When building a fitness programme, it's important to understand the body in its multiple planes of movement. That is to say, the directions in which we function and can produce force.
These functional movement patterns are the foundations to the way we move in our daily lives, and come in the form of 7 key patterns: push, pull, squat, hinge, lunge, twist, and gait.
A well-rounded and healthy fitness programme will include all of these patterns. In this series, I examine each of these patterns on their own. This post will look at the push pattern.
What is the 'push' Pattern?
The push pattern is one of the most common movement patterns we perform every day. Without it, we wouldn't be able to push open doors, close draws, or push ourselves up out of a seat. In each scenario, we are literally moving something away from us.
When performing the push pattern, the primary muscles usually engaged are:
The pectorals (chest muscles)
The deltoids (shoulder muscles)
The quadriceps (front thigh muscles)
The triceps (rear upper arm muscles)
The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles (rear lower leg muscles)
How can I train the push pattern?
Here are some examples of pushing exercises:
Press up
Flat/incline/decline bench press
Standing/seated overhead press
Push press
Landmine press
Unilateral (one-armed) pressing exercises
WHAT's the best PUSH exercise?
Due to the sheer number of versions available, the press up is a great pushing exercise for pretty much any fitness level. For beginners, the standard or modified (on your knees) press up is a very good way to build foundational strength in the chest, shoulders, triceps and core muscles. For the more advanced, diamond press ups (for more emphasis on the triceps) or spiderman press ups (for more core engagement) can be a more challenging alternative.
The bench press and overhead press should be staples in any fitness programme as well as the squat (although this should be alongside another push exercise rather than instead of as it's a different functional pattern) due to both the number of muscles they recruit and their potential for progressive overload weight training.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical professional. The information I provide on this website is based on my personal experience and my experience as a Personal Trainer. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk. In addition, the information provided on this website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice, or delay in seeking it, because of something you have read on this website. Never rely on information on this website in place of seeking professional medical advice.
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