A variation of regular push-ups, the tiger push-up is a bodyweight strength-building exercise that targets most of your major upper body muscles and your core.
How to tiger push-ups:
Required equipment: none
- Lie on the floor, chest facing down with your forearms on the ground and palms down. Your arms should be about shoulder-width apart.
- Afterward, slide your forearms forward till your elbows are directly under your shoulders. Making a ninety-degree angle.
- Tense up your core and breathe in deeply, moving your torso forward slightly. So that you have your upper body angled, pointing down at about fifteen degrees.
- Push up your body by extending your arms fully till you get into a push-up position. This is your starting position.
- From that position, slowly lower your elbows and forearms towards the ground bending at your wrist, keeping your core tensed, your elbows tight and your torso tilted.
- Your chest should be slightly above the floor, and your palms will be lightly pressed against the floor.
- Attempt to touch your forehead to the floor if you can and hold the position for about three seconds. At your lowest point, your biceps should touch your forearms.
- Rock your body slightly forward while planting your palms back on the floor, push your upper body back up as fast as you can by extending your arms.
- Once you reach your starting point, exhale and start the next rep
- Repeat this for ten reps in a set of two.
TIPS F0R BEGINNERS
When you hinge backward, try not to let your hips float too high from the ground and keep your legs together for the exercise to focus more on your core than your upper body.
WHAT MUSCLES DO TIGER PUSH-UPS WORK?
Tiger push-ups target your chest, core, shoulders, lower back, and triceps. They have an advantage over regular push-ups because they primarily focus on your deltoids and triceps.
BENEFITS OF DOING TIGER PUSH-UPS
STRENGTHENS YOUR UPPER BODY
The exercise works your triceps, traps, chest and biceps, primarily making them stronger as you break down and build new muscle over time.
Stronger triceps and biceps will allow these muscles to carry out most day-to-day lifting or upper-body athletic activities, reducing the chances of injury due to overuse of your joints.
REDUCES OCCURRENCE OF UNDERLYING BODY INJURIES
Tiger push-ups strengthen your arms, reducing the chances of you suffering from tendinitis.
This condition can occur in your upper body when the tissue connecting your muscle gets inflamed from the strain of trying to support a load.
The exercise also reduces back pain as it works your lower back, making it easier to support heavier loads.
HELPS IN LOSING WEIGHT
The exercise causes you to expel more energy than normal day-to-day activities which causes you to burn calories and your body to break down fat to resupply you with energy.
The growth of extra muscle mass also helps burn more calories due to your larger energy requirements to work those muscles.
ALTERNATIVES TO DOING TIGER PUSH-UPS
DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS
This is a weighted exercise that allows you to exert the most amount of force using your arms depending on the weight you are lifting to grow your upper body muscles.
The exercise works your chest, triceps, shoulders, core and biceps making them more powerful and toned.
How to do a dumbbell bench press:
Required equipment: two dumbbells of desired weight, a support bench, or a yoga ball.
- Sit on the edge of the bench with your knees out at ninety degrees and feet planted firmly on the floor.
- Lift both dumbbells gripping them firmly and placing them vertically, one on each knee.
- Kick your right knee up to drive the dumbbell to your shoulder and do the same for your left knee, simultaneously moving your torso down to lay on the bench.
- Ensure you do not use too much force when pushing the dumbbells up to prevent hitting yourself or straining your shoulders trying to re-adjust the weight.
- Have your back flat on the bench with a small arch in your lower back. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you press your feet into the floor.
- Engage your core and back muscles and squeeze your shoulders together as you push the dumbbells up to be directly above your chest, almost touching each other.
- Slowly lower the weights to the sides of your chest, keeping your, core, back and shoulders tensed. Till your elbows form roughly a ninety-degree angle beside your chest.
- Repeat this for ten reps in a set of three; remember to have your elbows directly under your wrists at all times to prevent shoulder injuries.
Take a one-minute break in-between each set.
MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS
Also known as running planks, mountain climbers are a bodyweight workout that works your shoulders, arms, quads and core.
How to do mountain climbers:
Required equipment: none
- Get down on the floor face pointing down and get into a plank position with your forearms on the floor shoulder-width apart.
- Tense up your core and keep your back flat. Remember to breathe continuously throughout the exercise.
- Holding this position, pull your left knee towards your chest and get it as close as possible.
- Extend your left leg back down and the moment it touches the ground, pull your right knee towards your chest.
- Making sure to keep your glutes down and to challenge yourself by interchanging your knee movements as fast as you can.
- Repeat this for fifteen repetitions in a set of three.
MISTAKES TO AVOID WHILE DOING TIGET PUSH-UPS
MOVING TOO FAST
Speeding through the exercise may lead to injuries due to the increased pressure applied on your joints which damages them.
Rushing through it may also cause you to perform the exercise with the wrong form, which will cause you to get different results from what you target due to the exercise working entirely different muscles.
SAGGING YUR HIPS
The more reps you do the harder each tiger push-up gets. You will be tempted to sag your hips to reduce some of the strain on your arms.
Doing this puts a lot of pressure on your lower back while also reducing the effect the exercise has on your abdominal muscles.
CONCLUSION
Tiger push-ups are an easy exercise to incorporate into your daily workout routine because it does not require any equipment or expertise.
As long as you have sufficient space you can engage in it, to begin building your upper body muscles.
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