Push-up variation for abs

[broli]

The last exercise of Darebee's video Three Ab Exercises To Make Your Abs Pop Without Doing Sit-Ups Or Crunches is what I am asking about.
"4 Prone Abs Exercise 06:54"

How is it called?
What are the muscle involved?
Any info?

 

[broli]

@Damer Looks like you are involved

 

[Damer]

@broli it's an extended arms push-up variation that places your hands in a diamond shape ahead of you instead of just extending them. It activates:

• Triceps
• Serratus anterior muscle
• Biceps
• Deltoids
• Pectoralis major
• Shoulders
• Core
• Rectus abdominis

Quite the list for such a 'little' exercise. There is also partial activation of:

• Front hip flexors
• Quads

 

[broli]

@Damer Are there exercises to get better at this push-up variation?

 

[Damer]

@Damer Are there exercises to get better at this push-up variation?

Well, by far the easiest way to improve is to do normal push ups at less than half speed, as slow as possible actually. That recruits exactly the muscle groups you need to be able to then perform an extended push up. I hope this helps.

 

[broli]

I think that doing them with the hands closer to the head is a possible way also.
Until you can do them fully extended without struggling too much.

 

[Damer]

I think that doing them with the hands closer to the head is a possible way also.
Until you can do them fully extended without struggling too much.

No, that changes the dynamic of the forces applied. Thanks to your question we put a video together just today on how to best train for this so it should go up on YouTube on Sunday, I think, and I will also post it here for you then to help you out.

 

[broli]

Why when doing slow push-ups, where the hands are less extended, exactly the same muscle groups are recruited?

 

[Damer]

Yes and no and ... it depends. I am sorry, this is less than clear. So, first "yes and no" the same muscles are mostly recruited but the joint angle changes which means the force being applied is different and that affects the result. IF you can almost do it, yes it will work but if you can't then you're not rally helping yourself much and the general idea is to train so you can get to the position where an extended arms push-up is possible. The "depends" comes in on each person's level of ability, weight, age and fitness journey. By all means try it and if it works for you, great. If you're doing the push-ups slowly as opposed to quickly that's a massive plus and I'm for it. I hope this helps a little more.

 

[Damer]

@broli here you go: