The Half-Typewriter Pushup Countup Attacks Your Chest From All Angles
The classic pushup works your chest in one standard direction. But what if you could challenge your chest in more ways, racking up pushup reps and time-under-tension all at once?
You'll do that in the half-typewriter pushup countup, an anytime-anywhere chest pump move from Men's Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. It's a vicious, bodyweight move that builds serious muscle, and it does so in a unique way. "Unlike standard pushups," says Samuel, "you work your chest in multiple planes with this countup. You work in the plane directly in front of you on each archer pushup-style rep. But you're also building lateral chest and shoulder stability as you slide across."
And you're still piling up reps, too, enough to take each side of your pecs to the limit. This is a unilateral move, so just one side of your chest has to handle the majority of the work during each set. That side of your chest gets pushed to the edge by a combination of pushup reps and lateral stability work.
"It's a challenging combination," says Samuel, "but it still prioritizes the chest-building potency of the archer pushup."
You balance both elements in a format that delivers tension on each. Each half-typewriter motion challenges your chest's lateral stability and takes a few moments to get through. Then you get pushup reps to build classic strength under bodyweight unilateral load. The end result leaves your chest fried. And the best part: You can do it anywhere with no equipment at all.
Set up in pushup position, then shift both hands out slightlly and turn your fingers out. This is the start.
Lower down into an archer pushup, keeping your right arm straight and shifting your torso to the left side, bending your left elbow. Your core and glutes should stay tight.
Slide your chest across the ground, keeping it an inch from the ground, until you're halfway between left and right arms. Slide it back to the left.
Press up. That's 1 rep.
Repeat, except this time, when you press up, do 2 reps. Repeat this process, adding an archer pushup rep each time, until you've done 4 reps at once. Push for 5 if you can.
That's 1 set; do 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per side.
You can use the half-typewriter pushup countup in a variety of ways in your training. Use it when you just need a super-quick chest pump on a Friday night. Or use it as a finisher in a chest or total-body workout. "It's perfect in these situations," says Samuel, "challenging you to move your own bodyweight but loading enough to provide challenge for muscle growth." Or use it as a key exercise in a full-body bodyweight session.
No matter how you use it, count on seeing plenty of chest growth.
For more tips and routines from Samuel, check out our full slate of Eb and Swole workouts. If you want to try an even more dedicated routine, consider Eb's New Rules of Muscle program.
You Might Also Like
