Effective exercise for pumping your arms. Learning to perform push-ups “Pika”

The sports world is very diverse, not only in terms of sports. There can be so many variations of performing one known exercise. Today we will talk about push-ups and tell you about a very unusual type of it.

It is called push-ups “Pika”, and, we bet, very few people have heard of it. Together with a fitness trainer, we told you how to do them correctly and what the peculiarity is.

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An extremely interesting variation of push-ups. The exercise involves several muscle groups at once and is very effective with the right technique. Before you start performing it, warm up properly, especially the shoulders.

Warm-up

Whatever your workout, warming up your muscles should not be neglected. Warming up not only prevents the risk of injury, but also adapts muscles to the load and makes them work more productively.

Andrey Donskikh: warm-up should be of high quality. It is necessary to prepare the nervous and hormonal systems, muscles, ligaments and tendons for training. A light jog or, for example, an exercise bike is suitable for the main part. Next, we knead the working joints with rotational movements. Then a little dynamic stretching of the muscles involved in the work.

Circular movements in the wrist joints

Teknik

• Stand up straight, place your feet shoulder-width apart, arms extended to the sides.
• Perform rotational movements in the joints, for five counts in one direction, for the next five – in the other.

Circular movements in the elbow joints

Teknik

• Stand up straight, feet shoulder width apart, arms extended to the sides.
• Perform circular movements for five counts inward and for the next five counts outward.

Circular movements in the shoulder joints

Teknik

• Stand up straight, feet shoulder-width apart, arms down along the body.
• Make circular movements in the shoulder joint, add amplitude.
• For five counts to one side, for five counts to the other.

What muscles are involved in push-ups “Peak”?

Classic push-ups work the delts, triceps and chest muscles. Due to the specific starting position from which the “Peak” push-ups are performed, the target muscle groups are slightly changed, although not dramatically.

The exercise is great for training shoulders, pectoral muscles, especially the upper part, and triceps. The pecs are divided into two groups: upper and lower. Peak push-ups activate the lower segment, which gives it a more pronounced shape. The deltoids, which are located in the upper part of the arms, and the muscles that support the position of the body – abs and hip flexors – are also engaged.

How to perform push-ups “Pika” correctly?

Teknik

• Starting position: lying down on your hands.
• Place your hands about shoulder width apart, lift the pelvis up so that the body silhouette resembles an inverted letter V.
• Keep your feet firmly planted on the floor.
• As you inhale, bend your elbows and lower yourself down until your head almost touches the floor. Pause briefly at the bottom point.
• Exhale and return to the starting position with your elbows straightened.
• Depending on your pelvic lift, you can adjust the load, shifting the focus to the target muscle.

Since these push-ups do not require additional equipment, they are great for practicing at home. A similar movement will be obtained if you put your feet on an elevated position, and leave your body straight.

Who can not perform push-ups “Peak”?

If you have back problems or suffer from lower back pain, performing this exercise is not recommended. During push-ups “Peak” these body parts are in a rather atypical position for them, which can increase unpleasant sensations. Also, the variation is contraindicated with osteochondrosis and other diseases of the spine.

On the wrist, elbow and radius joints are the main load in push-ups, so if they are your problem area, do not risk it. Consult your doctor for a recommendation.

Overweight can also be a problem in performing push-ups “Peak”. In this case, it is better to go to a specialist before training, because weight directly affects the joints. The fuller a person is, the stronger the load on the skeleton.

It is contraindicated to perform this exercise for people with shoulder and arm injuries. And, of course, we advise newcomers to the world of sports to talk to their fitness trainer about push-ups “Peak”. They are more complicated than the classic ones, so immature muscles may not be able to cope with the load.