Push Ups are a big bang exercise for most people. Once you’re strong enough to do the basic push ups well, and by that I mean do 25 solid reps to a very high standard, ie locked core, tucked pelvis and good scapular movement, then it’s time to add in a few variants.
This is the Persian Push Up
You will see in the video I have my hands on blocks, but they can just as easily be done on a flat floor. The blocks allow me to work deeper and take some stress off the wrists in the bottom position.
Where this push up shines over the regular push ups is the range of motion you get at the shoulder and in the scapula itself.
At the top of the rep, where your backside is in the air a la downward facing dog, I want you to actively push the hands into the floor, this will shrug your shoulders up to the ears bringing the shoulder blades into an upward rotation. At the bottom as you are reaching your chin forward of the hands, the scapula are back and down putting a large load on an important muscle called the serratus anterior.
This serratus muscle is a key player in shoulder health as it is one of the biggies for keeping the scapula moving smoothly over the rib cage. Get that bod boy good and strong and you’ll be grateful.
In my mind, I like efficiency in training. Getting as much out of every exercise as possible, and the Persian Push Up has a lot to offer.
Try it and let me know what you think.