Workout of the week! 20/07/16

Karl Seaward
Jul 21, 2016
2 min read

This routine is for those who have no equipment what so ever and just want to perform exercises which use their body weight to train their chest.

Most people will think of standard push ups when it comes to body weight chest exercises, but as good as the exercise is, there are ways you can modify it to really blitz your chest.

Clapping Push Ups

Lower yourself into a usual press up starting position, with your arms shoulder width apart and your back straight. Lower yourself to the floor performing the first part of a push up movement. When you push back up, do so explosively, raising your arms and upper body off the ground and performing a clap as you do so. As you lower back to the ground, go straight back into another clapping push up, using the momentum to help complete the repetitions.

Incline Push Ups

Using an elevated platform of your choice (around 1 foot off the floor, but it’s up to you), get into a regular push up position with your arms elevated and your feet on the floor. Ensure that your arms are shoulder width apart. Perform the repetitions as you would with a normal push up, contracting your chest as you do the movement. If you do not have a suitable platform, this can be performed using stairs to elevate your arms.

Decline Push Ups

Using an elevated platform of your choice, as with the prior exercise, get into a regular push up position only with your feet elevated this time. Perform a regular push up in a controlled motion contracting your chest. If you don’t have a suitable platform, you could use stairs, a chair or your couch.

Single Leg Push Up

Get into a regular push up position with your arms shoulder width apart and back straight. Raise one leg off the ground and perform one repetition. Lower the leg, raise the other one and repeat. This counts as one repetition. Try to keep your core tight throughout so your leg isn’t flailing around.

This bodyweight workout is designed to target your entire chest, but utilising decline and incline movements to simulate the movements that would be performed on an incline or decline bench press. There are also functional athletic movements to build up power and agility.

More details at http://www.myprotein.com/thezone/training