FREE- Guide-ON- Pushup-AND-DIPS- Muscle- Activation PDF

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Can you build muscles with pushups & dips?

CHEST AND TRICEPS ALL BODYWEIGHT

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DISCLAIMER COPYRIGHTS © 2021 by Old School Calisthenics Adorian MOLDOVAN

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THANK YOU! COPYRIGHTS © 2021 by Old School Calisthenics, Romania All rights reserved. No part of this eBook may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher. The advice of a medical professional should be sought before participating in any physical activity or exercise program. Participation in physical exercise or training activities outlined in this eBook, you do so entirely at your own risk. We shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct, indirect, punitive, special, incidental, or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material, which is provided ‘’as is’’, and without warranties. We disclaim any warranties for the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the contents of this eBook. The information contained is strictly for educational purposes. Therefore, if you wish to apply ideas contained in this program, you are taking full responsibility for your actions. No part of this eBook may be copied, shared, or changed in any format, sold, or used in any way under any circumstances. This PDF was released on February 3, 2021. It is on the property of Old School Calisthenics company, registered in the country of Romania, the city of Baia Mare.

The eBook is published and can be downloaded for FREE from the official website only: www.oldschoolcalisthenics.com The author is Adorian MOLDOVAN, founder of Old School Calisthenics.

SCIENCE-BASED! All the information here is science-based. It also includes my over 15 years of experience in sports and fitness. Credentials and special thanks go to the scientists for their remarkable studies. My source of inspiration and part of the text belong to ResearchGate and the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Please visit the links I added so you can read the whole documents and researches without alterations.

Links: https://www.researchgate.net/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

Enjoy reading!

Adorian MOLDOVAN

One of the most frequent questions I've been asked in the past years and that is also a huge concern everywhere on the internet is whether basic bodyweight pushups and dips are truly effective in building the upper-body muscles, more particularly the pecs, triceps and shoulders.

Obviously, I am a naturally-built athlete, and I increased the size of my chest almost exclusively through basic bodyweight pushups and dips variants. I say almost because I also did, on occasion, weighted pushups and dips. However, no bench press involved. Below, I added a full and uncut workout video where I did weighted dips and pushups to serve you as a weighted calisthenics workout example. However, I remind you that weighted calisthenics represents only a tiny fraction of my training as the rest is pure basic bodyweight work:

Weighted Calisthenics and Bodyweight Workout Click The Play Button

Why Do Pushups Work In Reality?

As you will discover by reading the document, you will see that everything has to do with the way muscles recruit and activate when doing pushups or dips. To clearly understand what muscles activate during pushups and dips and to what intensity, researchers utilized electromyography (EMG). Electromyography (EMG) is an electrodiagnostic medicine technique for evaluating and recording the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles. EMG is performed using an instrument called an electromyograph to produce a record called an electromyogram. The document is all based on scientific research, plus it has my added experience on top. Once you understand how the muscles activate, it matters how you dodge the variables such as tension, workout intensity, frequency, total work volume, form, range of motion, speed or tempo, rest and hand positioning. These are all things you will find out in this FREE document. The following chapters are essential for you to read, take notes and study them entirely because you will understand exactly how the muscles work during various pushups and dips. You will then know how to build your pushups and dips workout routine in a very effective way to stimulate muscle and strength growth.

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KINETIC ANALYSIS OF PUSHUP EXERCISES

A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WITH PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS "ResearchGate is the professional network for scientists and researchers. Over 19 million members from all over the world use it to share, discover, and discuss research. We're guided by our mission to connect the world of science and make research open to all."

Source: Research Gate Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327071510_Kinetic_analysis_of_push-up_exercises_a_systematic_review_with_practical_recommendations

Pushup-based exercises can be used in performance assessments of strength endurance for school-age children, military recruits, and elite athletes. Recent studies have shown that a short-term, (i.e., eight weeks) pushupsbased training programme improves upper-limb maximum dynamic strength in college baseball players (Carter, Kaminski, Douex, Knight & Richards, 2007) and muscle-power performance in healthy college-aged participants (Schulte-Edelmann, Davies, Kernozek & Gerberding, 2005). In the same context, practicing pushup exercises has been shown to improve sport-specific performance (Klnç, 2008). Additionally, it has been demonstrated that six weeks of pushups practice decreases shear forces, improves proprioception and dynamic stability and enhances co-contraction and muscle recruitment. Previous studies have proved that pushup exercises improve neuromuscular coordination (Ludewig et al., 2004) and increase joint compressive forces and stability (Calatayud, Borreani, Colado, Martin & Rogers, 2014).

The standard pushup is the most popular exercise. It includes many variations through simple changes in hand and/or leg positions. These variations affect the upper-body muscle activation. Thus, it could be feasible to design a whole strength-training programme for the upper body using the different pushup va

Pushups are an effective strength exercise that can be easily used and integrated into a training programme without any extra tools.

THE STANDARD PUSHUP

The load supported by the arms in the course of the pushup is largely determined by the participant’s body weight and how it is supported on the ground. Overall, 75% body weight was supported by the upper-limbs during a standard pushup when the elbows were in flexion, while the ground reaction force reached 69% body weight when the elbows were extended during the standard pushup.

The pushup speed did influence Peak Force, with a fast pushup producing a greater force by a factor of 1.2 than a slower pushup, at 43% and 35% of body weight. Additionally, it was observed by Chou et al. (2011) that performing pushups at a slower speed reduces elbow-joint loading. Therefore, to lighten the load, performing a slow pushup may be recommended. However, at lower speeds, there is greater activation in the upper-limb and chest muscles.

Performing low-speed pushups is preferred for greater muscle activation, and therefore, a slow muscle contraction with sub-maximal resistance can substitute for stimulation with high-intensity resistance. For example, suppose the overall resistance is low relative to the strength potential of the athlete (such as a strong trainee who cannot access extra resistance and is performing standard bodyweight pushups). In that case, low-speed pushups may increase muscle activation and therefore be more effective than faster contractions. Also, performing low-speed pushups seems ideal from an injury prevention perspective since there is less torque on the elbow joints.

CONCLUSION: PUSHUPS DO TRAIN YOUR CHEST VERY EFFECTIVELY!

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When pushups are performed with the wrist and forearm in neutral positions, forces are transferred with less joint stress. Finally, Polovinets et al. (2017) recommended performing pushups on a neutral wrist or hand positioning to prevent wrist ligament injury or pain:

"Here I used 20 cm paralettes, but you can also use smaller pushup handles or simply do pushups in your fists."

THE SAFEST WAY TO DO PUSHUPS IF INJURED The narrower hand position exhibited lower Peak Force or axial elbow-joint force compared to the wider hand position. The study of Chuckpaiwong & Harnroongroj (2009) revealed that a wider hand position generates a higher peak pressure on the medial side of the palm, whereas a narrower hand position induces a higher peak pressure on the lateral side of the palm. Therefore, a wider hand position may be the best choice when performing pushups to prevent hypothenar pain, while a narrower hand position may be appropriate to prevent thenar or lunate pain.

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The elevated-hands exercise involving the 61-cm box showed that, for this position, where the elbows were in extension, the performer had an exercise load of 41% body weight. Pushups with the feet elevated produced a higher Peak Force than all other pushup variations. Furthermore, pushups with hands elevated, and pushups from the flexed-knee position produced a lower Peak Force than all other pushup variations, with no sex-related differences in these pushup variations.

CONCLUSION! The load supported by one limb ranged to 60% bodyweight for one-arm pushups. Regarding the Peak Force parameter, the clap pushup imposed the highest exercise intensity. Plyometric pushups achieved a higher propulsion rate force without causing very high impact forces. Fast pushups and pushups with the shoulder adducted resulted in the highest peak elbow flexion moments. The pushups with less wrist and elbow-joint stress are the ones that adopt a neutral hand position. Based on my lifetime experience, I can easily relate and endorse the ResearchGate review and conclusions regarding pushup kinesiology. Please check their whole study if you need more details.

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Now that you have a little insight about hand and body positioning and how pushups activate the muscles, here are two of my YouTube workouts, uncut videos, where you can see a few pushup variations discussed in the document, plus the volume, execution, speed, form and range of motion:

500 Various Pushups Bodyweight Workout Click The Play Button

Chest and Triceps Calisthenics Workout Click The Play Button

MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING PUSHUPS Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4732391/

The triceps brachii and pectoralis major exhibited greater activation during the narrow-base variant. The highest activation of abdomen and back muscles was recorded for the Forward Pushup (20cm in front) and Backward Pushup (20cm behind) variants. The descent phase demonstrated the least electrical activity across all muscles, with less marked differences for the abdominal and erector spinal muscles because of their role as stabilizers.

Triceps Brachii

Pectoralis Major

Based on these findings, we suggest the narrow-base variant to emphasize triceps and pectoralis activity and the Backward Pushup (BP) variant for total upper body strength conditioning. The Forward Pushup (FP) and BP variants should be implemented carefully in participants with low back pain because of the greater activation of abdominal and back muscles.

Backward Narrowed Pushup

Key Points: During the pushup exercise, hand position can influence the electromyographic activity of different muscles. A narrow hand position (hands together with the right thumb and forefinger touching the left thumb and forefinger below the center of the sternum) elicited greater activation for both the triceps brachii and pectoralis major muscles. Changing the position of the hands forward or backward can increase the electromyographic activity of the abdominal and back muscles.

MOVE SLOWER ON THE DESCENT PHASE (ECCENTRIC PART) THAN ON THE CONCENTRIC PART TO INCREASE THE MUSCLES' LOAD AND TENSION FOR A BETTER ACTIVATION AND TO INCREASE TIME UNDER TENSION.

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Previous authors also focused on the effect that unstable surfaces could have on muscle activity. They described the influence of hand suspension on the abdominal and trunk muscles and quantified the resultant intervertebral joint loading. Both trunk muscle activity and intervertebral joint compressive loading increased with the standard pushup, creating a potential risk of overloading the low back tissues in participants who cannot sustain such loads. Similarly, Freeman showed that more dynamic pushups, such as the ballistic version with hand movements, required more muscle activation and produced a greater load on the spine, whereas placing labile balls under the hands resulted in only a modest increase in spine load.

The introduction of unstable surfaces under the hands does not seem to be an effective solution to increase either muscular strength or endurance in well-trained, healthy participants.

Kinematic data synchronization with EMG (electromyography) signals allowed us to understand muscle activity during the whole exercise better. The most active muscles were the pectoralis major, triceps brachii, serratus anterior, and deltoideus anterior. We found a typical repeated activation pattern with a higher EMG level as the ascend phase began and a lower level immediately after the descent phase began. These data support the findings of Suprak et al, who recorded a greater percentage of body mass supported by the hands in the down position versus the up position. If the aim of the athlete is to focus on the pectoralis and triceps muscles, the narrowed-base is preferred. However, if total upper body strength and conditioning is the goal, the Backward Pushup variant is preferred because it challenges 7 of the 12 muscles. The Backward Pushup and Forward Pushup variants should be used carefully in athletes or patients with low back pain to avoid the possibility of spine overload from a high activation of the abdominal and back muscles. In fact, considering previous investigations, the high activation of the ES and latissimus dorsi in the Backward Pushup variant and of the RA and OEA in the FP variant suggests an increase in intervertebral joint compressive forces.

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Forward Pushup

Backward Pushup

Do You Find This Document Helpful? This FREE pdf analyses the pushups and dips to better understand how to train your chest, triceps and shoulders, prevent injuries or avoid pain in the wrists, all bodyweight. However, if you need a similar analysis for pull-ups, squats, various abs exercises, and sprints to know exactly how every muscle gets activated so you can optimize your workout, go check out and download the Ultimate Guide On How Muscles Activate During All Bodyweight Movements:

DOWNLOAD HERE

MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING BODYWEIGHT DIPS & DIAMOND PUSHUPS

Source: ResearchGate Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331477905_A_COMPARATIVE_ELECTROMYOGRAPHICAL_ INVESTIGATION_OF_TRICEPS_BRACHII_AND_PECTORALIS_MAJOR_DURING_FOUR_DIFFERENT_FREEH AND_EXERCISES

Please read the whole research for more details!

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Narrowed Dip Bars MORE TRICEPS

Wider Dip Bars MORE CHEST

This study compared the muscle activity of triceps brachii and pectoralis major between four different freehand exercises. Vertical dips (VD) produced the maximum voluntary contraction and maximum muscle activation in the triceps brachial compared to the other three exercises. Except for diamond pushups (DPU), all the other exercises reveals significant differences with the vertical dips (VD), suggesting that VD are more effective in activating the primary mover (Triceps Brachii) as compare to wider grip vertical dips (WGVD) and back dips (BD) Similarly, WGVD produced a greater level of muscle activity in pectoralis majoras compared to other three exercises.

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PUSHUPS VS BENCH PRESS Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6728153/ Please read the whole research for more details!

Can You Really Replace The Bench Press?

I developed all of my pushing strength with various bodyweight pushups to such an extent that I can also bench press quite impressively. So how was I able to develop good upper strength for bench press without even training it specifically? Read more...

I do not possess footage with me doing bench press, but I have an example of me doing heavyweight pushups with someone weighing 20 lbs more than me:

Click the "Play Button" to see the demonstration

How Is This Possible? Here is what SCIENCE says: Read the whole research if interested in all the details. Long story short, 20 resistance-trained subjects executed bench press and pushups with 4 different loads. Bench press was executed at 50–80% of their assumed 1 repetition max in steps of 10 kg, while pushups were executed without a weight vest and with a 10–20–30 kg weight vest.

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The main findings of this study demonstrate no differences in kinematics and muscle activation between the two exercises and that the different loads had the same effect upon both pushup and bench press in experienced resistancetrained men. For coaches and athletes, pushups and bench presses for strength training can be used interchangeably. By using a weight vest, pushups can mimic different loads that are similar to different intensities in the bench press that can be used to train strength demands. Now, chest and triceps respond to bodyweight pushups and dips, as you found out earlier, but you need to tackle a few hypertrophy components such as total work volume, frequency, speed, control, range of motion, fatigue, lactic acid and so forth. I recommend you check out my workout programs from the website, as they are designed for this outcome: www.oldschoolcalisthenics.com The pushup and bench press are two popular exercises used to train upper body strength. The selection of which exercise to use is largely dependent on movement capabilities, the athlete’s goal, relative strength levels, and the availability of equipment. In bench press, a barbell and weights are necessary for training, whereas pushups are in general performed with bodyweight as a load. In training, both exercises are used, but bench press is mostly used to assess maximal muscular strength, whereas pushups are mainly used to target muscular endurance. However, by using elastic bands or weight vests in pushups, it is also possible to increase the intensity (>80% of 1-repetition maximum: 1-RM) so much that it is possible to gain maximal muscular strength in advanced lifters because a similar amoun result in similar gains.

You c...