Men's Fitness UK

THE POWER OF PRESS-UPS

Lockdown was all about getting back to basics.

Some started baking sourdough; others rediscovered the joys of jigsaw puzzles. And many, deprived of being able to go to the gym, turned back to press-ups to keep in shape.

It makes sense: press-ups were man’s go-to bodyweight exercise long before dumbbells were created, with fans ranging from soldiers in the Ancient Indian army to the Roman emperor Constantine. Yet with all the recent advances in fitness tech and gym equipment, the press-up had fallen by the wayside in favour of bulkier weights-focused options.

With some scientific evidence and plenty of professional expertise, however, you can turn this unassuming bodyweight exercise into the lynchpin of a total-body transformation. So take a moment to consider the power of the press-up – you might just find the only gym you need is right beneath your feet.

ILL-GOTTEN GAINS

Long before lockdown started, press-ups were the go-to muscle-building move for the locked-up. That’s why, when a young Tom Hardy landed the lead

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