I love
exercises that utilized unique setups
that dramtically increase the resistance
used in bodyweight exercises.
Basically,
when you get to a certain level of
strength in a bodyweight movement
and can do a lot of reps with it,
it's not as effective for building
further muscle and strength.
But
if you can adjust your body position
and make it harder, then you can keep
on making progress. This exercise
is an example of that with the close-grip
push-up.
For
this specific setup, you'll need a
power rack, though if you don't have
a power rack, you do these with your
feet up on something else solid (like
a railing or countertop, for example)
with your hands on the floor instead
of on a bar. You don't absolutely
NEED a rack to do this type of feet-suspended
movement (not just feet elevated,
but actually suspended is what we're
looking for).
This
set up is going to force more of your
bodyweight onto the triceps as you're
doing the close-grip push-up exercise.
Set
one bar in the rack at about shoulder
height (where you'd set it for squats).
Set the rails to about 2 feet off
the ground or so (a little above knee
height worked for me) and set a bar
on those, pushed up against the uprights.
Set
your hands on the bar in a close grip,
about shoulder-width apart. Stand
facing that bar with your back to
the other bar then bring your upper
body down to the bar.
Next,
reach up and back with one leg to
hook your toes over the bar.
Once
that's solidly hooked, bring your
other leg up and hook those toes over
the bar, too.
Now
you're in the bottom position of the
close-grip push-up on the bar.
Now
just do the push-up!
This
exercise looks a lot easier than it
actually is. By suspending your bodweight
in this fashion, you actually put
more of your bodyweight on the triceps
as resistance...more so than close-grip
presses with feet elevated on a bench
or something.
If
you want to get even more out of this
and need more resistance, you can
also do it with a weight vest on.
Learn
More Unique Bodyweight Exercises
To REDESIGN Your Body, Burning Fat,
Building Muscle and Reshaping
Your Physique In Six Weeks...
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and all stuff you can do at
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