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Is there such a thing as perfect pushup? And can push ups even help you achieve your fitness goals? In my review of the Perfect Pushup fitness equipment, I’ll answer these questions.
Dan LaMorte is one notable person who believes in the power of adding pushups to a fitness routine. Known as among the youngest comedians and musicians who’s enjoyed being a headliner for tours, at just 25 years old his albums have topped ITines charts and streamed on the comedy channel for Sirius XM.
He also is seen as an inspiration for staying physically fit, logging miles into his daily life as a long distance runner.
It wasn’t always that way. In fact, LaMorte lost 170 pounds and went from being morbidly obese to a marathon runner. While push ups were once impossible for him to do, he can now finish them with ease.
Of course, you don’t need to be a famous comedian–or even out of shape–to benefit from push ups.
But what about exercise equipment that helps you perform those push ups more effectively? Read on for my honest review of the Perfect Pushup, what it can and can’t do for your strength and abdominal endurance, and whether or not this is gym equipment worth your money.
The Perfect Fitness Perfect Pushup Rotating Push Up Handles reduce strain on joints, and engage more muscles for a truly perfect pushup. The original, patented design features a ball bearing system that provides smooth, full rotation for natural alignment of the arms and wrists.
Contents
Benefits and Limitations of Pushups
First, I want to address some myths and concerns about regular pushups. I was first introduced to pushups in middle grade gym classes, and incorporated them as I became a distance runner in high school and beyond.
Pushups are one of the most popular and oldest exercises for developing upper body strength, with no equipment required. They’re incorporated into everything from military training to physical education and most sports.
The question is: are push ups really effective?
Do push ups reduce belly fat?
One reason why many start doing pushups is to target belly fat. Unfortunately, there is no one exercise that can do this, and that includes pushups.
The myth of targeting certain areas of fat is also known as spot reduction. While it’s true that belly fat can be especially harmful for your health, it’s also true that no one exercise, from full body workouts to treadmill running, can specifically target belly fat, or any region for fat.
Instead, our body adapts and gradually loses fat at different paces and locations, depending partially on our genetics. But that doesn’t mean that pushups can’t help reduce belly fat. A combination of strength and cardio help improve your lean muscle to fat ratio, and, over time, can reduce belly fat, as well as fat overall.
How many pushups does it take to get abs?
One thing that experts can’t agree on is that pushups can help strengthen your abdominal muscles. They do so as your work both your lower back and core muscles with the up and down motion.
However, don’t expect, even with “perfect” pushups, to get six pack abs in one day. It’s not a certain number of pushups that it takes to get abs, but rather consistency. The more consistent you are with a pushup routine, the more likely you are to achieve stronger abdominal muscles with lasting results.
The other key is adding in other exercises. I recommend combining push ups with other strength building and abdominal exercises for the best results.
Will pushups help with weight loss?
Push Ups are not my first recommendation for weight loss goals–but before you write them off, consider what they can do for you if you’re tracking your weight loss and fitness goals.
Standard push ups help build upper body strength, tighten core muscles, and may improve your overall body composition. Combined with other strength training exercises, like deadlifts or even just free weight dumbbells, pushups can improve muscle mass.
Improved muscle mass can result in a raised basal metabolic rate, also known as BMR. An increased BMR means more calories burned, even why you’re at rest.
That’s why I recommend not only hitting cardio but adding strength training, including something like pushups, for your weight loss goals.
What is the most effective push up routine?
The most effective push up routine is one that you can stick with. By my own personal experience, there is not one right or wrong way to incorporate push ups, but you should be mindful of what your goals are, and what your level of commitment is.
For beginners, I recommend traditional or even modified pushups a few times a week. Do them in smaller sets, of 10 to 25 until you build up strength. The key is to push yourself but not so much you feel you’re straining. You should feel mildly sore but not so sore that you dread your next set.
For those who are already physically active, you can follow what has been termed as the odd/ even routine. This, according to military training, is one of the most effective pushup routines.
The odd/even routine cycles every day, where you perform push ups and upper body strength training a few days in a run and then take three days off.
You should aim for no more than 200 to 300 pushups a day, in increments of 50 or 75, if possible. Use your rest days to get in a cardio session, and consider taking one day off a week from both strength and cardio training.
Is Perfect Pushup worth it?
If you’re coming to this review, chances are you’re at least curious about Perfect Pushups, what they do, and if the Perfect Pushup really works.
I’ll give you my honest opinion about this low cost gym equipment, and everything you need to know before buying Perfect Pushup–or seeking out a strength training alternative.
What does Perfect Pushup do?
Perfect Pushup helps you perform push ups more efficiently and safely. Invented by a former US Navy SEAL, the simple equipment was meant for not only fitness gurus, but anyone interested in getting pushups into their routine in a new way.
The Perfect Pushup promises to make doing push ups safer and easier, especially for the injury prone, but even for those who work out on a regular basis and feel the strain of doing many sets of pushups.
How was Perfect Pushup developed?
I found the concept behind Perfect Pushup compelling, and the origin of Perfect Pushup is as well. Adlen Mills, the Navy Seal Veteran who developed the device, wanted exercise equipment that solved the problems he saw with pushups, day in and day out during training.
He was particularly concerned about the number of shoulder and wrist injuries, no only from what he saw, but also through a longitudinal study that showed that, while pushups did help build muscle strength, they also caused many muscular injuries and imbalances, along with joint problems.
Not only did these issues impeded many from doing pushups; they practically eliminated the very purpose of doing pushups in the first place.
How does Perfect Pushup work?
Perfect Pushup alleviates pressure from wrists and hands with its ergonomic model. The Perfect Pushup is made up of two components: two disc with handles that fully rotate as you perform your pushups.
The idea is that these discs reduce the strain on your wrists and hands, as force is instead transferred to the handles and discs.
The discs are meant to rotate with your natural movements as you go up and down for pushups sets. In addition, rather than the force being transferred to your wrists, the idea is that more of that motion is transferred to your arms, leading to improved upper body strength and a reduced risk of injury.
The Perfect Fitness Perfect Pushup Rotating Push Up Handles reduce strain on joints, and engage more muscles for a truly perfect pushup. The original, patented design features a ball bearing system that provides smooth, full rotation for natural alignment of the arms and wrists.
How do you use Perfect Pushup?
Claims aside, using Perfect Pushup is fairly easy, which I love for beginners especially. In a few steps, you can assemble and start using the Perfect Pushup, which certainly is an easier learning curve than more advanced fitness equipment.
Step One: Assembly
To assemble the Perfect Pushup, you need to put together the handles for most models. Even someone like me who tends to be a novice at assembly of any kind can do it; the handles simple snap onto the discs.
You do need to make sure that they are secure. I recommend shaking them up and down lightly, in an open, safe space, to make sure they are properly in place.
Step Two: Placement
Now you’re ready to start setting up your Perfect Pushup. You should place the handles of the Perfect Pushup on a flat surface. As with any pushups, I recommend using a non-slip exercise mat if you have one.
Make sure that the handles are aligned about a shoulder length separated and parallel to your arms. Finally, make sure there is adequate space for you to perform push ups.
Step Three: Pushups
Now that you’ve assembled the Perfect Pushup, it’s time to actually perform pushups. The good news is that you perform it just as you would regular pushups–just by gripping the handles. The handles will rotate with you as you go up and down. I recommend making sure your back is straight.
Does Perfect Pushup work?
Perfect Pushup delivers a seeming solution to a problem that is more common than you might realize. Push Ups do in fact cause issues of strain. Many wonder if too many pushups can hurt you, and the answer has to do with how many as much as how they are done.
Pushups can cause strain in the neck, but also the back, shoulders and wrists. This is especially true if you are not in physical condition; have had prior related injuries, or do too much. But anyone can feel the strain of push ups.
The Mechanics
The mechanics of Perfect Pushup are sound. Rotating handles move with you, rather than work against you, and do transfer force away from the more vulnerable muscles.
The ball bearing allows this rotation to occur seamlessly, almost without you noticing. It can take a little to get used to it, but nonetheless the motion works well with your body’s own motions.
The rubber grips are not only comfortable, but also reduce the risk of slipping or injuries. There’s also a base that’s surprisingly stable for such a small product.
Perfect Pushup helps not only with reduced strain but also more controlled and measured pushups. The increased range of motion means that the risk of injury is lower, and you’ll actually be more effective.
However, there is a downside: it is harder to perform fast reps. So while you have less risk of injury, Perfect Pushup can slow you down, too. While this may help you develop muscles, it also means potentially a less rigorous workout, fewer calories burned (though calories burned from pushups tends to be quite modest anyway) and may make it harder if your goal is to complete as many pushups in a short amount of time as possible.
Customer Experiences
It’s not just the features and mechanics that are impressive. Other customers agree that Perfect Pushup is an effective and useful piece of equipment, awarding it an average of 4.6 out of 5 stars based on over 2,600 ratings, with 74 percent awarding Perfect Pushup 5 stars and 16 percent awarding Perfect Pushup 4 stars.
However, there is a downside: the more recent ratings are not as positive.
The Good
The majority of customers have been pleased with the Perfect Pushup, citing the reduced strain, ability to do more reps, and even results in more developed muscles. Many have found the Perfect Pushup easy to use, and overall a great buy.
The Bad
Some more recent reviews have indicated that the handles and grip are not made as well as they used to be, indicating a possible change in the model. Of the few that were discouraged by the Perfect Pushup, complaints centered around less comfortable handles. For some customers, the handles were not durable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Is the perfect pushup harder than regular push ups?
Answer: Perfect Pushups are not inherently harder than standard push ups. You use the Perfect Pushup much in the same way you perform regular pushups, only you’re using handles and discs that rotate with your motions. However, they can take some getting used to, and they do often slow you down, meaning you may complete reps more slowly.
Question: Is it OK to do push ups everyday?
Answer: Having a regular fitness routine is admirable, whether that means getting it done solo or motivating yourself with fitness apps. But doing push ups everyday may not be for everyone. Taking days off pushups allows time for your muscles to repair and build–and gives you an opportunity for cross training. Some athletes may do fine with push ups every day, but it’s best to mix up your routine to reduce your risk of injury.
Question: Should I do push ups fast or slow?
Answer: Pushups need to be done deliberately, in a way that you make sure you’re using proper form, both to develop muscles and to reduce your risk of injury. You need to keep your back straight and neck aligned. While fast pushups may give you a harder workout, slow and steady pushups can be just as effective for developing strength.
Question: Will 100 push ups a day build muscle?
Answer: 100 pushups a day may help some, but not others. In order to build muscle, you need to make sure you’re getting adequate nutrition, with a protein rich diet, as well as proper rest to allow your muscles to heal and repair. 100 a day may help you build muscle, but you should also incorporate other strength training, as well as cardio and rest days to get the full benefits.
Question: Do push ups make you punch faster?
Answer: For those looking to do boxing or even using a boxing app at home, strength training is a key factor in improving your fitness. Push ups can help you punch both faster and harder by developing fast twitch muscles and improving your strength, and even your balance.
Final Verdict: Give Perfect Pushup a try – But Only if You Need it
Overall, I am fairly impressed with Perfect Pushup as an effective way to reduce strain and make doing push ups both more effective and more comfortable. That said, if you only do pushups occasionally and take adequate rest days, it may not be necessary for everyone.
I am a little discouraged by a potential change to to handle construction, but, with a price under twenty dollars, it’s a low risk investment.
Interested in Perfect Pushup? Buy on Perfect Fitness or Buy on Amazon.
The Perfect Fitness Perfect Pushup Rotating Push Up Handles reduce strain on joints, and engage more muscles for a truly perfect pushup. The original, patented design features a ball bearing system that provides smooth, full rotation for natural alignment of the arms and wrists.
Looking for a low cost alternative way to build resistance? Consider the best resistance bands or comparing adjustable dumbbells.
