Perfect Push-Up | Another Gadget Failure

The fitness industry is filled, I mean completely filled, with gadgets espousing extraordinary benefits. These gadgets, often sold through late night TV, offer to be the instant cure to building muscle. The sad reality is that most are sheer bunk; worthless plastic sold through excessive hype.

One of those gadgets is the Perfect Push-Up. This product is from the same manufacturer as the Perfect Pullup that also was proven to be … worthless.

The Claim: Perfect-Pushup’s unique rotating handles helps speed up results by engaging more muscles in the arms, chest, shoulders, and back.

Research Results: FAIL!

Thankfully, I don’t have to share my opinion. Instead I can share the research results from the Comparison of muscle-activation patterns during the conventional push-up and perfect-pushup exercises. The research used Electromyographic (EMG) analysis to observe muscle activation while doing pushups with and without the Perfect Pushup.

Perfect Pushup Research Method

The study included 20 healthy subjects and had them perform pushups in three hand-positions under two different conditions. Each combination was analyzed using EMG data from four different muscles.

Pushup Hand Positions

• Shoulder Width Push-Ups
• Wide-base Push-Ups
• Narrow-base Push-Ups

Pushup Conditions

• Standard Push-Up
• Perfect Pushup Handgrips

Muscles Monitored During Pushup Movement

• The Tris – Right-side Triceps Brachii
• The Pecs – Pectoralis Major
• The Boxer’s Muscle – Serratus Anterior
• The Delts – Posterior Deltoid

Perfect Pushup Research Results

The research reminded me that the pushup is an awesome exercise. Using EMG they monitored maximum muscle contraction by using the percent of maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). By measuring the muscle contraction throughout the pushup movement they observed the following muscle engagement:

• The Tris – 73-109% MVIC
• The Pecs – 95-105% MVIC
• The Boxer’s Muscle – 67-87% MVIC
• The Delts – 11-21% MVIC

The pushup hits the tris and pecs wonderfully, taxes those boxer’s muscles, and just tweaks the delts. This simple bodyweight movement is still a great way to work the tris and pecs.

But let’s turn back to the Perfect Pushup, this quote from the research summed it up the best.

Based upon EMG activation from 4 muscles, the Perfect-Pushup handgrips do not appear to preferentially enhance muscular recruitment when compared with the conventional push-up method.

Just not producing the claims on the box. I’m so thankful for studies like this that take the personal opinion away from the discussion and address how muscles are engaged. There just isn’t any difference.

Conclusion: Drop and Give me 20 Narrow-Base Push-Ups

Don’t waste your money of fitness gadgets. The pushup works without any fancy spinning gadgetry; just drop and give me 20.

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Research Cited:

Comparison of muscle-activation patterns during the conventional push-up and perfect-pushup exercises, Youdas, J. W., Budach, B. D., Ellerbusch, J. V., et al, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2010 Dec;24(12):3352-62