Fist push-ups, also known as knuckle push-ups, are performed by making a fist with each hand and using your knuckles as the point of contact with the floor, rather than the palms.
Here's how to properly execute a fist push-up, incorporating information from the reference video:
Hand Placement
- Positioning: Place your hands further than shoulder-width apart, as highlighted in the reference.
- Grip: Form a fist with each hand, ensuring that your wrists maintain a neutral grip to avoid injury.
- Knuckle Contact: The weight should be distributed onto your knuckles, particularly the first two knuckles of each fist.
Body Positioning
- Starting Position: Assume a standard push-up position, with your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Core Engagement: Maintain a tight core throughout the exercise to support your back and maintain balance.
- Lowering: Lower your chest towards the floor, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pushing Up: Push back up to the starting position, extending your arms fully.
Benefits of Fist Push-Ups
- Pectoral Activation: Fist push-ups, especially with the wide hand placement, will target your pectoralis major (chest muscles) as seen in the reference video.
- Wrist Strength: They can help strengthen wrist muscles, as the wrists have to stabilize the body on the knuckles.
- Conditioning: Fist push-ups build conditioning in the knuckle and surrounding tissues.
Variations (mentioned in the reference)
While the reference covers 4 variations, here are some key elements:
- Wider hand placement: As mentioned previously, wider hand placement is used to better target the chest muscles.
- Close hand placement: A closer hand placement will focus more on the triceps.
- Diamond position: Placing hands in a diamond shape will increase the challenge.
- Incline and Decline: Can be performed on inclines/declines to modify difficulty.
Cautions
- Start Slowly: If you’re new to fist push-ups, start slowly to get used to the stress on your knuckles and wrists.
- Listen to Your Body: If you feel pain, stop immediately and adjust your form or revert to regular pushups.
- Gradual Progression: Progress slowly and gradually to avoid injuries to the wrist and hand.
