Hello everyone!

For a long time I always believed that pushups were only for the chest. Well, it was only until recently that I was told otherwise. By simply varying the position of your palm and varying the movement from top to bottom and from side to side, you can get a complete back workout! Yup, a full back workout that works your upper and lower back!

Ok, that’s how it’s done. First, get into a pushup position. Now, instead of having your palms facing down and parallel to your body, turn your palms up and position them horizontal to your body. You’re going to want to spread your arms wide apart, as it’s very difficult to stay upright in this position. Now that you’re in the set position, perform a pushup but move your body from side to side. You can also do a standard push up by going up and down.

If you tried it, you can see how challenging it is. Be careful, as it puts a lot of stress on your wrists, so before attempting this exercise, make sure your wrists are warm and slowly return to the set position. Then, when you start the exercise, go slowly again, and if you feel pain at any time in your wrists, stop the exercise.

Perfecting yourself at this exercise takes time, so I suggest only doing a couple of sets during the first few workouts that you incorporate this exercise into. Gradually, over time, your wrist strength will increase and then you can add more sets.

Want another variation of this exercise? Try a thumbs-up push-up. This is another variation of a push up that works your back and here’s how to do it. Get into a pushup position, but instead of having your palms on the floor parallel to your body, support yourself with your fists in a pound position at 45 degrees parallel to your body, making sure to keep your thumbs up . You will need to extend your arms further than in a conventional push-up, similar to what was done in the previous exercise presented. Once you are in the established position, perform the push up going up and down.

As you can see, these are explosive exercises that allow you to work your back most effectively without any equipment. Implement these exercises into your weekly routine and build more muscle, more definition, and more muscular endurance!