a man and a woman doing push-ups

Move over boring push-ups: Five different exercises to build into your routine!

Posted on: August 22, 2018

Are you tired of doing push-ups? Well, the good news is there are plenty of alternative moves you can try. Using your own bodyweight to workout is a simple way to exercise and you don’t even have to leave your house. Here are some versatile moves to mix into your next workout!

Triceps dips

It’s easy to forget about working your triceps – the muscles that run on the back of your upper arms. These muscles need as much attention as any other part of your body. There are several different ways to perform triceps dips and they don’t require much equipment. All you have to do is position your hands shoulder-width apart on a chair or bench and slowly bend your body toward the floor. This can be done at home and you’ll also be able to find a suitable machine at the gym.

a man and a woman doing push-ups

The plank

The forearm plank is a fantastic core exercise. However, holding a plank and staring at your phone timer gets boring pretty quick, so why not switch it up? You don’t need to do the standard forearm plank every time. There are different variations of the plank exercise. Challenge yourself to try something new! You don’t need to be a pro athlete to master a good old-fashioned plank.

Get a total body workout with bear crawls! This is an underrated exercise and certainly one of the more unusual workouts. And yes, it involves crawling across the floor like an animal. You start in a plank position and while keeping your hips low, you move forward, backward and side-to-side.

a man and a woman doing push-ups

Floor chest fly

You’ll need to grab a couple of dumbbells to do the floor chest fly. To perform it properly, you need pay attention to your form. Make sure you raise the dumbbells straight over your chest and avoid resting your elbows on the floor. When it becomes too easy, use more weight or try alternating hands.

Resistance-band chest press

Resistance-band chest press is an excellent exercise to add to your upper body workout! Attach a resistance band to a door frame and place a handle in each hand with your back to the door. Then, press the handles toward your chest. Using a resistance band makes the standard chest workout even harder. You may feel sore for a couple of days but you can make some serious gains. So, ditch the push-ups and give these exercises a go!

Doing the same exercise over and over gets boring. Your muscles will become accustomed to the same movement and you’ll eventually hit a plateau, where you won’t see any improvements. That’s why you need to constantly mix up your workout routine! So, be creative and pick up some new, different moves.

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