Ever Trend Zone Push-ups may be a reliable exercise for upper body strength. However, if you want to try other exercises that work on the same muscles, you have a choice. Check out these alternatives for push-ups.
You might look easy by lying down your face, placing your hands on the ground, and using your arms and chest to push your body up and down. However, push-ups are weighty exercises in which the body stays in a straight line from head to heel throughout the movement, and can be challenging for some people. If not, you may just want to go beyond push-ups to strengthen your upper body. This exercise mainly works in the chest, shoulders, triceps and core. So, while looking for push-up alternatives, you will search for exercises that target almost the same muscles. Don’t sweat! Can you please tell me an alternative to push-ups?
What are the advantages of push-ups?
With the next health benefits, you may be a fan of push-ups.
- Builds upper body strength: There are many upper body strength training exercises, and push-ups are one of them. A study published in the Journal of Athletic Training shows that push-ups can be used to strengthen the upper body. “When you do push-ups, you use your chest, shoulders and arms to gain weight. This will help your upper body stronger without using any weight,” says fitness expert Abuishinthakur.
- Improve your posture: This exercise can strengthen muscles that help you stand up and stand upright, like your core or back. Better posture means less stress on the joints, especially the spine.
- Burning calories: “This exercise uses multiple muscles at once, which increases your heart rate and burns calories,” says an expert. It can burn about 7 calories in one minute. When done on a set or as part of a workout, exercise can help you lose fat and feel good.
- Good for the heart: It is important to engage in physical activity as it can strengthen the myocardium. This means that it can improve the heart’s ability to pump blood into the lungs and the rest of the body, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of America. Push-ups in particular may be good for your heart. A 10-year long study published in Jama Network Open showed that participants who completed more than 40 pushups per day had a significantly reduced risk of cardiovascular disease events compared to fewer than 10 pushups.
What are the alternatives to push-ups?
It is true that push-ups have advantages. However, if you don’t put your hands far away, hang your hips, or get involved in the core, you’ll lose profits if your risk of injury increases. Instead of pushing yourself hard, try an alternative to pushing ups. These exercises can also be performed if you want to break the monotony of your training routine.
1. Dumbbell bench press
“This exercise works on the chest, triceps and shoulders,” says Thakur.
How to do Dumbbell Bench Press:
- Lie on a bench with one dumbbell in each hand.
- Start with the dumbbells at chest level.
- Push up until your arms are straight.
- Lower them slowly.
2. Dumbbell Chest Fly
This exercise is one of the alternatives to push-ups and involves the chest, front shoulders and biceps.
How to fly dumbbell chest:
- Lie on the bench or floor on a padded mat.
- He grabs a dumbbell on his chest and points his palm.
- Slowly spread your arms around the barrel.
- Put your arm back in place.
3. Dumbbell floor press
Works with the chest, triceps and shoulders. “The elbow joints are safer because they cannot pass by the shoulder,” says the expert.
How to do a dumbbell floor press:
- Place the dumbbells on your chest and lie on the floor.
- Push your arms upright.
- Lower the exercise equipment until your elbows touch the floor.
4. Resistance Band Chest Press
If you don’t have the weight to perform push-up alternatives, you can use resistance bands for your exercise. Works with the chest, triceps and shoulders.
How to do Resistance Band Chest Press:
- Secure the resistance band behind you. It can be looped around one of the doorknobs.
- Hold the handle and move forward.
- Push your hands forward like a push-up movement.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
5. Side Plank
If you plan to use side planks as one of the push-up alternatives, not only the triceps, but the back, core, glut and legs will also benefit.
How to do side plank:
- Kneel on all fours, straighten your legs, raise your heels, and push your hips up.
- Straighten the spine and attract the upper body along with the core and leg muscles.
- Take your left hand and rotate your body sideways.
- Place your right foot in front of your left foot.
- Keep your right hand on your hip and look up towards the ceiling.
6. Standing dumbbell rotating punch
This exercise is one of the best alternatives to push-ups and attracts the shoulders, triceps and core.
How to spin punching a standing dumbbell:
- Stand up with your feet and separate a little wider than your shoulders.
- Hold the dumbbells in your hand at chest height.
- Plant your right foot firmly on the ground and rotate the torso to the left.
- Reach your right hand to the left and return to the starting position.
7. High-plate
This variation of the board targets the shoulders, upper back, abdominal muscles, glut, wrists, and hamstrings
How to do high-board:
- Place your hands and knees in the position of push-ups.
- Lift your knees off the ground to straighten your legs as you form a straight line from your head to your heel.
- Squeeze the glut section and wrap the core.
- Tighten the abdominal muscles and continue to form a straight line.
- Keep this position as much as possible.
Who should avoid implementing these pushup alternatives?
Some people shouldn’t try push-up alternatives.
- These push-up alternatives can make the pain worse, so those suffer from shoulder, wrist or elbow injuries.
- If you have heart conditions or high blood pressure, take medical advice before doing these strength exercises.
- Beginners with obesity must start with wall or slope pushups to prevent injuries.
- Pregnant women should avoid lying on their backs, which are done with push-up alternatives.
Push-ups are beneficial, but there are more exercises that can target the same or more muscles. These push-up options are easy to do, but if you are in good health, make sure to talk to your doctor.
Related FAQs
What’s more effective than push-ups?
If your goal is to build muscle and strength faster, weighted exercises like the Dumbbell Bench Press and compound lifts like the Barbell Bench Press and Dips are more effective.
Can the board replace push-ups?
No, classic boards strengthen the core, and push-ups build upper body strength. Both are convenient, but can be useful for a variety of purposes.
How to build muscle if you can’t do push-ups?
Start with simpler variations such as wall, knee, and slope push-ups. Use dumbbells on your chest, triceps and shoulders to eat plenty of protein and calories.
What is the alternative to dumbbell push-ups?
Instead of push-ups, you can do dumbbell chest presses, dumbbell chest fly, dumbbell floor presses, dumbbell close grip presses, and dumbbell shoulder presses. Like push-ups, they also target areas such as the chest, shoulders, and triceps.
