Note: A band-resisted push-up is still a push-up, however, a monster band is added for additional resistance. The directions below are identical to the directions for the push-up described previously, with one additional step during set-up.
- Ask your client or patient to hold a monster band in both hands, twist the band once so that it forms an "x", have them wrap it around their back, and adjust the band so that when "crossing the arms" the band is kept from sliding toward the head by the distal "ridge" of the deltoids (approximately the level of the deltoid tuberosity).
- Ask your client or patient to assume a prone position on the floor. with their hands/palms flat on the floor, near their shoulders. (The hands may need to be repositioned during the first few repetitions to ensure the forearms are near perpendicular to the floor during the movement.)
- Ask the client or patient to assume optimal form/posture:
- Feet perpendicular to the floor and 2nd toe aligned with ASIS
- Ankles, knees, and hips in alignment
- Pelvis neutral (absence of anterior or posterior pelvic tilt)
- Torso, scapula, and head in neutral alignment
- To enhance core muscle recruitment and trunk stability, ask your client or patient to maximally dorsiflex their ankles and attempt to get as much of the ball of their foot on the floor as possible. Have them “squeeze (contract)” their glutes and quads as if they are pushing the balls of their feet back into the floor. Last, have them perform the abdominal drawing-in maneuver before initiating the concentric phase.
- Cue the client or patient to maintain trunk stability as they push themselves up (or push the ground away) to full elbow extension and scapula protraction; achieving a plank position with fully extended upper extremities.
- Then cue the client to return to the starting position by bending the elbows, maintaining trunk control, and slowly lowering themselves close to the floor.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Regressions and Progressions:
- Load: Hands and torso may be elevated to reduce load (e.g. push-ups with hands on a bench), or the feet may be elevated to increase load (e.g. push-ups with feet on a bench).
- Additional Regression: Push-ups on “hands and knees" may also reduce load.
- Stability: Push-ups with rotation, push-ups on an unstable surface, push-ups on a stability ball, push-ups with a suspension trainer.
- Strength: Increase band resistance
Common Mistakes:
- The scapula should not be cued into a fixed position. The concentric phase of a push-up should include protraction, and the eccentric phase should include retraction.
