5 Best Pushup Bars For Calisthenics
Ever experienced pain doing pushups?
You’re not alone. Almost everyone gets it wrong during the first try...or even the hundredth. Simple as they look, pushups are more than meets the eye. It’s not as easy as pushing yourself off the ground.
In fact, a proper pushup requires proper alignment, some strength, and a certain level of mobility.
Pushups are done differently throughout the world. There are literally hundreds, even thousands, of variations you can choose from.
In fact, here are a couple dozen you should add to your routine immediately.
The Problem With Pushups
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’ve got nothing against pushups. What I am against is pushups done with bad form.
If you’re like most people, you’ve probably encountered pain when doing pushups at least once in your life. Part of it may be poor posture, tight forearms, and a number of other things. But where everything begins is a lack of mobility, particularly in the shoulders and wrists.
People who lack the requisite mobility encounter all sorts of problems when performing pushups, some even to the point of tearing their rotator cuff muscles or developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Bad pushups neither look pretty nor feel pretty. And you’ll be able to tell right away.
Click here for some tips to improve your shoulder mobility.
Pushups naturally extend your wrists, creating tension all the way up to your forearms and shoulders. If you have stiff muscles, you may want to reevaluate the way you do pushups, which leads us to the next part...
Meet The Pushup Bar
Chances are, you’ve come across this weird-looking device on television or your local sporting goods store. A pushup bar (or pushup grip or pushup handle) looks a bit like the handle of an iron attached to a base, which may be circular or rectangular.
How does a pushup bar work?
Pushup bars take the stress off your wrists by placing your hands in a more neutral position (i.e. palms facing each other), which improves shoulder mechanics. This is because the neutral grip allows for better depression, external rotation, scapular retraction compared to the more traditional pronated grip.
In addition, using pushup bars allows for greater range of motion. Unlike unassisted pushups that limit movement to the floor and back, pushup bars allow you to increase your range of motion without straining your wrists, forearms, or shoulders. The increase in movement lends itself to a greater variety of exercises that extend into calisthenics and other more advanced movement patterns.
You basically get twice the workout with half the problems.
How to Use Push Up Bars Correctly
Pushup bars are extremely easy to use. Just place them on the floor shoulder width (or greater or less than shoulder width, depending on your desired workout), grab the handles and perform a proper pushup. Your body position using a pushup bar should be the same as a regular pushup: core tight, back straight, and hips aligned with the rest of your body.
Remember what we said earlier: If you have bad form, you’ll feel it immediately. Find a position wherein your shoulders and wrists are comfortable.
If you perform pushups on your knees, stay on your knees when you use the pushup bar. Experiment with different hand positions until you find what works best for you. Once you get the hang of it, you can attempt more advanced movements such as the decline pushup, military pushup or ring dip.
Looking for quality pushup bars? Here are 5 of the best offers on the market today:
1. PEYOND Pushup Bar
Want something cheap, lightweight, and portable? At only $8.94, the PEYOND pushup bar is arguably the best value-for-money bargain you can find.
The PEYOND is made of durable reinforced premium steel bars and covered with soft foam-lined handles and non-slip rubber feet. Whether you’re 120 lbs. or 300 lbs., this pushup bar is guaranteed to last you through your workout.
PROS:
Design-wise the PEYOND is pretty solid. The steel is tough as it gets and the build is idiot-proof--literally nothing can go wrong when you’re using it. Not to mention, the price is as good as it gets. There are some cheaper finds in the market but none that give the same quality.
Just in case, it comes with a risk-free 12-month guarantee so that you can get a replacement in case something gets broken. But then again, it’s not like you’ll need it anytime.
CONS:
The only downside to the PEYOND is that it doesn’t really come with a lot of features so it’s pretty much what-you-see-is-what-you-get. There are other bars with more features like the Perfect Pushup or the Perfect Workout System that can give you more variety, although none of them are as cost-friendly as the PEYOND.
If you’re just looking for something basic and portable, the PEYOND is perfect for you. However, if you need something more complete, there are a number of other options you can look at.
Nonetheless, it’s still a great deal at its price point.
Rating: 6.5/10
2. Perfect Fitness Perfect Pushup Elite
The Perfect Pushup is the posterboy of all pushup bars, dominating infomercials and Internet airwaves all over the world. It is designed to rotate slightly in order to recruit more muscles, thereby increasing strength and definition in the chest, arms, shoulders, back, and abs.
The device is as durable as it gets, with a 400-lb capacity and a sturdy all bearing system. Regardless of how heavy or intense your workout is, the Perfect Pushup can really take a beating...and I mean really.
Even if it’s the only device you have, you can crank out a solid upper body workout--just check out the different exercises in the manual and various YouTube videos.
Apart from all the other pushup bars out there, the Perfect Pushup can improve your pushup from and reduce shoulder, wrist, and back pain. If you’re the type who wants to get a workout done with no fuss, this is one of the best fitness-related investments you can make.
PROS:
The Perfect Pushup is a fairly portable device with just enough features to maximize your pushups. The bar’s movement is really smooth and adjusts accordingly as you go through each rep. Everything is comfortable and it feels like really, really solid product.
CONS:
Although the Perfect pushup is portable, it’s a bit clunky. If you’re packing a smaller back for a day trip or an overnight stay, it isn’t nearly as portable as the PEYOND or Sport-It. That said, it serves its purpose and serves it well.
Rating: 10/10
3. The Perfect Workout System | Iron Chest Master by Ron Williams
This is, by far, the most expensive thing on the list, but it’s also the most complete. The Perfect Workout System is an entire complex designed to target every square inch of your chest, arms, and shoulders.
The package includes the device itself (duh!) as well as a comprehensive nutrition plan, exercise manual, resistance bands, master exercise chart, and 5 workouts (woah!). The ad says it can do everything a bench press, dumbbell press, cable-crossover, pec dec, and pushup can. So you won’t just get a pushup station, you’ll be getting an entire upper body machine plus some additional bells and whistles.
Need to lift heavy? Just add some resistance bands to the station. How cool is that!
If you’re looking for one device that meets all your upper body needs, this is perfect for you. However, if you’re just looking for a pushup station, this might seem a little too much.
That said, anyone trying to gain serious size or increase the weight on their bench press should definitely take a look at this.
PROS:
The Perfect Workout System hits more muscle groups than any piece of equipment in this list. If you’re looking for a single piece of equipment that does everything, this is the right pushup bar for you. Plus the resistance bands are an underrated addition--they really help, especially if you’re one of the more advanced users.
CONS:
Of all the equipment in this page, the Perfect Workout System is the least portable. Unless you have space at the back of your vehicle, it’s impossible to bring around. Frequent travellers should take note. Also, all the added features may feel a bit much. You really need to be into it to maximize all the features.
Rating: 8.5/10
4. Sport-It Top Quality Pushup Bars
Another awesome bargain at $9.47! Ths Sport-It is everything a pushup bar should be minus everything a pushup bar shouldn’t be.
Simple, sleek, and easy to use. You really can’t go wrong with this one. At nearly 6 inches off the ground, the Sport-It provides the necessary elevation for deeper, more effective pushups.
The Sport-It is quite durable with its reinforced steel bars and heavy-duty rubber feet. Plus, the construction is so deceptively simple that almost nothing can go wrong.
If you’re looking for something portable that isn’t flimsy, this might be exactly what you need. Although there’s certainly nothing spectacular about the design, it works. And that’s all you can really ask for.
Did I mention it comes with free resistance bands?
PROS:
Similar to the PEYOND, the Sport-It wastes no time on unnecessary features. It’s as simple as a pushup bar can get. Not to mention it’s really easy to disassemble and bring around. Oh, and as we mentioned above, the Sport-It is extremely cheap and will probably last you a lifetime.
CONS:
The main problem with the Sport-It, however, is that the handles are too short. For someone with big hands, the 4 inch grip seems a little underwhelming. Not to mention, the device may give you blisters after frequent workouts. Then again, once you get used to the system, that hardly matters.
Rating: 7/10
5. Elite Sportz Pushup Bar
If you’re looking for something like the Perfect Pushup but cheaper, this is your best bet. The Elite Pushup provides the same comfort, durability, and usability as others in its class all while costing you about $10 less.
The biggest asset of the Elite Pushup is its handles--which look chunky but are actually quite comfortable on the hands. If you’re one of those who experiences wrist pain during pushing workouts, this is the perfect addition to your routine.
The base is built with thick rubber and sturdy traction, which keeps you in place even through intense workout sessions.
Provided your form is correct, the Elite Pushup can hit your muscles from all angles, even ones you didn’t know existed. The device comes with lots of online workout videos and instructionals--the link is on the instructions and packaging. So if you’re not exactly well-versed in fitness, the Elite Pushup can really get you started.
One knock on the product is it doesn’t move as smoothly as the Perfect Pushups. The twisting is met with some resistance that isn’t really perceptible to most. But users of the Perfect Pushups may notice a slight difference. Nonetheless, the Elite Pushup is still a really, really good bargain at its price. Oh, and it comes with a free skipping rope.
PROS:
No other pushup bar is as good for recovery as the Elite Pushup. Built with easy-to-grip handles and a sturdy base, it’s perfect for anyone looking to work the chest muscles while recovering from a shoulder or wrist injury.
CONS:
In terms of design, the Elite Pushup isn’t nearly as smooth as the Perfect Pushup. There always seems to be a little resistance when you’re trying to rotate the handles, which adds unnecessary difficulty to a workout.
Rating: 7.5/10
While not as common as other more mainstream pieces of equipment, pushup bars are a great addition to any home gym. Literally anyone, regardless of their level of fitness, goals, background, can benefit from the perfect pushup. The key is finding which variation and which device works best for you.
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