Michelle Marques, CPT

<p>What's more: Starting every rep from the ground increases the range of motion and reduces momentum, which adds to the challenge and forces you to create more force to get back up into a high-plank at the end of every rep. </p>

<p>Want to add this move to your routine? I got you. As a certified personal trainer, I'm going to teach you everything you need to know about the the hand release pushupits benefits, technique, variations, and more.</p>

<h1>  How To Do A Hand-Release Pushup  </h1>

<ol><li> Start in a <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a19983224/plank-exercise/">high-plank position</a> with your shoulders stacked over your wrists and core engaged. </li><li> Lower down until your chest hits the floor. Keep elbows at a 45-degree angle from your torso so you look like an arrow from above.  </li><li> At the bottom, pick your hands up to hover off the floor a few inches. </li><li> Then, place your palms back down, engage your core, leg and glute muscles, and without arching or rounding your spine, push up in to your high plank. </li></ol>

<p><strong> Form tips: </strong>  Your torso and hips should come up as one unit. Avoid snaking up into a cobra position to get off the ground. </p>

<p><strong> Reps/sets for best results:  </strong> Three sets of 810 reps.</p>

<h1>  Benefits Of The Hand-Release Pushup  </h1>

<p>The hand-release pushup is a great exercise for your chest, shoulders, and entire core (abs, back, hips, glutes). Its a step up from the standard pushup that will challenge you to increase force production off the ground (hello, arm strength!). </p>

<p>It also strengthens your shoulders and core which can aid in tons of other shoulder pressing exercises.</p>

<h1> Variations On The Hand Release Pushup  </h1>

<ul><li> <strong> Add tempo to the move: </strong>  Lower into the down position for 3 seconds before releasing your hands to increase time under tension. This will increase difficulty and challenge your strength. </li><li> <strong> Try with one leg:  </strong> This will challenge your stability and increase the demand on your core as you resist rotation. </li></ul>

<h1>  How To Add The Hand Release Pushup To Your Workout  </h1>

<ul><li> <strong> Swap them in for standard pushups:  </strong> Use the hand-release pushup in lieu of a regular one any time a workout calls for some variation of the total-body move.  </li><li> <strong> Do them as a superset: </strong>  I recommend adding it to a pulling exercise to get the best of both worlds. So you can do a hand release pushup for three set of 10 reps and then maybe a bent over dumbbell row for three sets of 8 reps.  </li></ul>

How To Do A Hand Release Pushup Correctly

One surefire way to improve your pushup game is by trying the hand-release pushup. This variation on the phys. ed. classic will target a lot of the same muscles used in a standard pushupshoulders, chest, and core. But it will work them even harder by breaking down each stage of the exercise.

How To Do A Hand-Release Pushup Correctly, According To A Certified Trainer

<p>This quadruped (all fours) exercise targets your shoulders, core, and back muscles simultaneously. And while it looks incredibly simple in this video, doing the bear crawl exercise correctly can be an extreme challenge for people who are unable to keep their <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a20702505/core-workout-routine/" link="null" rel="noopener noreferrer"> core engaged </a> by drawing in their belly button and bracing to active all the muscles in your back and abs.</p>

<p>But don't worry, as an ACE-certified personal trainer, I'm going to teach you how to do the bear crawl the right way. If you've already mastered the move, I've got a few variations, and routine suggestions you can do to keep things exciting!</p>

<ol><li>Get on all fours into a table top position with shoulders stacked over wrists and hip directly over knees. Engage your lats (the muscles on your back below your armpits that you'd feel if you gave yourself a hug) and maintain a neutral spine. Now, hover your knees slightly off the floor.</li><li>Next, move your left hand and right knee slightly forward while keeping your hips parallel to the floor and maintaining a neutral spine. Then, do the same thing with your other hand and knee so that you meet back in quadruped position. Repeat three times.</li><li>Reverse the movement to return to start. That's one rep.</li></ol>

<p><strong> Form tips: </strong> I can't say this one enough. Keep Your Back Flat.</p>

<p><strong> Set/reps for results: </strong> Three sets of 10 reps is perfect.</p>

<h2>Benefits Of The Bear Crawl Exercise</h2>

<p>The bear crawl is a great core exercise for strengthening your abs and back muscles and working on shoulder stability. In order to complete this move you have to maintain a neutral spine, which is key for functional movement patterns (think: walking, squatting, pushing, pulling, etc.) and preventing lower-back pain.</p>

<p>But my favorite benefit might be the one you get in your serratus anterior. This muscle is super important. It sits on the side of your chest, right by your armpit. It's job? To help you to lift your ribs, which of course helps you to breath better!</p>

<h2>Variations Of The Bear Crawl Exercise</h2>

<ul><li><strong> Lateral bear crawl: </strong> Tired of moving back and forth? Try moving side to side for a change. This variation will give you all the benefits of a regular crawl, while further challenging your coordination and mobility.</li><li><strong> Weighted bear crawl: </strong> When you're ready to take your bear crawl to the next level, place a small weight plate (510 pounds) on your back for an added core and posture challenge.</li></ul>

<h2>How To Make The Bear Crawl Part Of Your Routine</h2>

<ul><li><strong> Do them as a warm-up </strong> : Bear crawls are beneficial for trunk activation pre-workout. But they'll also increase your shoulder stability before performing a loaded shoulder exercise, especially one that requires you to hold weights in an overhead position!</li><li><strong> Add them to your core workout: </strong> This move will prep your back to resist excessive extension and flexion during loaded movements in your workouts!</li><li><strong> Make them a part of your strength-training circuit: </strong> Bear crawls are an effective, but not too taxing, way to get in some extra core work during a strength training circuit, without affecting your ability to perform heavier movements. Add them as an active recovery move in between sets of whatever upper- or lower-body exercise you're doing.</li></ul>

How To Do The Bear Crawl Exercise The Right Way

The bear crawl might seem like child's play, but the results it offers are v v serious.

How To Do The Bear Crawl Exercise, According To A Certified Trainer

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Michelle Marques, CPT

Articles written by the author

How To Do A Hand-Release Pushup Correctly, According To A Certified Trainer

How To Do The Bear Crawl Exercise, According To A Certified Trainer