Bringing Back The Push-Up

One of the most common questions people ask is how much weight they should be lifting. They always want to know if they should be lifting heavier weights or lighter weights and the reasons behind each decision. I am a firm believer in lighter weight and higher repetitions workouts. As long as you work the muscle to fatigue it will break down and rebuild and it is in this process that muscles get bigger and stronger. I like lower weight and higher repetition because it also builds muscular endurance, raises the heart rate and puts much less stress on your joints; it just makes sense.

All of that being said; the missing link for many people is body weight training. In other words, why use weights at all? You can get an incredible workout and see incredible results from doing exercises in which the only resistance is your own body weight. I know that some of you are already scoffing at this idea; it goes against everything you think you know, right? Well let's not forget that body weight training is the only training that gymnasts do and does anyone want to argue about their strength and the results they get? I didn't think so.

All too often we see people in the gym struggling to bench press huge amounts of weight and chances are that they could not perform even ten push-ups done correctly. Notice that I say done correctly. Plenty of people can do ten push-ups with their backs bowed or only coming down half way. The truth of the matter is that the push-up is one of the best over all upper body exercises on the planet and it gets ignored because the average person lifting weights has it in their head that they need to lift actual weights. Well your body is a weight so why not use it.

Another awesome exercise is the pull-up. Like the push-up it works the upper body like a whole, it is very functional and like the push-up, the average person cannot do them. If you are still scoffing at the idea of incorporating these back to basics exercises into your routine, I'm confused, unless you can actually do them and do them correctly. I mean what is there to scoff at when it is something that you can't do. Doesn't that tell you that it is something to work on and that it is worthy of your time? Doesn't that tell you that it just may be a missing link in your training?

There are many other exercises that only use body weight as the resistance and I suggest you learn more about them but I'm using these two because most people will know what I am talking about. If you do push-ups and pull-ups you will be working your rear deltoids, chest, biceps, lats, triceps, shoulders and core. This is what you want, you want to get the most that you can out of each exercise that you do, more bang for your buck so to speak.

Often in the fitness business we are always trying to come up with something new and exciting. That is all well and good and indeed there are endless possibilities out there when it comes to exercise. But sometimes we need to be reminded of the tried and true basics. Things like push-ups and pull-ups may have fallen by the wayside for many of us but the fact is that they work so why not bring them back.

Barry Lovelace is an internationally recognized personal trainer and fitness professional. Visit his website for more FREE health and fitness tips and a FREE Ebook titled 'How To Juggle Your Health and Fitness'!