Study defends 'girly' push-ups
They are often dismissed as "cheater" or, problematically, "girl" push-ups, but a small US study has suggested that we are perhaps too critical of those who do push-ups on their knees.
Research from Penn State University has found that knee push-ups do, in fact, build and maintain muscle strength.
Judge not those who do push ups on their knees.
The findings, published in the Journal of Applied Biomechanics this month, showed that, although overall muscle activation is greater when doing push-ups on your toes (as the upper body is carrying more weight), target muscles are trained in the same way when you perform the exercise on your knees, just with less load.
Associate professor Jinger Gottschall, who lead the study (of just 12 – healthy – participants), said the result shows that push ups should not be viewed as worthless if someone cannot complete one on their toes.
“Our advice to many people for whom this is the case – don’t leave push-ups out of your workout because you cannot perform them on your toes," Gottschall said.
"Knee push-ups are a valuable alternative to toe push-ups in order to give your chest, shoulders and arms a quality workout, at the same time strengthening the muscles of the core."
The disparity between the load carried when doing knee push ups as opposed to toe push ups is also less than one might expect: 40-50 per cent for the former, and 60-70 per cent for the latter.
Former Bachelor star and personal trainer Sam Wood, founder of the 28 By Sam Wood plan and app, told Fairfax Media he agrees that knee push ups are better than nothing at all ("they are a great option for working your chest, shoulders and arms"), although he would suggest a slightly different modification for those struggling to do push ups on their toes.
"The best way to start out is to stand on your toes but have your hands on a slightly higher surface directly under her chest," he said, noting that when his partner, The Bachelor's Snezana Markoski, returned to training after having their daughter, Willow, she started with her hands on the kitchen bench, followed by the couch.
"Now [she] is on her toes and the floor for 12 of the best."
Adala Bolto, a Sydney-based personal trainer and co-founder of the Zadi Training program, said she agreed it is untrue that push ups on your knees are a "cop out".
"I personally believe in quality over quantity with everything," she said. "Forcing your body to go from ‘zero' to 'hero’ is a very ineffective long term approach as it promotes bad movement patterns which become harder to correct over time."
Doing full push ups before your upper body, core and stabiliser muscles are ready can result in back strain, Bolto warned.
For Bolto, the best technique involves holding your hands shoulder-width apart in the middle of your chest, and keeping your shoulders relaxed and away from your ears as you engage your core when lowering yourself towards the floor.
"For a beginner, starting on incline push-ups, then progressing to knee and eventually performing a full push-up is the best way to ensure effective muscle recruitment, good posture and develop muscle growth in the right areas," she said.
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