Band Assisted Partial Range Deadstop Pushups

Loop a long-loop resistance band around a pullup bar above you. Climb through the band so that it is on your hip bones – or under your chest if you prefer that way. The thicker the band is the more assistance it will give you. Start with your feet shoulder width apart (it will be more difficult with the feet together). Use a slam ball, medicine ball, stacked weight plates or stacked yoga blocks to create an elevated surface for your chest to rest on at the bottom of your pushup.

A slam ball will give you some assistance as well as it will get compressed and help you push back up. Stacked plates are ideal to make small adjustments as you can easily add or remove height based on your specific strength levels in order to achieve the desired reps using plates that have different thicknesses to achieve the perfect height for your strength level. This is a better alternative to knee pushups as a more efficient way to build your pushups and upper body strength.

Set the plates under your torso so that when you complete a pushup you can rest either your chest or abdomen on the dumbbells. Start in a pushup position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your legs and core engaged. Spread your fingers and squeeze your fingertips into the ground. Lower yourself by bending your elbows until your chest or abdomen rests on the plates. After a 1-2 second rest on the plates, reengage your upper body muscles and straighten your arms to complete the pushup. As you progress, lower the height until you can perform complete pushups.

Trainer Tip: Even if you can perform perfect pushups, these dampen the stretch reflex to help build starting strength and increase power. If you want to prioritize triceps, make the ROM smaller. If you want to hit more chest and core, make the height lower.