Why Do We Need Knuckle Push-up?

Knuckle Push-up?

A push-up is a common strength training exercise performed in a prone position, lying horizontal and face down, raising and lowering the body using the arms (wikipedia). Push-ups are one of the most traditional exercises used to get stronger and in better condition. Traditional push-ups are done with your hands flat on the ground and in a position about shoulder-width apart. 

Push ups are a basic exercise used in civilian athletic training or physical education and, especially, in military physical training and will develop the pectoral muscles and triceps, with ancillary benefits to the deltoids, serratus anterior, coracobrachialis and the midsection as a whole. Push-ups are done in various ways with the weight of the body. To some, they come easy, while others struggle to do just one. One of the variations involves doing them on your knuckles. These style of push-ups are most often utilized by boxers and martial artists.

The benefit

Many people says that this style is extreme. Actually, what is the benefit of doing this "knuckle push-up"? Why martial artists do this kind of push up?

The hardened knuckle skin, picture from: Book-Mas Oyama essential karate pg 209

Here is the list of what your body can take benefit by doing the knuckle push-up:

·    Knuckles: The knuckles will become tougher and the skin will get harder on them. . As you get used to doing knuckle push-ups, your skin in that area will become calloused. This will help your when you throw a series of power punches, its prevent your hands from getting sore when you throw a lot of punches. Standard push-ups will not give you this advantage.

·    Wrists: Your wrists will also become stronger. This can reduce your chances of suffering a sprain or twist. Doing knuckle push-ups also takes pressure off of your wrists compared with a traditional push-up. Because you are putting so much pressure on your knuckles when doing knuckle push-ups, your wrists have to do much of the work. This will help get your wrists significantly stronger and more powerful. This helps the martial artist when blocking kicks and punches and also helps when you deliver hard punches. It also helps you throw a punch and don't hit your opponent with a sharp blow. Standard push-ups help build strength in the wrists but not as much as knuckle push-ups.

·  Forearms: Whenever you make a fist, your forearm muscles are contracting. Doing knuckle push-ups will isometrically contract your forearms, causing them to become stronger. This will help your forearms to get much stronger in that area in a shorter period of time. Push-ups will build arm strength, but more of it will be focused in the shoulders than in the lower arms. Its improve your grip strength.

·   Triceps:  Being that you are on your knuckles, there is less contact area with the floor. This will make your triceps work harder, which can make them stronger. 

·   Chest: When you do knuckle push-ups in good form, your fists are straight under your shoulders. This narrow set-up will help you build more strength in your chest. Standard push-ups will be done with your hands having a wider set. The wide set will build strength in your chest but not as effectively as push-ups done with the hands closer to the frame of the body.

Do the push-up properly

First make sure you fold your finger into fist correctly. See the picture below for further information about folding your fingers.

The correct finger folding , picture from: Mas Oyama Essential Karate pg. 13

Please be sure to do this type of push up on a padded mat, plush carpet or even better a rolled up towel. You can use a padded mat like the mat for doing yoga exercise (yoga mat). They are easy to find in sports equipment stores nearby. When you do knuckle push-ups, your weight is centered on a small area of your hands. Make sure that your hips neither protrude nor sag when doing this exercise.

As you do those push-ups, you may become fatigued, and there is a chance you could lose your balance and slip out of position. The fatigue in your hands and arms may not allow you to protect yourself when you fall, and thus the possibility of injury is greater.[MHS]

Reference:

http://hundredpush-ups.com/index.html

http://www.livestrong.com/push-ups/

Mas Oyama, 1979, Mas oyama Essential karate, Sterling Publishing: New York.
Wikipedia