After two weeks of wonderful vacation with with my wife, my brother and his family, the Yes To Strength High Performance Training Tips are back.

During our vacation we took many interesting trips to various places in Toronto, one of these places being Centre Island.

Once again I was reminded that nature offers us many opportunities for spontaneous and simple exercise.

Look at the video clip below for a demonstration of Log Push Ups.

Click here for video if it does not appear on your screen.

Generally speaking, Push Ups are a "push pattern", defined as the upper extremities moving away from the body (as opposed to a pull pattern, defined as the upper extremities moving towards the body).

Major muscle groups involved include the frontal thighs, hip flexors and abdominal muscles as stabilizers and chest, shoulder and upper arm muscles as prime movers.

From a movement perspective push ups are relevant as a basic - as opposed to advanced and specific - exercise for anybody training for pushing, punching or throwing objects.

Push Ups are a so called closed chain exercise, meaning that the hands are the "anchor" and the upper body the moving point.

Gravity helps stabilize the shoulder joint and thus the Push Up is also a relevant exercise in a rehab situation.

Requirements for optimally performing Push Ups include proper functioning and endurance of deep abdominal and serratus anterior muscles (stabilizer of the shoulder blade).

Countless variations of Push Ups exists, targeting the various segments of the chain of muscles involved in Push ups. A good trainer preferably has 3-5 exercise variations ready to target respectively abdominals, chest, anterior shoulders, triceps and forearms/fingers.
 
The characteristics of the Log Push Up shown are that the feet are elevated, which put an increased emphasis on the anterior shoulders. I am supported only by one leg, which increases the strength requirement of the hip flexors on that leg. If I had moved the free leg a little more to the side, I would have significantly shifted my centre of mass towards the left, increasing the demands on my left arm. Such a strategy can be a way to work on left-right muscle imbalances or gradually build up the strength to perform one arm push ups.

The log forces a narrow hand position, which emphasizes the triceps over the chest. Also, the log allows for less extension of the wrist joint compared to a flat surface.

More Push Up variations may come up in the future, so stay tuned.

Committed to your success,
Karsten Jensen