Drop Push-Up

Drop Push-Up

Drop push-ups are a challenging type of push-up that can help increase upper body strength, explosive power and endurance. They are often used by athletes, particularly in sports like football, basketball, and mixed martial arts, to enhance their agility and power. However, they are an advanced exercise and should only be attempted by individuals who have mastered traditional push-ups and have the necessary strength and stability to perform them safely.

How to do:

Setup:

1. Place two sturdy benches or boxes parallel to each other, leaving enough space for you to move comfortably between them.
2. Make sure the benches or boxes are stable and won’t tip over during the exercise.
3. Position yourself so that you can place your hands on the benches and your feet on the floor.

Starting Position:

1. Get into a push-up
2. Your body should form a straight

Regular Push-Up:

1. Begin the exercise by performing a regular push-up. Lower your chest toward the bench by bending your elbows.
2. Keep your body in a straight line and maintain proper push-up form. Your chest should come close to the bench without touching it.

Landing:

1. During the landing phase, you will release your hands from the benches and aim to land with your hands on the ground.
2. As you descend towards the ground, take your hands off the bench and direct them toward the ground for a soft landing.
3. Try to land with your hands slightly bent to absorb the impact and protect your wrists.
4. Land with control to minimize any jarring impact on your wrists and shoulders.

Return:

1. After completing the push-up on the ground, explosively push yourself up with as much force as possible.
2. Use your chest, triceps, and shoulders to generate the upward force.
3. Place your hands back on the benches in the starting position.

Repeat:

1. Perform the exercise for the desired number of repetitions.
2. Focus on explosive push-offs from the ground and a controlled return to the benches.
3. Maintain proper form throughout the exercise to ensure safety and effectiveness.

Tips:

It’s important to note that while drop push-ups offer numerous benefits, they are an advanced exercise that can put strain on the wrists and shoulders. Beginners should start with regular push-ups and progressively work up to more advanced variations like clap push-ups and drop push-ups.

Drop Push-Up: Benefits

1. Cardiovascular Strength: Drop push-ups are a form of plyometric exercise, which involves explosive movements that can elevate your heart rate. This helps improve cardiovascular endurance over time, enhancing your overall heart health and stamina.
2. Increased Speed and Power: Plyometric exercises like drop push-ups focus on explosive movements, which can increase your speed, quickness, and power. Power is essential for activities that require quick bursts of strength, such as sprinting, jumping, and various sports. The explosive nature of drop push-ups helps improve your power output.
3. Whole-Body Workout: Drop push-ups engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, including the chest, shoulders, triceps, core, back, and legs. This makes them a comprehensive full-body workout, helping you build strength and muscle definition.
4. Core Strength: Drop push-ups require core stability to maintain proper form during the exercise. This helps strengthen your abdominal muscles, obliques, and lower back, contributing to improved posture and overall core strength.
5. Muscular Endurance: Repeatedly performing drop push-ups can increase muscular endurance, allowing you to perform more repetitions over time. Enhanced endurance can translate into better athletic performance and reduced risk of fatigue-related injuries.
6. Fat Loss: Plyometric exercises like drop push-ups can be effective for burning calories and reducing stored body fat. The combination of strength training and cardiovascular elements can contribute to a leaner physique when combined with a proper diet.

Drop push-ups provide a greater challenge to your chest, shoulders, and triceps compared to standard push-ups because of the increased range of motion. They require more strength and control, making them an effective way to progress your push-up routine as you aim to build upper body strength and endurance.

This exercise can be particularly useful for individuals looking to advance their push-up abilities and increase the intensity of their workout. As with any exercise, it’s important to use proper form and maintain good control throughout the movement to prevent injury. If you’re new to drop push-ups, consider starting with a lower elevation or performing them with proper guidance to ensure you’re performing them safely and effectively.

Drop Push-Up: Muscles Worked

These variation exercises are all effective ways to stimulate and work similar muscle groups that the drop push-up would hit. Try adding these variations of the push-up into your training to keep workout fun and varied.