Issue #8 - Push-Ups***

The following images are a supplement to the article entitled "Unstable And Proud Of It! This amazing technique turns the ordinary push-up into an exercise "in stability." found in BetterU News, Issue #8.

To fully understand the images, please read the article. Your pecs will thank you for it!

Stage 1 - Dumbell Push-Ups

Use lightweight dumbells so that they move around more.
Place them in your normal push-up hand position.
Your range of motion will be greater than if you were doing them on the floor.
Be sure to keep your abs and back tight.
This version can be used by beginning to intermediate trainers.

Stage 2 - Swiss Ball Push-Ups

Place your shins on top of the ball and your hands on the floor.
The ball will roll forward as you go down then back as you push up.
Use your legs and abs to keep your balance on the ball.

Stage 3 - Swiss Ball / Dumbell Push-Ups

This is where the instability all comes together.
Your hands are unstable and your legs are unstable.
Your chest must work to stabilize everything while you are doing the push-up.
This will active many more muscle fibers than with normal push-ups.

Stage 4 - One Legged Swiss Ball / Dumbell Push-Ups

This variation of the push-up is extremely difficult and should only be attempted by advanced trainers!

You will experience the ultimate in instability when you lift one leg off the ball and do a push-up.
Place your shin directly on top of the ball and grip the dumbells strongly.
There will be a lot of side-to-side movement in your lower body due to the instability.
Keep your abs and back tight and fight to keep yourself on the ball while you do the push-ups.

Performance Tip

One thing you can do to really take advantage of this increased fiber activation is to do a superset.

Do one set of this exercise then immediately follow it with a set of machine presses (where everything is stabilized).
Since your stabilizing muscles are not being worked in the machine press, all of your effort can go into finishing off your already fatigued pec fibers rather than balancing yourself.
You will push your pecs to the limit with this combination!

And finally, now that you've got a massive pump going in your chest, do a set of light dumbell flyes with an emphasis on the stretch position. Hold the weights at the bottom of the rep for a ten count and really feel your pecs stretching out.

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