Over the years, I’ve made clear my preference to posterior chain/pulling movements over pushing exercises. I feel that for the majority of the population, the benefits of backside exercises far outweigh their anterior chain counterpart. Now, this doesn’t mean that I don’t like pushing exercises. In fact, pressing and pushing are staple movements in all my programs. They are essential for a well-balanced routine. Whether you're a professional MMA athlete or an “everyday population” client, make sure you include effective, functional pushing exercises into your workouts. The list could go on for pages with all the variations and various tools that one could use, so I'll share four of my favorites. 1. Chest press The chest press is the “go to” exercise for developing the pecs, anterior deltoids, and triceps muscles. If you want a well-rounded routine, you should include some form of a chest pressing movement into your weekly program. In the video below, you will see the dumbbell floor press. Compared to the traditional bench press, you will lose some leg drive with this variation. However, I feel it’s a bit safer for the shoulder joint and still extremely effective for developing strength and power in those upper body pushing muscles. (Exercise in the video below: dumbbell floor press) 2. Push-up I love body weight exercises, and push-ups have been a staple body weight exercise for years and years. Search on YouTube and you can find hundreds of push-up variations out there. I question the reasoning behind some and I love others. When done properly, push-ups force you to really engage the entire body, testing you from feet to fingertips. This variation below will add an additional challenge to the shoulder joint and obliques and your hip mobility. Keep the entire body “stiff” and engaged throughout the movement to protect your lower back and shoulders. (Exercise in video below: push-up with toe taps) 3. Get-up variations
Kettlebells and
sandbagsare my tools of choice when talking about the get-up. This exercise is a great full body exercise in terms of both strength and mobility, especially for the glutes and hips. I included it in with these “pushing” exercises simply because we're pushing our bodies away from the ground and working the anterior chain a great deal. It's essentially a static press exercise for the shoulder. My two get-ups of choice:
Prowler is the best tool for developing both pushing power/acceleration and metabolic conditioning at the same time. The Prowler always makes my list for best equipment on the market today. The exercise below is the most standard movement you can do with the Prowler. Simply load up the weights, grab the handles, get in a proper forward lean position, and get pushing. I like to incorporate the Prowler into a circuit, as a stand-alone exercise, or as a finisher at the end of a workout. Be careful not to get the “Prowler flu!” (Exercise in video below: Prowler pushes)
See these exercises in more detail as well as hundreds of other movements. Everyday population: Proper pulling/posterior chain movements are a must if you fall into the “9-to-5 client” category. As long as your program is sensible, there isn't any reason you shouldn’t include a couple pushing exercises into your weekly routine. Incorporate with proper flexibility exercises for the chest, hips, and ankles (another article in itself) and you are on your way to reaching your goals. MMA athlete: We want to build both the strength and endurance in your front side. “Long strong” is a favorite term of mine in the industry. It refers to your ability to stay strong in the later rounds of a fight, to have the will and endurance to fight on. Much of that is mental preparation and much of that is proper strength training. Incorporate these movements into your routine and you're more likely to stay “long strong” and have your arm raised in victory after the bell rings. Make sure you incorporate pushing exercises into your weekly routine to ensure that you're maintaining balance in your program.
Kettlebells and
sandbagsare my tools of choice when talking about the get-up. This exercise is a great full body exercise in terms of both strength and mobility, especially for the glutes and hips. I included it in with these “pushing” exercises simply because we're pushing our bodies away from the ground and working the anterior chain a great deal. It's essentially a static press exercise for the shoulder. My two get-ups of choice:
- Sandbag half get-up: This is the closest “crunch exercise” you will see in my consistent routines. As long as you lead the movement with your chest, roll on to your elbow, and post up on to your hand, you will limit the spinal flexion that occurs during the movement. Check it out in the video below.
- Full kettlebell get-up: I love this version for shoulder health reasons. When performed correctly, you must keep your shoulder “packed,” which will ensure that the scapula is stable on the thoracic spine and that the surrounding muscles are fully engaged. It helps keep the shoulder strong and safe. Be sure to include get-ups so that you're getting a true core workout.
Prowler is the best tool for developing both pushing power/acceleration and metabolic conditioning at the same time. The Prowler always makes my list for best equipment on the market today. The exercise below is the most standard movement you can do with the Prowler. Simply load up the weights, grab the handles, get in a proper forward lean position, and get pushing. I like to incorporate the Prowler into a circuit, as a stand-alone exercise, or as a finisher at the end of a workout. Be careful not to get the “Prowler flu!” (Exercise in video below: Prowler pushes)
See these exercises in more detail as well as hundreds of other movements. Everyday population: Proper pulling/posterior chain movements are a must if you fall into the “9-to-5 client” category. As long as your program is sensible, there isn't any reason you shouldn’t include a couple pushing exercises into your weekly routine. Incorporate with proper flexibility exercises for the chest, hips, and ankles (another article in itself) and you are on your way to reaching your goals. MMA athlete: We want to build both the strength and endurance in your front side. “Long strong” is a favorite term of mine in the industry. It refers to your ability to stay strong in the later rounds of a fight, to have the will and endurance to fight on. Much of that is mental preparation and much of that is proper strength training. Incorporate these movements into your routine and you're more likely to stay “long strong” and have your arm raised in victory after the bell rings. Make sure you incorporate pushing exercises into your weekly routine to ensure that you're maintaining balance in your program.
