Hate doing push-ups? We’ve got 7 exercises for you to try instead that are just as good

Let’s face it that not many of us are fans of push-ups. Most of us dread the pain-inducing exercise, as we struggle to pull them off. However, the sad reality is that not doing pushups is a big setback for your upper body. And you know it! But what if we tell you can get a killer upper body without doing a single push-up? Yes, that’s totally doable because we’ve got you push-ups alternatives that are just as effective.  

Here are the seven exercises you can do instead of push-ups: 

1. Dumb-bell bench press

To do a dumb-bell bench press first lie on your back on a bench holding a dumb-bell in each hand just to the sides of your shoulders. Ensure that your palms should be facing your feet.

Now with an exhale press the weights above your chest by extending your elbows until your arms are straight, then bring the weights back down slowly.

2. Bear crawl

To do this, start from a position where your hips are high up as compared to a push-up position with both knees slightly bent. In this crawl, both your arms and legs will move simultaneously. If you want to flex your upper arms and hamstrings then bear crawl is a great way to do it.

3. Downwards and upward facing dog

Starts in the down dog position but with the weight on the forearms instead of the hands. Exhale as you push through your palms as you raise up onto your hands, lifting your hips towards the ceiling and into the conventional downward dog position. Inhale as you relax then push off your palms and lower your elbows back to the ground, for one repetition.

4. Shadow punches

Stand with your feet wide apart and raise your fists in front of your chin or nose. Now punch right in front of you. Remember that your knuckles should come forward. Use both arms alternately in shadow punches.

To start with, you can do 50 air punches with each hand. Just remember to keep your core and arm muscles strong.

5. Triceps dips

For triceps dips, sit on the floor with your legs bent in front of you, hands on the floor behind your hips with your fingers pointed toward your body. Lift your hips up off the ground, into starting position. Bend elbows and use your upper-body strength to lower your hips back toward the ground, then extend back up to starting position for one rep.

6. Forearm plank

This is the classic plank. The longer you stay in plank position, the more it will impact on your upper body.

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7. Side or rotating plank

So, start with the original plank position, open up your hips and chest towards your left side first assuming the side plank position, raise your right arm towards the ceiling, and now the real work begins.

Rotate back to the original position and then back up into the side-plank position raising your right arm again. Do the same thing when you change your side from left to right.

You see when you do a push-up the muscles that get targeted are your chest, back, arms, shoulders, core, glutes, and legs. Basically, it is a full body workout. All these exercises, engage the same muscles thus giving you similar benefits.

So, now no more dreading push-ups because you have better alternatives to try at the gym.