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Should I Use Push Up Handles? (Why)
By bulksupplementsdirect
Our Summary and Answer:
Push Up handles help overcome the difficulties of push-ups. They provide better wrist support and distribute weight evenly throughout your arms to reduce strain on your hands, wrists, and shoulders. In addition, if you’re traveling, they are small and lightweight enough to be easily carried. Push-up handles can also be used for dips which work out different muscles than push-ups do.
Push-up handles are a recent product on the fitness scene. They look like an oversized pair of chopsticks, and you use them to perform a push-up, but with your hands on either side of the handle instead of on the ground.
The idea behind using them is that they make it easier for people who can’t do as many regular push-ups because their arms get tired or hurt from being in one position for too long.
In addition, they’re supposed to be more comfortable for those with wrist pain or carpal tunnel syndrome because they reduce pressure from your wrists and the backs of your hands.
In this article, we’ll break down whether you should use push-up handles, and their advantages. Then, if you decide to give them a try, we’ll provide some tips on how to do so more safely and effectively.
What Are Push Up Handles?
Push-up handles are a pair of lightweight sticks with padded grips. The grip is angled slightly to prevent you from slipping your hands too far forward or backward.
At the top of the handles, there’s a little bit of plastic to make them more comfortable on your wrists. The body of each handle is a hollow tube, and there’s a single dowel rod inside to make them more rigid. They usually come in a pair, but some sets have three or four instead.
Should you use push-up handles?
When you do a push-up, your hands bear a lot of the strain from supporting your weight. Pulling your shoulder blades back and down also puts stress on your arms, while lowering yourself down onto the ground can irritate the tops of your feet. That pressure makes push-up handles a popular product among people who want to strengthen their upper body and core without putting extra pressure on certain parts of their body.
8 Benefits of Push Up Handles
Now that you know what push-up handles are, here’s what they can do for you:
#1 - Helps People with Weak Upper Bodies and Core Muscles
Push-ups aren’t easy. If you’re new to exercise or don’t have a solid upper body, doing multiple push-ups might be tough on your arms and shoulders. The pressure of using push-up handles, though, is distributed across the whole area underneath them – including your arms and shoulders.
#2 - Can Reduce Wrist Pain
If you have weak wrists or carpal tunnel syndrome, they can take quite a bit of strain when you do regular push-ups. Using push-up handles instead with your hands offset, you can reduce that pressure by spreading it out over a larger area of your wrists.
#3 - Can Be Safer for the Back of Your Wrists and Hands
Weighted push-ups are great for adding resistance to working out, but they can put too much stress on the back of your hands if you do them with your wrists bent. Push-up handles help distribute weight across a larger area so you can perform push-ups with your wrist straight and avoid stress injuries in the process.
#4 - More Comfortable to Do than Regular Push-Ups
The main reason why people use push-up handles is that they’re more comfortable than regular push-ups because they are more comprehensive, flatter, and have padding on the grips. This means there’s less strain to your elbows, chest, etc.
#5 - Wider Range of Motion to Strengthen More Muscle Groups
Although push-ups with hands wider apart strengthen more muscles, they also put more pressure on the shoulders due to the increased range of motion. However, using push-up handles broadens your hand placement because of the offset, making it possible to perform a wider range of motion push-ups that also strengthen more muscles.
#6 - Easy to Take Along on Your Travels
Push-up handles are lightweight, compact, and easy to take with you wherever you go. If you’re traveling for work or pleasure and want a quick workout without much equipment, push-up handles can easily fit into your suitcase (or under the seat in front of you!) without adding too much weight or bulk.
#7 - Can Be Used for Other Exercises
We’ve talked about push-ups in this article, but what makes push-up handles so popular is that you can also use them for other workouts. For example, many people use them for dips.
#8 - Improves Your Posture
Having good posture is essential, but it can be challenging to maintain even if you’ve had years of training in it. If you tend to slouch forward or have rounded shoulders, a push-up bar can help you maintain a straight back because your arms are pushed out in front of you.
5 Tips When Using Push Up Handles
Now that you’ve decided to get push-up handles, you want to make sure you get the most out of them. Here are some tips to help you use them effectively:
#1 - Get a Pair That Fits You
Many people might not realize this, but your push-up handles should be the same length as your arms when you’re standing up. If they’re too long, it will be challenging to do a push-up with proper form, and if they’re too short, you won’t get that much of an advantage from them.
#2 - Don't Grip Too Tightly
Even though the grips are padded, they may still feel uncomfortable if you grip them too tightly. When using push-up handles, your arms should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, so you are just putting pressure on the heels of your palms rather than gripping it too hard with your fingers.
#3 - Keep Your Form Steady
You may be tempted to move your whole body up and down rather than just your arms because it’s easier, but this reduces the effectiveness of push-up handles. Also, although it might seem like you can use more weight when moving your whole body, this puts undue stress on your shoulders and ankles – especially if you’re on the carpet.
#4 - Don't Lock Your Elbows on the Floor
Keeping your elbows from bending too much when you push up will prevent injuries and strengthen more muscles throughout your body. If you must bend your elbows to get closer to the Floor, it’s fine – don’t lock them!
#5 - Concentrate on Your Pectorals
Instead of worrying about how many push-ups or dips you can do, think about which muscles in your body are engaging when you’re working out. For example, most people will find that their arms and shoulder tire quickly when pushing-up handles, but the chest muscles stay engaged longer. If you’re using the correct form, you should feel this even more as time goes on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why push-up handles are used?
Push-up handles are used to vary the regular push-ups that we do. It is a way to add variety into your workout routine and target different muscles in ways that an ordinary push-up can’t.
Are push-up handles effective?
Yes, they are 100% effective if you use them correctly, which means performing them on the right way, in the right muscles, and at the right intensity to get the correct results.
What are the areas that worked when using push-up handles?
Mainly chest, triceps, shoulders are worked out when you are doing push-up handles.
Final Thoughts
Push-up handles are a great addition to any workout routine. They can be used for push-ups, dips, and other exercises that require upper body strength.
With this simple tool, you’ll get the same benefits as doing handstands but without all the strain on your neck or back!
We hope this article was helpful, and you can use these tips and info to improve your workouts! Thank you for reading our article.
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- Note: The content on this website is meant to be for information and it should not be taken as medical advice. The content and the products mentioned in them are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. Always speak with a certified medical professional before making any changes to your lifestyle, diet, exercise plan, and /or taking any supplements or changes.
