STOP DOING PUSH-UPS ON YOUR KNEES. TRY THIS INSTEAD.

STOP DOING PUSH-UPS ON YOUR KNEES. TRY THIS INSTEAD.


The push-up is a fundamental movement pattern that many people struggle to master. Unfortunately, the kneeling push-up, often used as a modification, is not an effective or safe way to train for this exercise. This post explains why you should ditch the kneeling push-up and start doing hand-elevated push-ups instead.


The Dangers of Kneeling Push-Ups


  1. Ineffective for building upper body strength: By using the kneeling push-up, you won't make progress in upper body strength. Instead, you may even get hurt because it alters the tension and connection of the full-body kinetic chain. Knee push-ups place severe stresses through the lower back, pelvis, and anterior (front) shoulders, predisposing to pain and injury.

  2. Poor spinal alignment: Faking a push-up with poor spinal alignment is one thing, but continuing to place your body into dangerous positions to add reps to your totals is not an acceptable way to progress strength and functionality. The kneeling push-up puts the lumbar spine into a hyperextended place and causes heavy anterior tilting at the pelvis. It also forces the thoracic cage to flare up, causing even greater extension at the lower spine.

  3. Not an acceptable way to progress: While cheating push-ups are ineffective at best and dangerous at worst, the kneeling push-up may be just as counterproductive. It is not an intelligent regression to compensate for poor form. The most common popular "regression" for women who struggle to compensate their way through a single traditional push-up on level ground is to drop down on the knees and crank out kneeling push-ups.

  4. Lack of Core Activation: Unlike traditional push-ups, which engage your core muscles to maintain stability and balance, knee push-ups don't require as much core activation. This movement pattern can lead to a weaker core and poor posture.

The Risk of Shoulder Injury

When performing knee push-ups, it is common for individuals to let their elbows flare out to the sides rather than keeping them close to the body. This positioning of the elbows can put excessive stress on the shoulder joint, leading to pain and discomfort.


In addition, performing push-ups with poor form, such as letting your hips sag or allowing your shoulders to hunch up towards your ears, can also increase the risk of a shoulder injury.


Some of the most common shoulder injuries associated with push-ups include rotator cuff injuries, impingement syndrome, and labral tears. These injuries range from minor strains and sprains to more severe damage requiring surgery and rehabilitation.


How to Reduce the Risk of Shoulder Injury

Maintaining proper form and technique is crucial to reduce the risk of shoulder injury during push-ups. Here are a few tips to help you perform push-ups safely:

  1. Keep your elbows close to your body: When performing push-ups, keep them close to your body rather than allowing them to flare out to the sides, which can help to reduce stress on the shoulder joint.

  2. Engage your core: During push-ups, engaging your core muscles can help stabilize your body and reduce the risk of a shoulder injury.

  3. Focus on proper form: Make sure to maintain good form throughout the entire exercise, including keeping your hips in line with your shoulders and avoiding hunching your shoulders up towards your ears.

  4. Start with modified versions: If you are new to exercise or have limited upper body strength, start with modified versions of push-ups, such as incline or wall push-ups, before progressing to traditional push-ups.


Alternative Exercises to Knee Push-ups


Suppose you are looking for an alternative to knee push-ups. In that case, plenty of other exercises can help you build upper body strength without putting unnecessary strain on your knees and lower back. Here are a few examples:

  1. Incline Push-ups: Incline push-ups involve placing your hands on an elevated surface, such as a bench or step, and performing push-ups from that position. This modification can be less challenging for beginners and also helps to reduce pressure on your knees and lower back.

  2. Wall Push-ups: Wall push-ups are another modified version of traditional push-ups, where you perform the exercise standing up and using a wall as support. This exercise can help you build strength in your chest, shoulders, and triceps while reducing pressure on your knees and lower back.

  3. Dumbbell Presses: Dumbbell presses are a great way to build upper body strength without putting any strain on your knees or lower back. They involve lying on a bench and lifting dumbbells in a press motion, targeting your chest, shoulders, and triceps.


The Benefits of Hand-Elevated Push-Ups


  1. Effective for building upper body strength: The hand-elevated push-up is a quick fix to bulletproofing your body and making notable progress in strength, body composition, and functionality. It is an intelligent way to progress strength and functionality because it involves proper full-body alignment and tension through the pillar (hips/core/shoulders) and progresses from a dynamic standpoint with the pushing movement.

  2. Builds foundational movement patterns: The hands-elevated push-up helps build foundational movement patterns at the hips, core, and shoulders that transfer into strength, power, and function, not lower back and shoulder pain. It emphasizes proper full-body alignment and tension through the pillar (hips/core/shoulders), then progresses from a dynamic standpoint with the pushing movement.

  3. More effective than the kneeling push-up: The hands-elevated push-up is a better modification for those who struggle with traditional push-ups. It yields better results without dealing with the aches, pains, and poor positions associated with the kneeling push-up.

You can start with a barbell on a rack at a comfortable height for your desired rep range. As you get stronger, you can drop the height of the bar in the rack to add more of your body weight. Then down to a bench or step as you get stronger.   


Conclusion


The kneeling push-up is not a safe or effective way to train for the push-up. Instead, the hand-elevated push-up is a better modification that yields better results without the aches, pains, and poor positions associated with the kneeling push-up. It is an intelligent way to progress strength and functionality and build foundational movement patterns at the hips, core, and shoulders that transfer into strength, power, and function. By implementing the hand-elevated push-up, you can build a rock-solid foundation for the push-up and avoid pain and injuries to the spine, hips, and shoulders down the road.


A study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy found that performing push-ups on an incline surface can be a safe and effective modification for individuals with shoulder pain or injury. (Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18296962/)

Ben MorrisComment