12 best exercises to improve your pull up and push up...

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12 Best Exercises to Improve Your Pull Up and

Push Up PowerBy Shawna Kaminski BKin, BEd, CPT

www.ChallengeWorkouts.com

Shawna Kaminski BKin, BEd, CPTwww.ChallengeWorkouts.com

http://www.ChallengeWorkouts.com/




Exercise Considerations ...........................................................2

Disclaimer ..............................................................................2

Title:12 Best Exercises to Improve Your Pull Up and Push Up Power

Edition:1st edition (May 2012)

Author: Kaminski, Shawna, 1963 –

Key words: pull ups, pull up exercises, push up, push up exercises

All rights reserved, except for use in a review. The reproduction or use of the content from this book in any form (electronic, mechanical, or other) is prohibited. Photocopying or scanning any information into a storage or retrieval system is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher and author.

Published by:

Kaminski Fitness Consulting Ltd.Calgary, AB, CanadaE-mail: [email protected]: www.ChallengeWorkouts.com

Phone: (587) 355-8353

Exercise ConsiderationsConsult with a physician before beginning the exercises in this book. A physician can determine which exercises are appropriate for you or your clients, and if any should be avoided or modified.

DisclaimerBest Exercises to Improve Your Pull Up and Push Up Power is primarily an educational resource and is not intended to take the place of the advice and recommendations of a physician. If you suspect you or your client has a health problem, please have him or her seek the services of a physician or healthcare professional.

Exercise is an ever-changing science. As new research and clinical experience broaden our knowledge, changes in exercise and exercise prescriptions are inevitable. The author has checked with sources believed to be reliable in her effort to provide information that is complete and generally in accord with the standards accepted at the time of publication. However, in view of the possibility of human error or changes in exercise science, neither the author nor any other party who has been involved in the preparation or publication of this work warrants that the information contained herein is in every respect accurate or complete, and they are not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of such information. Readers are encouraged to confirm the information contained herein with other sources.





Please note: For your information and reference, I have included URLs and hyperlinks to web pages I've researched, relevant to the contents of this manual/guide/book. While I am unable to guarantee that these links will remain active, should you have any questions regarding my online research, please contact me directly.

Why Pull Ups and Push Ups?

You can’t deny the power of the pull up; a beautiful physique can be sculpted with the simple pull up. It broadens and strengthens the back, while sculpting the waist in one fluid easy to understand (but difficult to do) maneuver.

The prime mover for the pull up is the latissimus dorsi. Surprisingly, the pull up engages the core a great deal. The secondary movers and stabilizers for the pull up include the trapezius, rhomboids, biceps, serratus anterior, transverse abdominus, and the obliques. You can see how the pull up is a compound movement and can effectively train the core.

On another note, the lowly push up is another bodyweight movement that doesn’t get the credit it deserves. It’s often overlooked in favor of weighted movements, but really is a powerhouse of a movement, especially when combined with other weighted movements to increase strength, core stability and give you a rock hard body.





The prime movers for the push up include the chest (pectoralis major, pectoralis minor), triceps, and shoulders (anterior and medial deltoids). Secondary movers or synergists or stabilizers for the push up include the rhomboid major and minor, erector spinae, rotator cuff muscles including the posterior deltoid, serratus anterior, rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus, gluteus maximus and the quadriceps. It’s pretty clear that the pull up and push up are kick a$$ movements for tightening, toning and strengthening the entire upper body and core.

Here are 5 cool reasons why you should challenge yourself to do pull ups:

1. The pull up is the ultimate challenge. When you first try one, it may seem impossible, but after some dedication and hard work, it’s so empowering to be able to do one and then more.

2. It’s one of those body weight exercises that you can do almost anywhere. Find a playground outside if you don’t have a bar in your house and you’re set.

3. Pull ups are a compound exercise. They not only hit the back, but they’ll target the biceps and the abs as well.

4. A compound exercise is a bonus because this means burning more calories and fat!

5. Pull ups are one of the most impressive exercises you can do. How many people can hop up on a bar and bang out ten pull ups?





The push up is chalk full of ‘awesome-ness’. Let me explain:

• The push up is the most versatile of all upper body weight movements. You only need enough space to lie down and you have your training ground.

• Push ups are a compound exercise. They not only hit the chest, but they’ll

target the triceps, shoulders, core and even the quads. Talk about a full body exercise.

• Doing a compound exercise is a bonus because this means burning more

calories and fat, similar to the pull up exercise.

• Push ups are an impressive exercise to do when you do them correctly. How many people can drop down and do perfect push ups?

• You can constantly challenge yourself with the push up. Whether you’re a

beginner or a super freak, push ups can always be worked into your program to help you get great results. There’s also a never ending list of variations on the push up to keep things fresh.

Let’s get down to business…

You already have your reasons for wanting to do pull ups and push ups, let’s learn how to do more!

Many people only do pull ups and push ups in the hopes of increasing their proficiency at them. While this method will yield some results, it tends to get boring and you’ll open yourself up to repetitive use injuries. You can use many other exercises to strengthen your body to increase the quality and quantity of pull ups and push ups.

Below you’ll find other exercises that are useful in strengthening your muscles so that you’ll rock the pull up bar and blast out more push ups than ever.After that, you’ll find two samples of how to put the exercises together in effective workouts.

Of course, you’ll want to pick up my Challenge Workout program where you’ll get ALL my tips and tricks as well as three pull up programs and two push up programs and a body weight module to help you improve your pull up and push up results.




http://www.challengeworkout.com/


12 Best Exercises to Improve Your Pull Up and Push Up Power

Stick-up

• Stand with your back against a wall. Your feet should be as close to the wall as possible and your butt, upper back, and head should all be in contact with the wall at all times.

• Stick your hands up overhead. Keep your shoulders, elbows, and wrists touching the wall. Slide your arms down the wall and tuck your elbows into your sides.

• This should bring your shoulder blades down and together, contracting the muscles between your shoulder blades as well as the shoulder muscles.

• From the bottom position, try to slowly slide your arms up until they are straight and in a "stick-em up" position. Try to improve your range of motion each week.

• The goal is to improve shoulder mobility and postural control.

Position A – Wall Stickups Position B – Wall Stickups





Scapular Retraction

• Grasp the bar with an overhand, shoulder width grip.

• Without bending the arms, squeeze the shoulder blades together to lift the upper body up towards the bar.

• Lower with control.

Position A Position B

Inverted Row

• Find a low bar where you can do an inverted plank.

• Grasp the bar with an overhand, shoulder width grip.

• Raise the chest towards the bar.

• Lower with control.

• To modify, bend the legs push more from the heels.

• To intensify, make the body as plank like as possible.






Suspended Row

• You’ll need a TRX or other suspension trainer.

• Face towards the suspension trainer.

• Grasp the handles with an overhand, shoulder width grip, keep palms facing each other.

• Make the body as plank like as possible.

• Row the arms in towards the body, squeezing the shoulder blades together, keeping the chest up.

• To modify, move the feet away from the anchor and stand more upright.

• To intensify, move feet towards anchor to increase the angle of pull.






Totally Assisted Pull-up

• Grasp the bar with an overhand, wide grip.

• Step up off a platform to bring yourself up until your chin is over the bar.

• You will step up with your entire weight on your legs.

• Return to full hanging position with control.


Jump Assisted Pull-up

• Grasp the bar with an overhand, wide grip.

• Jump off a platform to pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar.

• Return to full hanging position with control.

Position A – Jump Assisted Pull Up Position B – Jump Assisted Pull Up





DB Row

• Rest the left hand and left knee on a flat bench, lean over and keep the back flat.

• Hold the dumbbell in the right hand in full extension and slowly row it up to the lower abdomen.

• Keep the low back tensed in a neutral position and the elbow tight to the side.

• Do NOT round your lower back.

Position A – DB row Position B – DB row





Suspended Chest Press

• You’ll need a TRX or other suspension trainer.

• Face away from the suspension trainer.

• Grasp the handles with a palms down, shoulder width grip.

• Make the body as plank like as possible.

• Do a push up like movement.

• To modify, move the feet away from the anchor and stand more upright.

• To intensify, move feet towards anchor to increase the angle of pull.






DB Chest Press

• Hold the dumbbells above your chest with your palms turned toward your feet.

• Lower the dumbbells to chest level.

• Pause briefly and press the dumbbells straight up above the chest.

• Squeeze your chest muscles together as your press the dumbbells up.

Position A – DB Chest Press Position B – DB Chest Press

Plank

• Brace your abs. Put your elbows directly under your shoulders, palms up.

• Keep your back flat, your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.

• Hold the plank position for the designated time.

Position A – Plank





Get Up

• Get into a plank position.

• Lower the body from hand to elbow on one side and then the other to go into the low plank position.

• Push back up, one hand at a time to return to high plank position.

• Alternate the hand that you push up on first each time.

Position A Position B Position C

Hanging Leg Raise

• Hang from a chin-up bar using an overhand grip. Brace your abs.

• With a slight bend in your knees, curl your hips back and raise your legs up in front of you until they are parallel to the floor or higher.

• Don’t use momentum. Go slow and controlled both ways.

Position A – Hanging Leg Raise Position B – Hanging Leg Raise





Putting it Together - Sample Workouts Using Exercises

Here are three workouts that you can do to increase strength so to improve your pull up and push up power.

Workout A

Warm up – Alternate 20 seconds of jumping jacks, bodyweight squats, full arm swings, kneeling push ups, plank, bicycle crunch abs. Repeat twice for a four minute dynamic movement warm up.

1- Stick ups • 10 reps• No rest

2- Scapular Retraction• 5-10 reps• No rest

3- Assisted pull ups with controlled descent • 10 reps• Rest 30 seconds • Repeat (2 sets total)

4- Hanging leg raise • 10 reps• Rest 30 seconds • Repeat (2 sets total)

5- DB row• 10 reps (do weak arm first, follow with strong arm)• Rest 20 seconds • Repeat 2 more times (3 sets total)

8- Push ups to 30 sec plank hold • 10 reps (followed by plank hold 30 seconds)• Rest 30 seconds • Repeat 2 more times (3 sets total)

9- Suspended chest press• 10 reps • Rest 30 seconds • Repeat 2 more times (3 sets total)

10- Get ups• 10 reps per side (20 total)• Rest 30 seconds • Repeat 2 more times (3 sets total)

Cool down – Do 3-5 min stretching the upper body in particular, include chest opening stretches like the stick up, child’s pose and downward dog to name a few.





Workout B

Warm up – Alternate 20 seconds of full arm swings, kneeling push ups, plank, bicycle crunch abs, jumping jacks, bodyweight squats. Repeat twice for a four minute dynamic movement warm up.

1a – DB chest press (no rest)• 10 reps

1b – push up (any variation: on toes, kneeling, against wall)• 10 reps• rest 30 seconds• repeat for a total of 3 sets

2 – suspended chest press • 10 reps• rest 30 seconds• repeat for a total of 3 sets

3a – Get up • 5-10 reps/arm

3b – front plank• 30 seconds• rest 30 seconds• repeat for a total of 3 sets

4a – jump assisted pull ups (no rest)• 10 reps

4b – inverted rows• 10 reps• rest 30 seconds• repeat for a total of 3 sets

5a- suspended row• 10 reps

5b – hanging leg raises• 10 reps• rest 30 seconds• repeat for a total of 3 sets






Workout C – Pull Up/Push Up Finisher

(This is an excellent quick workout that you can do at the end of any workout to toast your upper body, boost your metabolism and burn fat.)

Warm up – Alternate 20 seconds of jumping jacks, bodyweight squats, full arm swings, kneeling push ups, plank, bicycle crunch abs. Repeat twice for a four minute dynamic movement warm up.

Count Down 10 to 1 reps of the following:

Assisted pull upPush up (any kind: on your toes, knees, wall)Burpee

Example: 10 assisted pull ups, 10 push ups, 10 burpees, rest as little as possible.9 assisted pull ups, 9 push ups, 9 burpees, rest as little as possible….1 assisted pull up, 1 push up, 1 burpee, you’re done!






About Shawna Kaminski

Shawna Kaminski is in her late 40′s but she can kick most 20 year olds’ butts when it comes to pull ups, push-ups and the human flag. She loves a challenge and trains with passion and intelligence. She has put together a program that will help improve the quality and quantity of your pull ups and push ups.

You can check out her Challenge Workouts program here.




http://www.challengeworkouts.com/

12 best exercises to improve your pull up and push up...

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