I Can't Touch My Head

I decided to focus more on my upper body and core development for this part of the season. More sit-ups, crunches, planks, etc. I always wanted to do push-ups as a part of my workouts, but ever since I had a cyst removed from my wrist, the outward flex on my wrist required for push-ups would greatly aggravate my wrist. I decided to take a look at the Perfect Pushup. My thought was that would be a solution to not putting undue flex into my wrist and also provide a little more than the standard push-up. It did seem gimmicky to me, however. But for a $39 investment, I figured it was worth a try.

Here's what the marketing lingo says about the product:
"The Perfect Pushup's rotating handles allow your arms to rotate naturally the same way they do when you throw a punch or press up a dumb bell. This unique feature engages more muscles and helps reduce joint strain. Works for any fitness level – from beginner through professional athlete. The Perfect Pushup was developed by a US Navy SEAL using the latest in biomechanics and engineering to help you achieve better results from your pushup workouts. Smooth rotating handles accelerate results by engaging more muscles in the arms, chest, shoulders, and back. It also helps reduce strain on wrists and elbows, and helps to stabilize and strengthen the shoulder joint."

Now I know many of you can do push-ups, do them well, and do a heckuva lot more than I can. I'm a whimp, I know that, and I'm okay with that. I have no upper body strength and I could never do many push-ups. As you read the instructions for they ask you to do a maximum number of pushups using the product and several times they mention "be honest," "don't cheat." I could do 10. Now, I've been able to do as many as 30 'regular' pushups at one time, but with these I thought something's gotta be wrong, because at 10 I'm quivering. The workout is simple.



For the first set-up, your arms are placed in the normal position (shoulder width) and in the span of 2 minutes do 8 pushups, then 6, then 4, and then 2. Then put your hands wider than your shoulders and do the same (8-6-4-2) in 2 minutes. Finally, you put them together near your belly button and do (8-6-4-2) in 2 minutes. That's it, you're done. Hmmm. Seems easy enough.

I tried it last night after my interval workout on the bike. I BARELY completed the workout. I'm serious. On the final 2 pushups I was quivering and wished I was back doing 30 second sprints with 30 second recoveries. They were brutal. When I was finished, I did crunches, sit-ups, and leg lifts. When I jumped in the shower, I attempted to wash my hair, but it was hard getting my arms up to my head. The rest of the night, simple tasks like scratching my nose or rubbing my eyes were a real chore. I'm not being melodramatic here, I'm being brutally honest. If a regular pushup is great, I'm wondering what in the heck these things are going to do for me. In addition, I felt no wrist pains or soreness while using them. I'll keep you updated.