Push ups for connection & joints

The push up is one of the classic basic exercises of most training regemes, and for good reason. It is a very effective upper body workout, has a myriad of variations and a large number of benefits.


In our class we use press-ups as a means of building arm to body connection, how to apply force through the arms correctly and how to use certain mechanics to develop or transmit force.


The basic push up is probably well know to everyone. The main areas being worked are the chest and arm muscles. We are looking to begin to combine a few different ideas in the push-ups we train that are slightly different to the normal push up method.


1) Slow speed for joints
We use very slow repetition speeds to help the joint structures naturally and safely work with the weight of the body.  The General idea in IMAs is that the tendons, ligaments and Fascia store energy and the Muscles use energy. This is not to say that we dont want to use muscles, in my opinion, we definitely do! Simply that we use them in a different way. When  we train slow you will feel over time that joints become ‘wrapped’ and protected, you will notice that your tendons feel much more solid when in use and much softer when not.


2) Training to Fatigue
We are not training to build big muscles here. However, we do need to train to a point of fatigue where the other supporting structures can begin to be utilised to support the frame. This is a bitter training but very fruitful if you stick with it.


3) Breath
It goes without saying that we need to breath ;), however when under load the mind often has a habit of disrupting the breathing cycle. Breath and oxygen are vital for the energising of the tendons and ligaments however so we need to breath in a manner that gives the body exactly what it requires. There are many methods of breathing with the push up motion and some to release fatigue and tension when things get tough. I will discuss these another time.


4) Work your way up
Dont start out your training with a 10 minute push up! You need to begin very slowly with a deep focus on the mechanics of the movement. It is important that you understand fully what your trying to do and why. Then you can begin to play with the push ups and invent your own movements spontaneously.


Push ups or ‘Arch ups’?
One of the things that we have been working on is the idea of forming a bridge or arch between each hand to support the upper body. This is very similar to the idea of Dang Jin or Crotch Arch in the Chinese MAs. Think of it as a sort of horse stance for the arms. This has a couple of implications for the movement.


1) The body is supported through a connection of various structures without joints between them. The power is unbroken between the hands
2) When ‘pushing’ the formation of the arch by pulling inward with the arms recruits a larger amount of structures and results in less effort to create the up force. This is clearly felt when the methods done correctly.


Here is a short video of the basic method in the arms and a few very simple variations on the push up.