Explosive Push Ups - Ouch!

[Veronica]

Imagine having to do a push up with your hands starting on the floor, but ending up on something 12 inches off the floor.

They are kind of freaky!

Veronica

[bmccasland]

My Dad used to like to show off and do push-ups with a clap. Push yourself off the floor, clap hands, hands back to floor, repeat. Try not to do a face splat.

[Veronica]

I think the clapping ones are easier than what I did today. You don't need to explode up quite so much.

Veronica

[Blueberry]

How do you catch yourself? I can just imagine how well that would go for me - face splat would be accurate!

V - you are amazing! And I know you have worked very, very hard to be able to put yourself through that much pain!

[Kiwi Stoker]

When I did karate we did allsorts of push ups. Clap push-ups, on your knuckles, on the sides of your hands, no fingers, on your thumbs, one handed.

I think it was because the Sensei was ex-Army.

[jessmarimba]

That sounds pretty much awful for your wrists. But I have to hang my fingers off of the edge of my mat in pilates to avoid aggravating them in plank, so maybe I'm just sensitive.

[OakLeaf]

[drift] Doesn't hanging your fingers off the mat take pressure off the fingers (and necessarily transfer it to the wrists)? What are some of the cues your teacher uses to help you take the pressure off your wrists? (some of the ones my teacher uses: keep all five metacarpal heads on the mat ... grab the mat with your fingertips and "pull" it toward you ... seal the webbing between thumb and forefinger to the mat). [/drift]

Most people probably have the arm and chest strength to do plyo push-ups - it's the small stabilizer muscles in the hands and wrists that get de-emphasized in some programs, and those are the ones that keep you off your face. Good on V and her trainer.

[Veronica]

How do you catch yourself? I can just imagine how well that would go for me - face splat would be accurate!

My trainer had a boxing bag, so about a foot high, on the floor at the edge of the mat. Start with your hands on the bag and drop them down to the mat, do your push up and as you come up REALLY push off the floor, land with your hands back on the bag. Oh, and the bag was against a piece of immovable equipment so it wouldn't roll.

It was seriously a whole body thing, keep your abs super tight and your back straight. Not a place to start with push ups.

I didn't land on the bag the first time and banged my knee, that's how you avoid the face splat. . I just really focused on the bag after that. I did 3 sets - 9, 9 and 10, mixed up with three other exercises of course.

She got a new toy - an ab roll out wheel with stirrups for your feet. That was kind of fun.

Veronica

[yellow]

V, have you seen this guy? He's pretty badass.

Al Kavadlo push up battle.

Many of his other vids demonstrate just how challenging body weight exercises can be! I soooo want to do a human flag. Maybe in my next life.

[Veronica]

That was very cool. I hadn't seen it before - thanks!

Veronica

[jessmarimba]

[drift] Doesn't hanging your fingers off the mat take pressure off the fingers (and necessarily transfer it to the wrists)? What are some of the cues your teacher uses to help you take the pressure off your wrists? (some of the ones my teacher uses: keep all five metacarpal heads on the mat ... grab the mat with your fingertips and "pull" it toward you ... seal the webbing between thumb and forefinger to the mat). [/drift]

When your full hand is on one of the professional mats (like I use at the studio) the weight on your wrist causes them to sink into the mat and your fingers bend backwards so the angle from fingers to forearm is less than 90 degrees. If your fingers hang off the mat, that angle widens back up to 90 or greater. I still pull towards me. One of my wrists is full of scar tissue from a cyst removal so I don't like to bend them backwards, but it's a pretty common modification with us.

The boxing bag sounds like it might have enough give to not be as painful as those pushups sounded originally - but I certainly won't be trying them anytime soon!

[chosen1]

My trainer had a boxing bag, so about a foot high, on the floor at the edge of the mat. Start with your hands on the bag and drop them down to the mat, do your push up and as you come up REALLY push off the floor, land with your hands back on the bag. Oh, and the bag was against a piece of immovable equipment so it wouldn't roll.

It was seriously a whole body thing, keep your abs super tight and your back straight. Not a place to start with push ups.

I didn't land on the bag the first time and banged my knee, that's how you avoid the face splat. . I just really focused on the bag after that. I did 3 sets - 9, 9 and 10, mixed up with three other exercises of course.

She got a new toy - an ab roll out wheel with stirrups for your feet. That was kind of fun.T

Veronica

My gym just got some of those in, we haven't had the "pleasure" to experience them yet but they look interesting!

[Wahine]

My Strong Chicks clients are going to hate this... In a good way.

[Biciclista]

LOL. oh i watched the video and now my wrists hurt. OW

[beccaB]

Am I the only one who immediately thought this was a bra problem ?
"explosive push ups"