Push up bars are most commonly used by calisthenics enthusiasts and, unfortunately, ignored by most other training groups. However, I am here to tell you that anyone can benefit greatly from using Rotating Push Up Bars in their training…

Key Benefits of Rotating Push Up Bars

• Increased Range of Motion – The raised platform allows you to perform exercises through a greater range of motion than directly from the floor.

• Rotating Handle – The rotating handle can take some of the stress away from the shoulders in the bottom position by allowing you to externally rotate your shoulder joint as you descend, which may be more favourable for beginners.

• Wrist Friendly Handle – the handle allows you to perform pushing exercises without putting all of your bodyweight through a largely flexed wrist, which can be a stressful position for those with poor wrist flexibility or not used to the exercises.

Push Up Bars are primarily used for push ups. But don’t sell yourself short by only using them for traditional push ups…

Top Three Rotating Push Up Bar Exercises

Push Up Bar Pike Press

• With both your hands on a push up bar, just outside shoulder width, assume a high plank position

• Walk your feet up towards your hips until your body is in somewhat of an upside-down ‘V’ position between the floor and the push up bars.

• Lower your head until it gently touches the ground between your hands before pushing the floor away to return to the top position.

Benefits of Pike Presses

The pike press allows you to perform vertical pressing movements that bias the shoulders more than the chest; the perfect stepping stone to a handstand push up.

Push Up Bar Deficit Push Up

• Assume a high plank position, with your hands on the push up bars, just outside shoulder width, positioned directly under your shoulders.

• While maintaining a flat torso, lower your body down to the floor until your chest is below your hands.

• Push the floor away slowly to return to the start position, again, keeping the torso flat.

Benefits of Deficit Push Ups

The deficit push up forces you to load the upper body through a greater range of motion than typical pushing exercises, improving flexibility and ‘strength at length’, making you more robust to injury.

Unilateral Raised Push Up

• Assume a high plank position, but with one hand on a push up bar and one on the floor, just outside shoulder width, positioned directly under your shoulders.

• While maintaining a flat torso, lower your body down to the floor until your chest is below your raised hand.

• Push the floor away slowly to return to the start position, again, keeping the torso flat.

• Swap the hand that is raised and repeat.

Benefits of Unilateral Raised Push Ups

This allows you to slightly bias one side of your body at a time, improving unilateral strength and reducing side-to-side imbalances: the perfect stepping stone to a single arm push up.

Get yourself a pair of Rotating Push Up Bars today to build a strong and robust upper body and see more gains from your push ups!

Written by guest author Ewan Hammond.

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Tags: Exercise Type > Conditioning