Pushup Row

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Equipment Needed
Flat surface, preferably without carpet.
Dumbbells Free weights used in resistance training. They vary in size and composition and come in a large range of weight. Some dumbbells are a fixed weight while others are adjustable. They come in pairs and can be used for a wide range of weight resistant exercise.

Muscles Worked
Chest or Pectoralis
The pectoralis muscles are located in front of the rib cage and are comprised of the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor. The pectoralis major, or pecs, look like a fan across the chest. Attaching at the humerus and at the center of the sternum, the pecs bring the humerus across the sternum. The pectoralis minor are located underneath the pecs and move the shoulder forward.

Abdominals
The abdominal muscles are made up of four muscle groups, the transverse and rectus abdominus, external and internal oblique muscles. They are located at the front of the body between the ribs and pelvis. The transverse abdominus is the deepest of the four muscles and works to stabilize the trunk. The superficial muscles, the rectus abdominus is also referred to as the “six pack” and is responsible for moving the body between the ribcage and pelvis. The external oblique muscles, which are located on each side of the rectus abdominus, allow the trunk to twist to the opposite side of whichever external oblique is contracting. The internal oblique muscles are located just inside the hipbones and operate in the opposite way to the external oblique muscles. For example, twisting the trunk to the left requires the left hand side internal oblique and the right hand side external oblique to contract together.

Obliques
The external oblique muscles, which are located on each side of the rectus abdominus, allow the trunk to twist to the opposite side of whichever external oblique is contracting. The internal oblique muscles are located just inside the hipbones and operate in the opposite way to the external oblique muscles. For example, twisting the trunk to the left requires the left hand side internal oblique and the right hand side external oblique to contract together.

Latissimus Dorsi
Also referred to as the lats, the latissimus dorsi are the largest of the back muscles. These wing-shaped muscles attach at the humerus and extend down to the vertebral column and pelvic girdle. The lats are responsible for bringing the arms down toward the body and pulling the body up toward the arms as in a pull up.

Begin in a push-up position with a dumbbell in each hand.
Place your feet shoulder-width apart. The narrower your feet, the more challenging the exercise.
Your gaze should be down.
Lift your right arm with the weight and squeeze your right oblique. Shift your body weight as little as possible during the exercise.
Lower your arm and repeat by raising your left arm and squeezing your left oblique.