up Torso-elevated push-up Knee push-up Intermediate Standard push-up (figure 1) variations Wide base push-up Narrow base push-up Figure 3. Between-bench push-up. Rapid countermovement push-up Torso-shifted forward push-up suggest that narrow base push-ups not only elicit greater activation of the tri- Torso-shifted rearward push-up ceps brachii compared with the wide Feet-elevated push-up base position but also promote superior activation of the sternal head of the pec- Upper-body suspended push-up (e.g., TRX) (figure 2) toralis major as well (4,9). Hands on stability ball push-up Hands on BOSU ball push-up What is not clear in these studies is Perfect Push-up whether performance was carried out in the transverse plane (i.e., elbows Handle grip push-up flared) or the sagittal plane (i.e., elbow Fall push-up (from knees) close to the body). Contrary to popu- lar belief, when the hands are placed in Staggered base push-up a very narrow position, it tends to Alternating side-to-side push-up encourage flaring of the elbows, orient- ing movement into the transverse One legged push-up plane. If these studies did indeed show Between-bench push-up(figure 3) greater activity of the sternal head in the sagittal plane, further research is Advanced variations Clapping push-up warranted to clarify the reason for this Self-assisted one-arm push-up (figure 4) apparent paradox. Moreover, given that the clavicular head of the pector- One arm push-up alis major is a primary shoulder flexor Weighted-vest push-up (17), it can be theorized that push-ups performed in the sagittal plane would Weighted push-up (plates on back) maximize the activity of this portion of Elastic band-resisted push-up (figure 5) the muscle. To the authors’ knowledge, this has yet to be investigated. Chain push-up (draped over back) (figure 6) In addition, shifting the torso forward or rearward relative to the hands Figure 2. Upper-body suspended push- Figure 1. Standard push-up. up. Figure 4. Self-assisted one-arm push-up. Strength and Conditioning Journal | www.nsca-scj.com 43 One-On-One reaction force than all other push- where the unstable surface is the pri- up variations. When expressed as mary base of support. From a muscle a percentage of total body mass, the activation standpoint, it therefore order from least to greatest load pro- appears to be more effective to perform gressed from the hands elevated on exercises such as stability ball and a 61.0-cm box (41% of bodyweight), BOSU push-ups in comparison with tothekneepush-up(49%),tothe stable surface push-ups as long as torso hands elevated on a 30.5-cm box angle remains constant and the hands (55%), to the regular push-up (64%), are placed on the unstable piece of to the feet elevated on a 30.5-cm box equipment rather than the feet. (70%), and finally to the feet elevated Push-ups can also be performed with Figure 5. Elastic band-resisted push-up. on a 61.0-cm box (74%). suspension devices and implements Another push-up variation involves specially designed to facilitate changes affects the muscular recruitment pat- the use of unstable surfaces. Compared in hand positions. Beach et al. (2) terns. Shifting the torso forward relative with standard push-ups, BOSU (Hed- showed that suspended push-ups acti- to the hands results in an increased pec- strom Fitness, Ashland, Ohio) push- vated more core musculature than toralis major activity and a decreased ups have been shown to increase the standard push-ups.
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