Shortly before my birthday a few years ago my family began asking what gifts I’d like. I started compiling a wish-list, and as usual it was tempting to simply ask for gift vouchers. Pressed for time I quickly added a fitness item I’d seen an ad for but hadn’t done research on — the Perfect Pushup rotating handles.
Like many gifts that had come before, my Perfect Pushup handles sat around collecting dust. That is until I started having trouble with painful knots in my upper back muscles. Any repetitive actions seemed to set off the pain even during light activities such as washing dishes. The painful knots became so constant they inhibited me from doing anything too physical. I couldn’t contemplate a game of golf or tennis as the pain afterwards would be too much to bear!
Let the Training Begin
With my activities becoming increasingly restricted, I finally decided enough was enough! It was time to strengthen my back once and for all so I dug out my unused birthday gift. Instead of watching the video instructions I acted like an expert and simply completed 5 pushups. The handles of the Perfect Pushups are approximately five inches from the ground creating extra distance to push up from. This extra layer of difficulty makes each pushup more challenging than usual!
I progressed to completing twenty pushups and eventually watched the video instructions. I was shocked at how my routine was completely wrong! The Perfect Pushup is designed to help you achieve the best possible action by engaging more muscles with each repetition. I had held the handles as stationary U-shaped bars only to discover that the key to the perfect pushup was to rotate the handles. The creator of these handles was a former Navy Seal. In the video he explains that your arms naturally want to rotate through the pushup. This inclination toward rotation is why the action feels so right compared to only using your hands on the floor.
When doing the Perfect Pushup correctly I had to reduce my reps but at least I knew from the video my form was correct! What’s more is I learned there were challenges I could work toward such as increasing or decreasing the gap between each hand. There was also tricep workouts to complete and two minute timed routines. For a more advanced workout it was a matter of placing my feet on a chair with my body parallel to the ground whilst doing a pushup.
Making Progress
Eventually I increased my reps up to 60 (3 sets of 20) and did this three times a week. Even though three workouts a week wasn’t a lot that’s when I really noticed a difference in my physique. Others noticed the changes too and another positive result was my posture improved. The best outcome of all was achieving my goal of reducing the painful knots in my back. With strengthened back and shoulder muscles I was able to complete repetitive tasks and take part in sports I love without experiencing pain.
Of course you can perform pushups on the floor without the Perfect Pushups but I’ve found having my hands flat on the floor hard on my wrist joints. In fact the Perfect Pushups have been so comfortable to use and helped me achieve such great results that I highly recommend them. The newer Perfect Pushup Elite model has a sleek design sporting comfy grips and anti-slip tread so I’ll definitely be adding them to my next birthday wish-list!
