Help! Do the modified push ups I saw in a movie work?

April 16, 2008 9:35 PM

Has anyone actually used the modified push ups that I saw in GI Jane as part of their exercise regimen? Did it work? Do you have a better suggestion?

I joined a gym with the main purpose of doing cardio without having to be outside (terrible allergies). So far the cardio is making me happy, but my original intent of just dropping some pounds has changed since I started.

I now want to do a bit of toning. I already do crunches in the morning and evening in order to tone my abdominals. Two nights ago while doing said crunches, GI Jane was on the tube. About 20 to 30 minutes into the movie, when O'Neil goes to hell week, the whole group is doing exercise movements in the water. (The only one I have been able to find a pic or video of is the leg kicking) The particular movement I am interested in starts out like a regular pushup (as far as your starting stance), but instead of going straight up and down, there is a bit of a rolling downward movement involving the chest and pelvis. This was basically done going backwards and forwards several times. It looked like - if done enough - it could be a great way to tone legs, arms and glutes.

Does anyone have any idea what I'm talking about? I would have provided visuals but I fail at the internet apparently. It also seems quite possible that this could be some sort of Pilates move or something...

So, if anyone has used this movement or has even seen the part of the movie I am talking about - does it seem like something that would actually be beneficial in my attempt to have a healthier body or is it just a pretty move in a movie that will cause me to break a bone?

If it makes a difference - I am 28, female, working out 6 days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes. Oh also, if you have a suggestion of something that is so much better than the above, but it is going to cost me more than $50 for equipment, books or what have you, I won't be able to implement it for a while, but still feel free to let me know.

posted by MsLgean to Health & Fitness (18 answers total)

as for toning....

toning happens by reducing body fat. working abs more will not make them pop out, regardless of what the infomercials tell you.

your plan should be to reduce fat and increase muscle mass. this will make you look toned. not a specific exercise from a movie or any fitness guru's plan.

stick to your cardio. add in some resistance training and clean up your diet. you will be toned and lean.
posted by dawdle at 9:57 PM on April 16, 2008

Can't picture the exact move, but are you talking about dive bombers?
posted by hobbes at 10:00 PM on April 16, 2008

considering you've already joined a gym, take advantage of what they have to offer.

start out by doing squats, lunges and deadlifts. these 3 lifts will have the greatest beneficial effect on your health and physique and the greatest return on time and energy investment.
posted by dawdle at 10:00 PM on April 16, 2008

Response by poster: hobbes: the dive bombers sure do look a lot like what I thought I was seeing. Awesome find! It also seems like they may have been doing it a bit wrong. :)

Have you done this in a regular work out?
posted by MsLgean at 10:09 PM on April 16, 2008

Response by poster: dawdle: thanks for the suggestions on the lifts, I will look into adding them to my workout. I am definitely interested in getting the best return :) Are these exercises that should be alternated or incorporated daily? (IYO - I know your not my doc or trainer)
posted by MsLgean at 10:15 PM on April 16, 2008

don't lift daily if you're targeting the same muscles. your body needs rest too. i'd say aim for 3 days a week of doing those lifts along with your 6 days a week cardio. alternate lifting days. you should see some awesome results.
posted by dawdle at 10:19 PM on April 16, 2008

Best answer: also check out a previous answer to a similar question...
posted by dawdle at 10:20 PM on April 16, 2008 [1 favorite]

Dive bombers are a good upper-body workout, but they won't due anything for your lower-body at all. I'm not doing them regularly anymore, but when I did, they worked the triceps more than a regular push-up along with the shoulder muscles at a different angles.

When you first start out, see how your elbows, shoulders, wrists feel. Also be careful of your back when you're in that up-dog position.
posted by hobbes at 10:42 PM on April 16, 2008

Based on your description of the exercise I immediately thought of Hindu Pushups [youtube link], which, according to fitness nerds, are extremely similar but "crucially" different from Dive Bombers.

I have used Hindu Pushups in a regular routine before, and they're a great exercise, especially first thing in the morning, because they seem to be the ideal combination of stretching and multiple muscle workout for me.

However, given your sated fitness goals, you've received some very solid advice in this thread already. I'd definitely try out the Hindu Pushups but I don't think they'll cover all your bases. For that listen to everyone else.

*Bonus answer: check out Mike Mahler's Royal Court of conditioning exercises, which include the Hindu Pushups and which he (random fitness dude) insists are all you need for tip-top training. I don't know how I feel about that Back Bridge, though.
posted by EL-O-ESS at 10:46 PM on April 16, 2008

Best answer: You belong to a gym? Use the weight room. You will not grow body-builder muscles, but you will look a lot better and feel a lot stronger.

"Toning" = bigger muscles and lower body fat. Cardio helps with the latter, but weights are far more effective for the former.

I totally absolutely unreservedly recommend you to look at Stumptuous, which has been linked here many times before, because it is a great site about lifting weights but for once it assumes the reader is a woman.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 1:04 AM on April 17, 2008

I meant to say, You will not grow body-builder muscles because 99 out of 100 women do not have the hormone levels that are needed to make that happen.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 1:06 AM on April 17, 2008

Here's a video showing hindu, dive bomber, and variants. Is one of these it?
posted by zippy at 2:26 AM on April 17, 2008

Best answer: I'm doing hindu pushups once a week now, and I used to do 10 at the beginning of each workout as part of my warmup. I find they work mostly my triceps, shoulders and upper back; and the front of my hips too, but I see that as more of a side-effect. Yeah they're good. Doing sets of lots of them will give you good conditioning and muscular endurance in your upper body. You could alternate sets of them with sets of pullups for a complete upper-body workout. There are a whole bunch of fancy body-weight exercises you can do if you don't want to go to the gym; look at spiderman pushups you can see here. Oh yeah, and check out this. But really for basic muscle-building there's nothing better than just squats, deadlifts, bench press, pullups, push-press. If you want to get fancy try overhead squats in the power cage...as long as you set up the spotter bars so you can drop the weight if you have to. Or L-pullups. The crossfit website has a shitload of informational videos on your basic lifts, and t-nation has good advice on putting together a program (don't be scared by the pictures, as a woman you won't end up looking like those bodybuilders) and a lot of people recommend this book.
posted by creasy boy at 6:47 AM on April 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

I absolutely second what dawdle said.

Back Squats, Deadlits, Lunges (and if you can learn Cleaning/Jerking) are the BEST lifts to improve overall, functional health.
posted by yoyoceramic at 7:39 AM on April 17, 2008

Hobbes mentions the Upward-Facing Dog position, which is often part of Sun Saluatations. To turn the hindu-pushups into more of lower-body workout, practice doing the downdog-plank-chaturanga-updog sequence slowly (spend some time holding in each position) and really concentrate on squeezing your butt as you move from chaturanga to updog. Definitely a glute-toner if you do it right.
posted by danOstuporStar at 8:51 AM on April 17, 2008

Response by poster: Thanks so much for all the answers everyone! I wish I could have marked the entire post best answer :) I have a whole new direction to go in while trying to get healthier. To be completely honest, I was/am a little afraid of the weight section. All the positive recommendations will help me branch out into that area a bit.

I am excited to start trying out dive bombers/variants as well. If I had actually known what they were called I probably wouldn't have come to MeFi - but then I wouldn't have gotten the excellent advice either.

Thanks again.
posted by MsLgean at 10:07 AM on April 17, 2008

Listen to Creasy Boy, but add dips, pushups, and jump-roping to his list off essential exercises. Dips are awesome. Pushups and jump roping are excellent on the go exercises.

Also, yoyoceramic is correct that the clean and jerk is an excellent exercise, if you have the resources to learn and perform it properly.
posted by HighTechUnderpants at 1:35 PM on April 17, 2008

Here is a cool source of exercises (some with weights, some without) and general fitness info. Yes, it's a gym and of course they'd love it if you'd join, but the info is good for anyone looking for a little exercise variety.

My wife used to go to the Monkey Bar until her work schedule began to conflict with the classes. She still does a lot of their workouts at home.
posted by altcountryman at 2:16 PM on April 17, 2008