If you want to get fit and do something good for your whole body, you can't do without push-ups. To make them more successful, you can get help with equipment. But are push-up grips useful? We have made ourselves smart!
Push-ups are an indispensable part of strength training. They are a mega effective exercise when it comes to training the upper body and torso.
Shoulders, arms, chest and back benefit. Because you need a lot of body tension, the abdomen, thighs and buttocks also benefit.
If you do push ups regularly you will tone your body and get really nice and tight :)
If you've been practicing diligently, you may have noticed that push-ups hurt your wrists. No wonder there is a lot of weight on them while they are in a very unnatural position.
Training aids like push-up grips come in handy. But are push-up grips useful or is it better to save the money? What do they really do for training? Questions upon questions. Here are the answers! :)
Table of contents
Why are push-up grips useful?
If you regularly do push-ups, you should think about handles made of wood, plastic or metal. The training equipment costs between 20 and 70 euros in fitness internet stores, depending on the type.
There are push-up grips with fixed handles and with rotating handles. We will go into this in more detail later. The fact is that pushup grips have certain advantages when used during exercise. Here are some of the main advantages at a glance.
1. push-up grips relieve the wrists
Did you know that 70 percent of your body weight is moved during each push-up? This is exactly the weight that lands on the wrists.
Pain in the wrist is very uncomfortable. I get them not only from push-ups, but also from certain yoga exercises.
Once you manage a few push-ups in a row, you'll notice it not only in your muscles, but especially in your wrists.
The reason for this is quickly found: During push ups, the wrists are bent very strongly and unnaturally. This puts a lot of strain on ligaments and tendons, which can even lead to overstretching.
Push-up grips are useful for the wrists because they put the hands in a natural and ergonomic position. They now no longer lie flat on the training mat and are strongly angled.
The hands form a straight line with the arms. This relieves the wrists, tendons and ligaments.
You can also use the grips to prevent injuries in your shoulders and elbows because your overall posture will be much more natural.
The push ups feel much more comfortable now and at least the wrists don't fail anymore :)
Alternatively, before you buy push-up grips, try clenching your fists to do a push up.
That way you can mimic the position of the hands. However, I don't manage much more than two executions, because that also causes pretty blatant pain.
Here's how you can learn pushups as a beginner!
2. the handles make your workout more intense
If your wrists hurt, you'll quickly give up push ups. But that's a real shame. The training effect of push-ups on your body is enormous.
Because you can do more reps, they make a workout more effective and intense. At the same time, you can bring your upper body really low to the ground during the downward movement.
Your range of motion is greatly increased.
Your muscles have mega much to do when you push yourself back up. This increases the intensity and effectiveness.
You will notice that push-up grips are useful during the first workout. You really get everything out of the exercise with every repetition.
As a beginner, you may be able to do fewer repetitions with the grips. But the ones you do manage are much more intense and get you there faster.
You can work with perform many different exercises using the handles.
Of course, push-ups are only useful if you perform them correctly. In contrast to classic push-ups, training with grips leads to much more intensive muscle work.
Because you get much closer to the floor, you need much more strength to push yourself back up. The muscles are challenged much more intensively, which makes the exercises much more effective.
But the sobering truth is that you'll do far fewer reps at first. But there's also good news: It won't be long before you're back to your old reps. The body gets used to the new training equipment very quickly.
Your push-ups will become much cleaner. You won't have to fret about pain in your wrists, you'll be able to do them much more focused.
If you want, you can do a lot of different exercises with it. It starts with how you attack the handles and where you position them.
3. you can do pushups with it everywhere
Basically, you can do push-ups anywhere. However, on stony ground or on ground over which many walk, it is not so advisable.
Not every floor is clean. This is true not only for outdoor, but also for hotels or gyms. Who knows when the floor in the hotel or the carpet in the hotel was last properly cleaned. The big advantage of push-up grips is that you don't have to put your hands directly on the floor.
Rough surfaces can limit the comfort of your workout. You can injure your hands. For hygienic reasons, push-up grips are useful because you are far from the ground. Because they are small, handy and light, you can take the grips anywhere.
4. you have more grip
Have you ever exercised on tile, laminate, hardwood floors or a non-slip yoga mat? It can get pretty slippery when you start to sweat.
All push-up grips are equipped with a non-slip underside, which is usually made of rubber. So you won't slip even on very slippery floors.
Provided you reach for good quality grips. Because there are very cheap push-up grips with a plastic surface. Even the non-slip surface won't help if your hands slip off the grips.
We therefore recommend that you invest a little more once and go for quality that you will be happy with for a long time. Therefore, push-up grips that are made of wood are useful.
They prevent slipping because they absorb some of the sweat. They also feel very natural and you can grip really tight.
Our Tip: Push-up grips from Edel-Kraft. Made in Germany of beech or walnut wood, available in two colors. Rubber is attached to the bottom of the handles, so the support is guaranteed not to slip. The feet are extra wide, so you can not tip over.
The handles are handmade and processed very high quality. But you can do much more than just push-ups with it: Also handstands or a whole series of yoga exercises work wonderfully with it.
Get smart about push-up grips here!
Which push-up grips are ideal for whom?
It makes a big difference whether you count yourself as a beginner or advanced. Because there are different grips for each fitness level.
Our recommendation:
- Beginners: classic push-up grips
- Advanced: rotating push-up grips
Did you know that there are both fixed and rotating push-up grips? Fixed grips are best for beginners. They help you maintain body tension and do safe push-ups.
The hand position remains the same during the training.
Firm push-ups are also wonderful for headstands or handstands. Or if you do yoga and practice exercises like the crow. Because here, too, the wrists are very strongly stressed.
So: beginners, yogis and all who want to do other exercises besides push-ups with it, reach for firm pushups.
Push-ups are undoubtedly good for your body, even when performed without handles, and they're a lot of fun. But pushup grips are a great way to add variety to your workout at home or on the go. They make your workout more enjoyable and increase your effectiveness at the same time.
The more comfortable upright wrist position alone is worth considering the purchase. Because then push-ups can be performed with full concentration on the movement itself. And that is crucial for a successful workout: the right push-up technique leads to faster training results.
For whom rotating push-up grips are useful
But what are moving handles good for anyway? For those who are already very well trained, rotating push-ups are useful.
Their handles are rotatable. This allows you to change the hand position during the up and down movement. You can vary the position of the hands, which can make individual exercises much more intense.
There are also models where you can adjust the height. So you could make the right handle higher than the left and really work your muscles. This brings a lot of new training incentives for advanced users. Beginners can save the money for this.
With this torso workout push ups will succeed very soon!
What push up handles we recommend
The selection is large. But which ones are particularly good? I've done some research and show you different models here.
Classic push-up grips from Edel-Kraft
You have the widest choice of classic push up grips. There is a huge selection. Visually, they resemble mini-bars. There are big differences in quality.
Poorly made handles are wobbly, slippery and even dangerous for the wrists. Most often, these are very cheap models, which are made of plastic.
Often they don't have a non-slip surface, and they have questionable stability on the underside as well. It may also be that the surface you're gripping is too thick or too thin. Which in turn makes training more difficult.
We recommend beginners and yogis to use the Push-up grips from Edel-Kraft. They seem a bit expensive at first sight. But they are worth every euro. Because they are very stable, fit well in the hands and prevent you from slipping.
They are made of wood and have non-slip rubber attached to the bottom. They do not have padding. But you do not miss them at all, because they are very ergonomic in the hands.
You can choose from two variants. Either you choose the light brown handles made of beech or the dark brown handles made of walnut. The difference lies in the load. The walnut handles can support up to 250 kg body weight, the beech handles "only" 200 kg.
There is a big plus for the production. The handles are made of wood from sustainably certified forestry. They are manufactured in Germany.
The handles themselves weigh just 300 grams each. This is also the biggest advantage over models that have metal legs. This simply makes them much heavier.
Rotating push-up grips from IGPG
Those who are advanced can opt for the rotating variant. A good model has SportyAnis brought to the market.
They are light, handy and small. Inside is a steel ball bearing, which makes the rotating movements particularly smooth.
The handles fit well in the hands. The rubber surfaces on the bottom prevent slipping away on slippery floors.
But the important thing is that you know that these pushup grips are useful for professionals and advanced users. Beginners will not enjoy it. They lack the strength and stability.
How to train with push-up grips
You now know that 70 percent of your body weight is on your wrists, and the grips don't change that. The weight is only better distributed.
That's why you should consider a few things before training to reduce the risk of injury.
- Warm yourself up. Stretch your wrists especially well. Circular movements are particularly suitable.
- Tense your body. From your toes to your fingertips. Make sure your torso is stable.
- Rather do few repetitions and do them correctly than many.
- Take your time with the push-ups. Slow and controlled training is better and healthier.
- It does not work? Then start with your knees on the exercise mat. This is called a "knee push up" or "women's push up".
Our conclusion
You'll notice that push-ups are useful for the wrists the first time you do them. They intensify the workout and help you do clean push ups.
Beginners should opt for classic grips and do not be surprised if at the beginning succeed less repetitions than without equipment :)
Good luck and all the best for the training!
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