Push-ups on fingers - benefits and harms, how to learn to do the exercise, technique

Push-ups on fists will seem difficult to beginners, primarily because of the painful sensations with such a position of the hands. This exercise is completely unsuitable at the initial stages of getting to know the world of sports. Take care of the base - learn to do push-ups in the usual way, with different hand placements. Another difference is that the athlete’s body is 5-10 cm higher above the ground, which means he will have to go lower. It would seem that it is only 5 cm - but try it and you will immediately understand the difference in complexity.

Moreover, this exercise requires a well-developed sense of balance, because balancing on closed hands is much more difficult than standing on your palms.

The main difference between this push-up and the traditional one is that the hands are clenched into a fist and remain in this position throughout all phases of the exercise. The technique of execution is almost identical.

However, there are nuances without which you are unlikely to achieve the desired result. Speaking of goals, let's talk about why you need to do push-ups with your fists and who this technique will be especially useful for.

Why do you need exercise?

So, what do push-ups on fists give, let's list:

Higher load compared to the traditional type of exercise;
Securing the impact plane of the fist;
Increased explosive impact power;
Decreased sensitivity in the knuckles;
Strengthening the hands and joints of the shoulder girdle;
Developing a sense of balance.

Based on all of the above, the advantages of push-ups with fists will be especially appreciated by fighters of various types of martial arts, which require punching power and strong hands.

Objectives of the exercise

Speaking from a technical point of view, experienced athletes who are no longer satisfied with classical training should switch to a new type of push-ups. This “additive” is a chance to solve the following problems:

Secure the striking part of the fist and deliver the correct blow. It is thanks to such push-ups that a fighter learns to strike with the knuckles of the index and middle fingers, and not the ring and little fingers. In the latter case, the risk of fracture increases.
Reducing the pain threshold of bones.
Strengthening ligaments and joints, because the area of contact with the floor is smaller.
Sufficient load on the triceps and chest muscles due to the greater amplitude.
Improving muscle coordination and balance training.
Increased endurance and explosive power.

Fist push-ups place excessive stress on the joints of the stubborn fingers, as well as the tendons. This means that you should first train your hands, and then begin such training.

To prepare the body for stress, do the following:

For the first 2-3 weeks, do the exercise leaning on your knee joints. As soon as the hands adapt to the load, the transition to the toes is allowed.
Place a soft surface (mat, rug) under your knuckles until they get used to it.

The benefits and harms of exercise

As mentioned above, such push-ups perfectly develop the muscles of the shoulder girdle, and also form the explosive power of the fist. Wrestlers learn to hit hard and fast, the blow becomes crushing, the grip is strong. Also, the athlete’s endurance increases and the sensitivity of the knuckles decreases.

This exercise is more difficult than a regular push-up, therefore, it is actively used by athletes who want to increase their load. It allows you to quickly build muscle relief and strengthen your triceps. Also, joints and tendons are strengthened, muscles become more elastic.

The benefits and harms of push-ups on the floor with fists are not comparable; the benefits are much greater. Harm occurs only if the exercise is performed in the presence of contraindications:

Injuries of the wrist, elbow or shoulder joint, sprains of ligaments or tendons;
Conditions incompatible with sports activity.

Initial position

The starting position is absolutely the same as for regular push-ups. The back is straight, hands are shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. Place your feet in any position: from flattened to shoulder width inclusive. Much more important is the way you place your fists. It is recommended to do 3-knuckle push-ups, but for fighters it is best to do 2-knuckle push-ups, which is more difficult. The position of the hands should be the same as when gripping a barbell - with 4 knuckles forward. This position is suitable for athletes, as it simulates holding a barbell, and for fighters it simulates direct strikes. You can also place your fists parallel to each other.

Variations

If you want to know how to do push-ups with your fists to develop your tendons, check out all the possible variations of the technique:

There are differences depending on the position of the hands - wide, medium or narrow (the narrower the hands are, the less the pectoral muscles work and, conversely, the triceps are loaded);
The placement of the fingers is also important: if you turn your thumbs forward, the triceps will be loaded, if you place them inward, the pectoral ones, stick them outward, the biceps will work;
Depending on the speed of execution - fast, medium or smooth. The faster you do push-ups, the greater the speed and force of impact you will achieve;
To improve endurance, pause at the top and bottom points;
Wrestlers often practice "explosive" push-ups (including those with a clap behind the back), in which fists and fingers alternate;
To also work out the deltoids well, athletes perform Thai push-ups - in which one leg is thrown back during a descent;
Professional athletes perform push-ups on one fist;
Beginners can initially place their hands on dumbbells or do push-ups from their knees.

As you can see, there are a lot of options - any athlete will find his own way, even if he has poor physical fitness. Let's find out how to learn how to do push-ups on your fists correctly, because without this result you will have to wait a very long time.

What muscles work in fist push-ups?

This exercise works the pecs, triceps, and anterior deltoids. The serratus anterior muscles are also involved. The abdominal muscles and gluteal muscles receive static tension as stabilizers.

Depending on how your hands are placed - vertically or horizontally - the emphasis will be distributed differently.

If you place your arms horizontally, as in a bench press, the emphasis will be on the pectoralis major muscles;
and if you place your hands vertically, the load will primarily go to the triceps.

Tips and tricks

Before including fist push-ups in your program, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the following important nuances:

For beginners, we recommend placing a soft mat or towel under your hands. This will soften the pain;
If you have difficulty with the difficulty at the beginning, try push-ups from your knees;
To avoid injuring ligaments and tendons, wrap elastic bandages around your hands;
The simplest version of this push-up is with the hands in the middle position and thumbs forward;
It is advisable to stand in such a way that your feet rest against the wall - this will prevent sliding;
As you do this, try to keep the bulk of your weight on the knuckles of your middle and index fingers;
Do not open your hands, keep them tense;
Do not allow deflection in the body;
The main emphasis should be on the arms and chest, not on the body. Move smoothly and without jerking.

So, we found out what pumping up on fists does, as you can see, the exercise has a lot of advantages. And yet, which is better, push-ups on your fists or on your palms?

Let's start with the fact that closed hands allow you not only to strengthen your muscles, but also to develop explosive striking power, improve your grip, and increase your endurance level. If your goal is muscular growth or beautiful arm relief, practice regular push-ups on your palms. If you understand the meaning of push-ups with fists, then it is clear to you that it is only suitable for certain groups of athletes. And it’s certainly unlikely to be useful to beginners, unlike the traditional method, which is suitable for all occasions.

General recommendations

Correct technique is important to achieve results, so:

for better fixation of the body, it is recommended to rest your feet against the wall;
the fists cannot be relaxed, the tension must be constant;
when performing the exercise, the main load should be on the arms and chest;
for beginners, you can choose a softened surface, ideally a special rug;
to begin with, you can perform the task from your knees, but in this case the muscles will receive less load;
The easiest way to perform this is the middle position of the hands;
To avoid damage to the ligaments, it is necessary to use special bandages.

Between push-ups, rest is required, the duration of which can range from 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

In addition to people who practice martial arts, fist push-ups will also be useful for those who want to improve their athletic performance. Different hand positions during push-ups are useful when combined with other types of training; the bench press with a barbell, dumbbell rows and other exercises that work different muscle groups are positive.

Ask your question to the coach:

World records

There are many world records in performing this exercise. Let's look at the brightest of them:

In 2020, 65-year-old Canadian retiree Alan Vazelenchuk, who previously worked as a bus driver, set a world record by doing 91 push-ups in a minute.
The largest number of push-ups without a break was recorded in Japan. A resident of this country named Minora Yoshida did 10,507 push-ups. This happened in 1980.
The record number of push-ups on fists was performed by Canadian Doug Pruden, who did 5,557 push-ups in 3 hours, 2 minutes and 30 seconds. The record was recorded on July 9, 2004.

Fist push-ups develop endurance, increase the striking surface of the fists, and make bones stronger. Moreover, this exercise will benefit not only those who practice martial arts, but also everyone who wants to become stronger and more resilient.

Varieties of exercise

Depending on how intense the workout, push-ups come in several types:

one inhalation and exhalation per repetition: on the way up, exhale, on the way down, inhale;
at a fast pace - you need to do as many repetitions as possible per breathing cycle;
pauses in statics - you should take breaks between several cycles, while straining all your muscles.

There are several techniques for fist push-ups:

push-ups, which are performed alternately on the palms, then on the fists or fingers;
Thai push-ups, which are caused by lifting the leg: when lifting the body, the leg lowers, thereby the movement acquires momentum.

If the training is varied, then you will be more interested in doing the exercises, and your performance will become much higher.

Check out 11 types of push-ups and how to perform them.

Some advice before starting classes

When you first start doing push-ups, don’t overdo it. Start with a few a day, gradually increasing the number of approaches.

Before any physical activity you need to warm up. Running in place and bending several times in different directions will help.

Once you start doing push-ups, watch your body. The back must be straight, the lower back is not arched, and the stomach is pulled in.

Breathing technique is as important as correct posture. As you inhale, bend over, as you exhale, take the starting position.

To increase your arm strength, additionally use the original BIZON-1M simulator, which can be found here. It is compact, you can practice in any conditions, even at home. Will help increase arm strength without much time investment.

How to do push-ups with your fists?

In order to learn how to perform a fist press, you need to follow simple rules. At the very beginning, do not try to squeeze your fingers. It is best to increase the load gradually.

How to do push-ups with fists:

It is necessary to take the starting position. To do this, just lie on the floor. To make charging convenient, you can lean against the wall, which prevents slipping.
You need to place your fists on the sides of the body, parallel or perpendicular to the spine. It depends on what muscles you want to train. Try to breathe correctly when doing the bench press.
Typically, lifting the body up is done while exhaling. Please note that the core should be at the same level as the legs and other muscles. That is, completely straighten your body, while trying to tense your abdominal muscles, they should also be involved.
When you inhale, you can lower yourself to the floor, but do not touch it, and do not lie down completely. It is allowed that the chest may or may not touch the floor by about 5 cm.
The number of approaches depends on what you want to achieve and what you are training. It is best to divide the total number of sessions into 3-4 approaches. If you are using the closed joint press to improve muscle growth, then this exercise is not the best option.

Sport

Execution technique

Now, finally, let's move on to the finger push-up technique - carefully study the algorithm. This will save you from mistakes and help you learn quickly.

Do a warm-up;
Take the starting position - plank with outstretched arms, placing your hands on your hands, straight torso, looking forward;
As you inhale, slowly lower yourself down, as in the classic variation of the exercise;
As you exhale, rise up. Move smoothly;
Do the required number of repetitions.

Is it useful to do push-ups with your fists?

Complexes with work on the palms, but with additional weights, will be more effective. One of the options for performing such exercises is to raise your legs on a bench or bar during exercise.

Is it useful to do push-ups with your fists?

How to properly place your fists during classes? Indeed, this is a very important aspect, since changing the position of the hands increases the load on certain muscles. If you place your hands parallel, with your thumbs facing forward and your elbows pressed to your sides during the movement, more stress will be placed on the triceps or shoulder muscles.
But if you make a wide grip, your thumbs point inward. If the elbows are spread out to the sides during the press, the load is transferred to the pectoral muscles.
It is in the area of the pectoral muscles that you should feel tension and stretching. If you point your thumbs outward, the load will be on your biceps.

If you want to use the maximum load, then alternate the position of your hands and fingers. If you want to develop the pectoral muscles using the fist press, then it is best to use special supports for this.

Plank

What's the benefit?

Thanks to several months of such training, the body will become toned. Knuckle push-ups are also useful for athletes involved in strength sports. The hands become strong, and the blow can hit the opponent in one count. How is this effect achieved?

- the muscles of the chest work actively - they contribute to the rotation of the humerus, are responsible for arm movements and lifting heavy objects; - the abs are engaged throughout the exercise; - the gluteal muscle strengthens and becomes elastic; — it is believed that during push-ups on the floor with fists, the biceps do not work, but this is not entirely true: these biceps muscles do not grow, but remain in good shape; - triceps are actively developing; - the deltoid muscles work well during exercise: this is especially important for men, because they make the shoulders appear much more masculine.

In addition to the fact that push-ups on your fists give your figure strength and beauty, their huge advantage is ease of use. There is no need to pay for visiting the gym, because you can do such exercises at home or even at a party.

There are absolutely no age restrictions. The floor push-up technique is very simple. It can be easily mastered by both children and people of retirement age.

Everyone knows that as a person ages, he loses muscle mass every year. This makes the body weaker and excess fat appears. It is physical exercise that can solve this problem. Fist push-ups increase the overall endurance of the body and all upper muscles. Consistently performing exercises on the floor will become much easier after just a couple of weeks. This will also affect everyday life, as any loads will be easier to bear.

In addition, they have the following effects on the body:

1. Ligaments, bones and joints throughout the body are strengthened. Push-ups are very useful for the spine; they treat arthritis and other joint diseases. 2. During exercise, blood circulation increases. The body begins to work in enhanced mode. This helps prevent cardiovascular diseases. 3. The lungs are better saturated with oxygen. But you need to breathe correctly while doing push-ups on the floor with your fists. 4. Metabolism also improves.