The MacFadden Pushup

[fredhutch]

This is one of my favorite chest exercises, I learned it from one of Bernarr MacFadden's books, can't remember which one, never seen it anywhere else although others have probably thought of it too, I call it the MacFadden pushup. It's kind of like a bodyweight version of the pec-deck: your feet (or knees) are on the floor, your arms are arranged comfortably so that with movement only at the shoulder joint, you push yourself off the floor, your hands and the full length of the forearms remain on the floor. You will only go up six inches or so, but it hits the pectorals really directly. 

You can do this one off the feet or knees depending on your strength level, and I also have found I can do these one arm at a time. And you can use any style of training you want, normal tempo, slow or super slow,  hold at the top with an all-out flex, and so on. One of my favorite things to do with this is do pre-exhaustion, as many MacFadden's as you can followed immediately by regular pushups, using the fresh triceps and shoulders to push the tired pectorals farther. And yes there is also post-exhaustion (compound exercise followed by isolation) and double pre-exhaustion (compound, isolation, compound triset). A real favorite. 

[brothersteve]

Good one fredhutch!

In one of Bob Kennedy's (the inventor of Pre-Exhaust) books he tells of a similar exercise to pre-ex the lats and it's on dip bars - while up on dip bars stay as straight up tall as possible with elbows locked and only using the shoulders do a shrug. It's the same 6 or so inch range of motion and the resistance hits the lats nicely.

[Michael]

Nice and creative stuff guys! Tried this pushup today, it's a keeper.

[stormshadow]

Fred fantastic. I then rested my arms on two folded towels and did the pec deck motion sliding my arms together on the ground. It was excellent too. More range of motion. You are lying prone with arms bent and as you do the pec deck your body moves up and down as your arms approach each other. I don't need it now but if you get really strong I was thinking of putting a bull worker down and crushing it with the elbow joints.


Thank you

[fredhutch]

Just thought I would bump this one since Bruv mentioned on the twister thread that he needed an alternative to the chest fly. Still one of my favorites.

[BigBruvOfEnglandUK]

Is this done in a bent arm plank position, lowering the body down and then pushing back up using only the pecs?

[fredhutch]

Bruv, you start lying full length on the floor facedown, upper arms on floor straight out to sides at shoulder height, elbows bent comfortably so forearms are also on floor, forearms are angled in toward each other, now simply push arms against floor with pectoral action, forearms stay on floor, chest goes up a few inches. Could call it a plank type exercise if you want to and it does work the abs but the point of doing it is the pecs. Hope this makes it clear.

[BigBruvOfEnglandUK]

I said in the other thread that even the weaniest of weight irritates my right shoulder in the chest fly and you are telling me to lift my body off the floor in a similar movement. Do you want me to wreck my shoulder completely?
Honestly even a 2 kgs weight makes my right shoulder sore so there's no way I'm trying that exercise, Fred m8.

[Michael]

Did You try it leaving Your knees on the floor? I know Fred said forearms are angled in towards each other. maybe he meant parallel? I just did them on a wood floor, so there is no friction. I did some from the knees and some from my feet. Felt it in my chest, no shoulder.

[BigBruvOfEnglandUK]

I tried not doing it at all. It seemed the safest option, Michael m8

[fredhutch]

Sorry Bruv m8, didn't understand that such would make you worse. Me I have a very bad left shoulder but I can do the MacFadden pushup with impunity.

[TexasRanger]

Jan 29, 2024 6:31:32 GMT BigBruvOfEnglandUK said:

I tried not doing it at all. It seemed the safest option, Michael m8

Brilliant!! 

Read the description and felt the same way -- so many of the old BW (and even recent) moves were gimmicks.  Quote from Mr. JeP himself...

[Michael]

I consider Fred a friend. Just because someone can do an exercise that others can't doesn't always make it a gimmick. Maybe You guys didn't understand how Fred described it or don't want to do it, that's ok. You don't have to, no one is forcing You. It is smart not to do something You think is going to hurt You. It didn't hurt or bother me at all, had no problem doing it. Thanks Fred.

[mr potatohead]

[BigBruvOfEnglandUK]

Jan 30, 2024 2:03:54 GMT Michael said:

I consider Fred a friend. Just because someone can do an exercise that others can't doesn't always make it a gimmick. Maybe You guys didn't understand how Fred described it or don't want to do it, that's ok.

I do understand what Fred said but I am not going to do the exercise knowing full well that it's going to irritate the fuck out of my shoulder. As I said above, a 2 kgs dumbbell fly will make my shoulder ache after a few reps so how do you think my shoulder is going to feel doing the same movement lifting my bodyweight off the floor, m8?