Introducing the "Hand-Release Push-Up"

Building strength in difficult-to-reach places

The Push-Up is a foundational functional movement that requires a great deal of upper body strength. It involves the muscles of the chest, shoulders, upper back, and core. The most challenging part of this movement is pressing from the point your chest touches the floor upward to the high plank position. Sometimes, in the heat of a workout, we might cheat a little and not quite make it low enough to touch our chest to the floor. This is the first thing that goes when fatigue sets in, followed by “inchworm-ing” when the hips drop and the back arches in the struggle to get back to the top of the movement

The hand-release push-up targets this “weak spot” building strength throughout the entire range of motion.

Oh.. and did I mention that this workout has some other fun movements as well? Enjoy!

Warm-Up

AMRAP 5 (as many rounds as possible in 5 minutes)

• 5 burpees

• 10 air squats

• 5 easy push-up option

Movement Practice

Take 5-10 minutes to practice the movements below to find your weights/options. Do 2-3 sets of 3 Devil’s Presses and thrusters to find a weight that is moderately heavy, where you can move with confidence and reasonable speed for the first 3-4 rounds.

For the push-ups, choose either the hand-release or strict push-up option. Watch the video and pay close attention to good technique! Break up sets of each movement as needed (ex - by the last few rounds you may be doing reps one or two at a time - that’s ok! This is supposed to get really hard toward the end).

Workout

AMRAP 20 (As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes)

• 3 Devil’s Press

• 6 Dumbbell thrusters

• 9 strict push-ups or 5 hand-release push-ups

* Challenge yourself with the hand-release push-up today! If you have issues with shoulder pain or mobility, stick with the strict push-up or a modified push-up from the “easy push-up” video in the warm-up.

TIP! When you lower the dumbbells after the last Devil’s Press, lower them onto your shoulders, take 2-3 breaths, then begin the thrusters. Do not put the weights down between the Devil’s Press and the thrusters. Rest as needed either before the Devil’s press or after the thrusters.

Target number of rounds: 10-15

Cool-Down

Help your upper body recover with this 10 min neck and shoulder-focused yoga sequence from Five Parks