Aztec Push-Ups

Are you in search of an exercise that pushes your physical limits and elevates your fitness to a higher level? Then you’re right where you should be!

Aztec push-ups are a challenging variation of traditional push-ups that can provide you with many benefits that you would love.

In this article, we’re going to explore the aztec push-up that has been around for a while but has recently gained some attention in the fitness world.

The exercise routine is not for beginners, but rather for those who want to drive their fitness level to the next degree. Yet, if you are a beginner or someone that’s not on the level of this exercise then we’ll provide you with some progressions that you can perform to reach the level of aztec push-ups.

You may have come across this exercise previously, but do you possess a complete comprehension of its nature and requirements? It’s time to discover the secrets of this powerful exercise and learn how to perform it for maximum results properly.

So, let’s dive in and explore the world of Aztec Push-Ups together!

Table of Contents

What are Aztec Push-Ups?

“Aztec Push-Ups” is an effective exercise that builds strength, flexibility, balance, and agility. This interesting exercise engages almost the entire body, counting the core, upper body, and lower body, making it a capable exercise for overall fitness.

Unlike traditional pushups, aztec push-ups involve a fluid, flowing movement that challenges your body in a different way. They are a combination of a plank, a pushup, and a downward dog, and require you to move explosively and gracefully from one position to the next.

Performing aztec push-ups requires a significant amount of control, balance, and strength, but the benefits are well worth the effort. By aiding you in enhancing your posture, increasing your flexibility, and potentially reducing the likelihood of injury, they can be helpful.

So, if you’re trying to find a challenging and viable exercise to include in your workout schedule, give aztec push-ups a try. But before you do it’s vital to learn and memorize the proper form and technique to guarantee that you perform them securely and effectively.

How to do Aztec Push-Ups?

Step-By-Step Instructions

Are you ready to give aztec push-ups a try? If yes, Great! Here is a step-by-step instruction for doing this difficult and powerful exercise:

Begin in a push-up stance with your hands exactly beneath your shoulders and your feet hip-width apart.
Lower your chest down towards the ground until it’s just above the surface.
Engage your core, and glute muscles and prepare for explosive movement.
Explosively push your body up and launch yourself as high into the air as possible.
Bring your hands towards your feet and touch your feet with your palm while still in the air.
Land softly on the ground, with your hands and toes returning to the push-up position, making sure to not get injured.

Video Guide

It’s vital to preserve appropriate form throughout the exercise to avoid injury and ensure you get the foremost out of your workout. Keep your core engaged, and your movements smooth and controlled.

If you’re new to aztec push-ups, begin with some progressions and gradually work your way up to more as you build strength and stamina. Adhere to what your body is telling you and avoid pushing yourself too far.

If you cannot perform the exercise then within the upcoming sections you’ll be able to learn some progressions that can assist you to build up the fundamental strength to be able to perform the exercise.

Incorporating aztec push-ups into your workout schedule may be an extraordinary way to challenge your body and take your fitness to another level. So go ahead and give them a try – you’ll love them!

Aztec Push-Up Benefits

Here are some benefits of the aztec push-ups that you can also experience:

Increased upper body strength: By focusing on the chest, shoulders, and triceps, aztec push-ups can assist you to develop more noteworthy strength in the targeted muscle groups. This can improve your ability to perform other harder upper-body exercises and increase your strength.
Improved core stability: Engaging your core throughout the movement can help you improve your balance and stability. This can be particularly supportive for exercises that require you to keep up a stable core, such as lifting weights or even running.
Increased power and explosiveness: Because aztec push-ups require explosive power and strength, they can help you develop these qualities in a way that translates to other athletic activities.
Enhanced flexibility: By stretching your hamstrings in the pike position, aztec push-ups can help you improve your overall flexibility. This can diminish your risk of injury and progress your execution in other exercises as well.
Calorie burning: High-intensity exercises like aztec push-ups can help you burn calories and lose weight. This is especially useful for those trying to improve their body composition.
Improved cardiovascular endurance: By getting your heart rate up, this exercise can help you improve your cardiovascular endurance. This can improve your overall health and fitness.
Mental benefits: Believe me! Being able to perform aztec push-ups is a flex. Overcoming the challenge of this exercise can help boost your confidence and mental toughness. This can interpret to other areas of your life as well.

Overall, the aztec push-ups can offer a wide range of benefits for both your physical and mental health. Including this exercise in your regular workouts can make a big difference in your physical abilities. Plus, it can be a lot of fun!

What Muscles Aztec Push-Ups Work

Aztec push-ups are a compound exercise that primarily targets the upper body and core muscles. Here are the muscles that aztec push-ups work:

Chest muscles (pectoralis major and minor): The chest muscles (pec muscles) are the primary muscles targeted during aztec push-ups. By pushing yourself off the ground explosively, you engage your chest muscles to help lift your body.

Shoulder muscles (deltoids): The deltoids, or shoulder muscles, are also heavily involved in aztec push-ups. They help to stabilize the shoulders and upper body during the movement.

Triceps: The triceps, located on the back of the upper arm, are heavily involved in the pushing motion of aztec push-ups.

Core muscles: The core muscles, counting the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis, are engaged throughout the movement to preserve steadiness and control.

Hamstrings: During the pike position of the aztec push-up, the hamstrings are stretched and engaged to help lift the hips.

By engaging these key muscle groups, the aztec push-ups turn out to be a great exercise that can improve strength, stability, and overall fitness. Incorporating this exercise into your regimen can assist you to build a strong, balanced physique and improve your athletic performance.

Aztec Push-Ups Progressions

Now that we’ve explored aztec push-ups, let’s talk about how to work up to performing them.

If you cannot perform the aztec push-ups, don’t worry most people can’t! But by practicing some progressions you can become one of the few who can do the aztec push-ups.

There are several aztec pushup progressions that you can incorporate into your workout routine to build up to the full exercise gradually.

Aztec push-ups require a significant amount of upper body strength and core stability, so it’s essential to train progressively to build the strength and mobility required for the exercise.

These progressions can help you build strength, stability, and flexibility in your shoulders, chest, core, and hips, which are crucial for performing the full aztec push-up safely and effectively. By gradually increasing the difficulty of the exercises, you’ll be able to progress toward the full aztec push-up without risking injury or overexerting yourself.

Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the aztec push-up progressions that you can do to build the strength and mobility required for the exercise.

Note: To move on to the next progression you need to make sure to master the previous progression. Mastering the progression here means being able to perform the exercise continuously in a single set for around 12-15 reps with no rest in between. You can master the progressions by incorporating them into your routine 2-3 times a week. Remember, if you are new to these types of explosive calisthenics exercises it can take you some time to get to the aztec push-ups, but by having patience and performing these progressions one by one you can reach your end goal.

Shoulder Tap Push-Ups

Shoulder tap push-ups are a challenging variation of the traditional pushup exercise that requires significant upper body strength and stability. This exercise involves performing a standard push-up while intermittently lifting one hand to tap the opposite shoulder before returning it to the starting position and repeating the process with the other hand.

Shoulder tap push-ups are an efficient approach to taregetting many muscle groups at the same time, including the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. They also require additional focus and concentration, making it an excellent exercise for improving balance and coordination.

So, if you are looking to build up your strength to the aztec push-ups mastering the shoulder tap push-ups can be a great start.

Exposlisve Push-Ups

Explosive push-ups are a sort of push-up exercise that centers on explosiveness, control, and speed. They involve quickly pushing your body off the ground and into the air, similar to a clap push-up but without the actual clap.

Explosive push-ups can be a viable way to increase your upper body strength, improve your control output, and enhance your overall athleticism.

In terms of aztec push-up progressions, explosive push-ups are a great way to work on developing the explosive power needed for the aztec push-up.

By practicing explosive push-ups, you can build up the necessary strength and speed to perform the aztec pushup with proper form and control. Incorporating explosive push-ups into your workout routine can also add variety to your exercises and challenge your body in new ways.

Clapping Push-Ups

Clapping push-ups, also known as plyometric push-ups, are a challenging variation of the traditional pushup. This explosive movement involves pushing yourself up with enough force to allow your hands to leave the ground and clap together before returning to the starting position.

Clapping push-ups are an excellent progression to aztec push-ups as they help build explosive power, strength, and endurance in the upper body, particularly in the chest, triceps, and shoulders. By performing clapping push-ups, you are also improving your overall athleticism, as this exercise requires a high level of coordination and body control.

However, it is important to note that clapping push-ups are an advanced exercise and should not be attempted by beginners or those with restricted upper body strength. It is essential to master the previous progressions first and then try to perform this exercise.

Knee Touch Push-Ups

Knee touch push-ups are another challenging variation of the standard pushup that requires you to touch your knee with your palms during the movement.

This exercise can help in targeting the upper body muscles, including the chest, shoulders, and triceps, and also engages the core and legs as well. This exercise isn’t that explosive but it is a great way to add variation and intensity to your push-up routine and help build strength, stability, and coordination in the upper body.

The knee touch push-up is an intermediate-level exercise and can be used as a progression to more advanced variations such as the aztec push-up. It requires a good level of upper body strength and stability and also challenges your coordination and balance.

Incorporating knee touch push-ups into your workout routine can help you improve your push-up form, increase your upper body strength, and ultimately progress towards more challenging exercises.

Also Read: Do Push-Ups Help With Pull-Ups? Unlocking The Connection

Knee Clap Push-Ups

Knee clap push-ups are a harder variation of the previous progression that involves clapping the hands with your knees while simultaneously bringing the knees up to the chest. This explosive movement requires strength and coordination, making it a great way to build explosive power in the upper body, core, and lower body.

Like other push-up variations, knee clap push-ups can be used as a progression to more advanced movements like the aztec pushup. By adding the explosive knee tuck and clap to the standard push-up, knee clap push-ups help to improve strength, power, and agility. They can also be used to challenge the cardiovascular system and help improve endurance.

Overall, knee clap push-ups are an effective way to take your push-up routine to the next level and are a great addition to any strength training program.

After you have mastered all the previous progressions, you should be able to perform at least a few reps of the aztec push-ups. We have already told you about how to perform the aztec push-ups, their benefits, and their muscles worked. So, what’s stopping you from adding this amazing exercise to your routine? Add this exceptional and advanced exercise to your regimen, and reap the benefits.

Conclusion

Aztec push-ups are a challenging but rewarding exercise that can help you build strength, improve your balance and stability, and target multiple muscle groups at once. By incorporating aztec push-ups into your workout routine, you can take your fitness journey to the next level and achieve your desired results.

Moreover, there are several progressions you can use to build up your strength and work your way toward performing the full aztec push-up. From shoulder tap push-ups to explosive push-ups, clapping push-ups, knee touch push-ups, and knee clap push-ups, each progression offers a unique challenge and can help you develop the necessary skills and strength to perform the aztec push up with ease.

Remember to always prioritize proper form and technique when performing aztec push-ups and their progressions. Keep it slow and steady, listen to your body, and gradually raise the effort as you grow more used to the movement.

Overall, aztec push-ups are a great addition to any workout routine and can help you reach your fitness goals. So, give them an attempt and see the difference they can make in your strength, endurance, and overall fitness.

Keep pushing yourself, stay consistent, and you will be flabbergasted at what you’ll achieve!

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Bhuvi

Bhuvi is a dedicated fitness expert with 7+ years of experience. He specializes in creating personalized workout plans and nutrition programs. Bhuvi's interest in health and wellness started at a young age, and he believes in the power of exercise and nutrition for a healthy body. He has also written several articles and blog posts on topics ranging from exercise and nutrition to mindfulness and self-care.