8/3/20 : Kettlebell One Arm Pushups

At the end of the session, having used a 15lb kettlebell to stretch a tight shoulder, I decided to goof around.

With the kettlebell sitting normally on the floor, I would grab the handle, walk my feet into position, and attempt one arm pushups with the extra stabilization factor.

After a handful of negatives and failures, I started to get them with my right hand.

With the right hand I did as high as a set of 3. I don’t believe I got the rep with the left, just a few solid negatives on that side spread throughout the play.

A couple things :

Broomsticks are probably the best option for stretching the shoulders. During the lockdown these were removed from the gym floor, they’re in storage, one of the managers has grabbed them for me upon asking.

I had completely forgotten the idea of stretching it via dc stretches, until I was already driving home.

I’ve written how one arm pushups are euphoric before. They will pop the spine, and the higher tension can help with the shoulder feeling pretty.

I also forgot that I could do shoulder band traction via thick band looped around an upright while still there.

What many don’t know is you can work on your shoulder just driving your hand into the floor in something like a pushup but going for a very different stimuli. Trying to drive the hand through the inanimate solid object. It’s somewhere on the isometric spectrum.

So for trying to stretch a tight shoulder I got something fairly cool out of it, one arm pushups with a stability challenge.

The rep is obviously deeper than from the floor. In the bottom position it started to seem like a bit of a chest fly to get back into the up portions of the press, and I felt my bicep working.

The extended range of motion got bicep into the one arm pushup. If this became a regular movement I know my biceps will grow.

I’ve already thought about how to progress this :

Firstly get it on both sides, then go to smaller kettlebells, then flip it handle side down.

I say this often, basic pushups can be progressed via basically unlimited harder and harder variants if you so choose.

No video of this. I hadn’t felt like grabbing a cameraman out of the three people nearby.

I’ve added it to the list of videos to make.

It won’t take long to get reps on both sides.