Let's all just agree that two of the most hated exercises are pushups and crunches. Exercising is hard enough without the idea of having to a pushup or crunch. What if we told you that there was another way that you could avoid doing these movements? Continue reading for exercise alternatives to pushups and crunches.
Bear Crawl
The bear crawl is a very powerful exercise. It helps to increase your stability, mobility, and your upper and lower body strength. When performing the bear crawl, you need to have a lot of open space. You can start in a plank position. Make sure your shoulders are directly above your wrist. Now bring your knees to a 90 degree angle and flatten your back. Use the opposite arm to crawl forward. While moving forward, you should be stretching your body as far as it will go. Your goal for this exercise is to keep your shoulders and hips square while moving. You should be able to balance an object on the top of your back. When performing this workout, you should try to accomplish 45-60 seconds forwards and backwards. The bear crawl engages all your major areas, which allows you to increase your muscles endurance and heart rate.
Tricep Dips & Squat Shoulder Press
Pushups are an effective workout if you wish to gain strength and tone your arms. However, there is another combination that you can do instead. Performing tricep dips and shoulder presses will give you the same workout as a pushup. Tricep dips are less impactful on the shoulders, where as a pushup is the opposite. To do a tricep dip, find a steady chair or bench. Place your arms behind your hips with the palms of your hands and fingers facing downward. Lift your hips up and bend your knees into a right angle. Then lower and lift your body with your arms. This is a great arm workout and can help you gain massive muscle strength. Squat shoulder presses incorporate the whole body, not just the arms. They also burn a huge amount of calories. Begin by grabbing 2 dumbbells that are an appropriate weight for you, and hold them down by your side. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Now, bend down into a squat position. A good squat requires that your thighs be parallel to the floor. With a firm control, return to standing position. You should do 10 reps of both exercises, rest for 30 seconds in between, and repeat for 5 times.
Stability Ball Knee Tuck
The stability ball knee tuck is the best alternative to pushups and crunches in one exercise. The muscles that are being engaged are the abdominal, obliques, and arms. This exercise requires a lot of coordination and may take you a couple tries to master the motions. Your stability should be between 14-34 inches. Start in pushup formation and place your feet on top of the ball. Make sure that your hips are raised and your back is flat. This helps you to engage your core. Next, draw your knees into your chest and attempt to keep your back straight. Then extend your legs back out. You should repeat this exercise for 15-20 reps. This is also a great stretch to end any workout session. It helps the back by holding your knees into the tucked position.
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-Franki
