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Push

Single Dumbbell Floor Press with Core Bracing (B,I,A)

By Kristen Gostomski
| April 20, 2020 | Exercises, Core, Push

Single Dumbbell Floor Press with Core Bracing can be performed from Supine Core Bracing (beginner) or Dead Bug (intermediate to advanced) position. This exercise engages muscles through the mid-section while also targeting chest and triceps.

Single Dumbbell Floor Press from Supine Core Bracing Position:

  1. From supine position (lying on back), bend knees, feet flat on the floor. Hold a single dumbbell horizontally and extend arms straight above chest and even with shoulders.
  2. Engage core muscles as if about to take a punch in the gut. Concentrate on tightening mid-abdominal muscles plus muscles around sides and into low back. Be sure to use core muscles, not leg muscles. Your hamstrings should be completely relaxed; if not, you are not engaging  muscles properly. 
  3. Back should remain in contact with the floor, ensuring that the core is braced properly while resisting over-extension of the spine. 
  4. With core braced, lower dumbbell toward chest until upper arms touch the floor, pause, and press the weight back up to starting position, reaching with arms so that your shoulder blades protract—wrap around rib cage.

 

Single Dumbbell Floor Press from Dead Bug position:

  1. Lie supine on the floor, legs raised, knees bent at 90-degree angles and directly over hips. Hold a single dumbbell horizontally and extend arms straight above chest and even with shoulders. 
  2. Engage core muscles as if about to take a punch in the gut. Concentrate on tightening mid-abdominal muscles plus muscles around sides and into low back. 
  3. Back should remain in contact with the floor, ensuring that the core is braced properly while resisting over-extension of the spine.
  4. With core braced, lower dumbbell toward chest until upper arms touch the floor, pause, and press the weight back up to starting position, reaching with arms so that your shoulder blades protract—wrap around rib cage.

Half-Kneeling Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Press (I)

By Kristen Gostomski
| April 14, 2020 | Exercises, Push

Half-Kneeling Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Press: As pointed out in my article, Best and Worst Upper Body Strength Exercises for Athletes, overhead pressing with a barbell is harmful for athletes because it restricts shoulders in a fixed path of movement. All overhead movement is contraindicated for athletes who have limited shoulder mobility and for those who have a history of shoulder pain or injury.

Note: Strength coaches sometimes exclude overhead lifting for overhead athletes. Although being an overhead athlete is not reason in itself to avoid training overhead, many overhead athletes, over time, experience shoulder joint wear and tear that can cause deficits in mobility and scapular upward rotation. Those deficits can make overhead lifting risky for shoulders. Only athletes who pass my overhead mobility tests are permitted to lift overhead. For those who have been cleared for overhead lifting, Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Press is the primary exercise I endorse.

  1. From half-kneeling position (left leg forward and right leg back) grip a kettlebell in your right hand—parallel grip and bottom of kettlebell up, just in front of your right shoulder (like first picture above).
  2. Engage muscles around mid-section (as if expecting a punch to the gut). When Kettlebell Press is done improperly, the ribcage flares upward and the back hyperextends, which indicates a lack of core recruitment and increases risk of back injury. In a proper Kettlebell Press, the spine remains neutral from neck to tailbone, and the scapula rotates upward and downward on the rib cage.
  3. With core engaged, press kettlebell overhead as shoulder blades upwardly rotate—imagine shoulder blades reaching up and wrapping around rib cage. Keep shoulder and hips square (don’t lean).
  4. Slowly return to starting position.
  5. Repeat for desired reps then switch leg positions and repeat on the left side.

Landmine Press (I)

By Kristen Gostomski
| April 14, 2020 | Exercises, Push

Landmine Press: Landmine Press encourages efficient scapular upward rotation and engages anterior (front) shoulder stabilizers—both key to preventing shoulder injuries. Landmine Press is safer and more functional than pressing directly overhead.  (Read details about overhead pressing under exercise description Half Kneeling Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Press). Form and scapular movement are crucial to Landmine Press.

  1. Cup the barbell in both hands, thumbs on the end of the barbell. 
  2. Begin with the barbell at chest height, elbows even with or slightly in front of torso.
  3. Bend your knees and brace your core as if expecting a punch to the gut.
  4. Push the barbell up and away, leaning forward, coming up onto toes, and fully extending arms (without locking elbows) as scapula rotates upward and wraps around ribcage to finish the movement.
  5. Slowly and with control, return hands to starting position.

Cable or Band Push Press (B)

By Kristen Gostomski
| April 1, 2020 | Exercises, Push

Cable or Band Push Press This exercise encourages efficient scapular upward rotation and engages anterior (front) shoulder stabilizers—both key to preventing shoulder injuries.  Landmine Press is safer and more functional than pressing directly overhead. (Read details about overhead pressing under exercise description Half Kneeling Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Press). Cable or Band Push Press also allow for free, unhindered movement at elbow, wrist, and shoulder joints, which results in healthy, stable joints—and is safer than relying on barbells and machines. Form and scapular movement are crucial to Cable and Band Push Press.

  1. Adjust a cable a few inches above ankle level or attach a band to an anchor a few inches above ankle level.
  2. Stand facing away from the cable machine or band anchor and grip the band or cable just outside shoulder width.
  3. Begin with your elbows even with your torso. If using a band step forward enough to keep the band taut (for increased resistance, take another step forward).
  4. Bend your knees and brace your core as if expecting a punch to the gut.
  5. Press the band or cable up and away, leaning forward, coming up onto toes, and fully extending arms (without locking elbows) as scapula rotates upward and wraps around ribcage to finish the movement.
  6. Slowly and with control, return hands to starting position.

Push Up (B, I, A)

By Kristen Gostomski
| October 6, 2018 | Exercises, Push

Push Up When performed with proper technique and balanced with adequate horizontal pulling, Push Ups are excellent exercises for athletes. Push Ups not only engage chest, triceps, shoulder and core muscles, they also allow the scapula (shoulder blades) to move freely—unlike bench pressing from supine (lying on back) position. Scapular movement is crucial for efficient shoulder movement and health. Push Up is basically moving Plank. That means that the core should remain engaged throughout the entire movement.

conventional pushup

Conventional Push Up Bottom

  1. Place your hands slightly outside of and in line with your shoulders, extend your legs straight behind you with toes on the floor.
  2. Engage your core muscles as if expecting a punch to the gut. Do not let your hips sag, which would disengage the abs and put strain on your low back.
  3. Keep your neck in line with your spine to form a straight line from head to feet. 
  4. Bend your elbows, lowering your body as one unit, until upper arms are parallel to the floor. During descent, the spine remains neutral from neck to tailbone, elbows remain at a 30- to 45-degree angle from the torso, and shoulder blades retract (move toward spine). 
  5. Push back up to starting position, keeping core engaged and spine neutral as shoulder blades protract (move apart and wrap around ribcage).
  6. Athletes who master a perfect bodyweight Push Up may progress to Feet Elevated Push Up (below).

Note: Push Ups performed poorly can do more harm than good, putting stress on the low back and shoulder joints. A standard Push Up requires athletes to lift about 64 percent of their bodyweight. Some athletes—especially at youth level—don’t have the strength to do even one proper bodyweight Push Up, yet coaches often require athletes to do multiple reps at a time. As alternatives, Band-Assisted Push Ups or Elevated Push Ups (below) decrease the weight for an athlete to lift. Push Ups from the knees, which minimize recruitment of stabilizing muscles and can put shoulders in a compromised position, are to be avoided altogether

Cable or Band Chest Press (B)

By Kristen Gostomski
| May 23, 2018 | Push, Exercises

Cable or Band Chest Press A Chest Press using a band or cable is a safe, functional, and versatile exercise to develop strength and power for pushing motions used in sports. Because Band and Cable Chest Press are performed from a standing position, more core and stabilizing muscles are required to execute the movement, resulting in more functionality than machines or other chest exercises performed from a supine (lying on the back) position. Cable and Band Chest Press also allow for free, unhindered movement at elbow, wrist, and shoulder joints, which results in healthy, stable joints—and is safer than relying on barbells and machines. Cable and Band Chest press also encourage the scapula to move freely, rather than pinning shoulder blades against a bench. 

  1. Adjust a cable to chest level or attach a band to an anchor at chest level.
  2. Stand facing away from the cable machine or band anchor and grip the band or cable just outside shoulder width, palms facing one another.
  3. Begin with your elbows even with your torso. If using a band step forward enough to keep the band taut (for increased resistance, take another step forward).
  4. Brace your core as if expecting a punch to the gut.
  5. Press the band  or cable straight forward, fully extending (but not locking) arms. As you press, rotate palms down with knuckles pointing straight ahead. Upon full extension, protracts shoulder blades (imagine shoulder blades pulling apart from one another to wrap around the rib cage).
  6. Slowly and with control, return hands to starting position.

 

 

Single-Leg Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Exchange (I)

By Kristen Gostomski
| April 7, 2018 | Core, Push, Exercises

SINGLE-LEG BOTTOMS UP KETTLEBELL EXCHANGE Few exercises engage joint stabilizers as well as Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Exchange. This exercise engages shoulder and wrist stabilizers while muscle recruitment is also high in back muscles that stabilize the spine as well as deep abdominal muscles—both used for power and support in sports.

  1. While stabilizing on one leg, hold kettlebell (bottoms up) with elbow at or just below shoulder height.
  2. Engage core muscles as if about to take a punch in the gut. Concentrate on tightening mid-abdominal muscles plus muscles around sides and into low back.
  3. Exchange the kettlebell from one hand to the other for a total of 6 reps.
  4. Switch legs and repeat steps one through three.

Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Carry (B)

By Kristen Gostomski
| April 7, 2018 | Exercises, Core, Push

Few exercises engage joint stabilizers as well as Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Carry. This exercise engages shoulder and wrist stabilizers. Muscle recruitment is also high in back muscles that stabilize the spine as well as deep abdominal muscles—both used for power and support in sports.

  1. Hold Kettlebells (bottoms up) with elbows at or just below shoulder height.
  2. Engage core muscles as if about to take a punch in the gut. Concentrate on tightening mid-abdominal muscles plus muscles around sides and into low back.
  3. Walk about 20 yards while engaging wrist, shoulder, and core muscles.

Standing Cable or Band Core Bracing with Press (I)

By Kristen Gostomski
| April 7, 2018 | Exercises, Core, Push

STANDING CABLE OR BAND CORE BRACING WITH PRESS   This exercise is a variation of Standing Cable or Band Core Bracing.

  1. Adjust a cable to chest level or attach a band to an anchor at chest level. Stand perpendicular to the cable stack or band anchor point.
  2. Grip the band or cable—one hand clasped around the other—and begin with hands at your sternum and elbows even with your torso. If using a band step to the side enough to keep the band taut (for increased resistance, take another step to the side).
  3. With knees bent, hips back, shoulders back, and feet a little wider than hip distance, engage the core by tightening muscles as if expecting a punch to the gut. Use core muscles to resist any rotation from spine, shoulders, knees, or hips.
  4. Press the band  or cable straight forward, fully extending (but not locking) arms.
  5. With control, return hands to starting position. Perform 8 reps while resisting rotation from spine, shoulders, knees, and hips. Rotate 180 degrees and repeat the other side.

Alternating Dumbbell (DB) Bench Press (B)

By Kristen Gostomski
| March 8, 2018 | Exercises, Push

Alternating Dumbbell (DB) Bench Press I advocate the Alternating DB Bench Press over more familiar chest exercises—such as the standard DB Bench Press or Barbell Bench Press—because when performing a unilateral Chest Press (one side at a time), shoulder blades move freely forward and backward. SCAPULAR MOVEMENT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO SHOULDER MOTION AND SHOULDER HEALTH. Another advantage to alternating sides when performing a DB Bench Press is increased neuromuscular recruitment, as more muscle fibers surrounding joints activate to stabilize weights and coordinate movement.

  1. Lie supine (on your back) on a bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand, dumbbells straight above your chest. Palms can be facing forward (pictured) or toward one another.
  2. If your feet don’t comfortably reach the floor or if your low back begins to arch away from the bench, place feet on the bench.
  3. Lower one dumbbell until your elbow is even with your back and no lower than the bench, then push the dumbbell back to starting position.
  4. Repeat with the other arm, alternating repetitions.

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