We utilize this exercise extensively for our pitchers because of the higher demands on core stabilizers as well as scapular stabilizers.
The pecs are often over dominant in athletes yet still require some stimulus due to their importance. This movement allows our athletes to train the pushup pattern but is secretly just as much of a scapular exercise requiring high demands from the scap and shoulder stabilizers.
We get more birds with just one stone in this movement:
- Push-up Pattern
- Serratus Involvement
- Core Stability
- Scapular Stabilizers
The addition of a lateral walk to a push-up requires added stability throughout the core while the arms and legs are moving. Anytime a joint or series of joints are moving, adjacent joints stabilizing. In this case the shoulders and hips are mobilizing while the core stabilizes. These patterns repeat themselves in all avenues of not only sport, but movement in general. The band resistance adds an element of strength and control for the scapular stabilizers as the arm moves throughout horizontal abduction.
We take 3 steps between push-up reps with the outside hand always starting the movement. When the outside hand moves first it places the hand inside the frame of the body vs stepping with the inside hand first and moving outside the body. It always finishes with the hands back in position for a push-up vs having to adjust to perform a push-up. Generally, we do sets of 5-8 reps each side.