This kit consists of two strong, black, solid plastic discs with hand grips. Each 400g disc has a freely rotating base with 5 flat rubber feet embedded in it, and a moulded handgrip covered in comfortable non-slip, soft feel rubber. The initial impression is of a solid, well made product – the box states they will support weights of up to 125kg, and while none of my reviewers weighed that much, the Push Ups certainly look well built enough to accomplish this.
When I was first offered these to review, I must admit to wondering just what the point of them was. Surely push ups don’t require any specialist equipment, right? However, I confess that after trying these out for a couple of weeks, I’m prepared to admit I was wrong, and here’s why.
When you do a normal push up (or press up if you prefer the term), it can put a fair amount of strain on your wrist, as your hand is held at a 90 degree angle on the floor. However, because you are actively holding onto the handgrips when you use this equipment, your wrist is much more aligned, and your hand is under less pressure, creating a more comfortable experience and allowing you to work out for longer.
Additionally, as the grips rotate very freely, it felt that you were working more muscle groups, as you had to make an effort to keep your arms steady – personally, I felt as though I were working my abs to a certain degree, though as a person with zero upper body strength I’m maybe not the best judge of this. To this end, I employed the services of my 16 year old son who is an athlete and keen body builder, my tall and slim 13 year old, and my less active (and considerably older!) husband to see what they thought of the Push Ups.
My eldest son enjoyed using them, performing many reps with ease, and he also noticed that the inherent instability of the rotating discs made him work that little bit harder. My younger son found them comfortable to use and, as he broke his wrist a few months ago and still has a little wrist stiffness, also found them easier to use than performing a press up directly on the floor. My husband didn’t notice any increased effort but did find them much more comfortable to use than a normal press up, due to the superior wrist positioning they offer.
As for myself, being a puny type (and a runner not a fighter, so no uppper body strength at all!) I have always had major difficulty performing press ups of any description, and the only ones I can achieve usually are kneeling ones. However, due to the clever non-slip (and non-marking) bases on these Push Ups, they can be used on any surface, horizontal or vertical, making them ideal to use on a wall or door if you’re muscularly challenged like myself. I am using them on a wall and gradually increasing the angle I am leaning from, and I hope to graduate to floor based push ups soon, though I feel that even the wall based push ups are beneficial to me. They could also be used safely on a sloped surface, to provide more effort than wall based push ups but less than the floor, allowing you to gradually build up your strength by manageable degrees.
So, overall then, I’d say that these Push Ups are a useful addition to any home gym or fitness regime. Compact, easy to use, lightweight yet sturdy, I can see these Push Ups providing years of service to our family, and who knows – I may even develop a visible bicep soon!
About Val Baxter
Val is a middle-aged mother of two boys, and gradually got into athletics via her eldest’s involvement with Birtley AC. Following a slow start which involved power-walking and a gradual move to jogging, she was persuaded to enter a local Harrier league cross-country event, and despite coming almost last, developed a taste for cold muddy slogs through the countryside.- Swallows On Amazons - April 14, 2015
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- Nifty At Fifty? That Remains To Be Seen… - August 4, 2014
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- Val Baxter - October 1, 2013
- Looks Familiar! - April 4, 2013
- Setting My Sights Higher - January 3, 2013
- Iron Gym Push Up - April 1, 2012
- Full of Jelly Beans - March 1, 2012
