FRI: “Behind the Whiteboard” – The Basics of Push-Pull

Proper muscle pairing in a list of movements is good programming 101. It doesn’t always need to be followed (in fact to create beneficial over compensation it very often shouldn’t), but it should drive the majority of movement pairing if you want to get the maximum amount of returns from a given time domain.

In the case of today, we have the “push-pull” combination in first tier structure and muscle building: The bench press (push) into the renegade row (pull).

The reason this kind of pairing can be very effective is that it will engage every upper body prime mover and many of the stabilizers in one swift combination. The push will typically target the chest, triceps, and front part of the shoulder. The pull will typically target the back, biceps, and rear part of the shoulder. A yin and yang working in near perfect harmony.

If you were to take a crash test dummy and with a magic marker, color it’s upper body of everything that is worked in that combination, you’d have a nearly completely covered dummy.

We use similar benefit in a lot of our circuit pairings.

Pull
Squat
Push
Hinge

In the majority of our training, we don’t want you to spend too much in a fatigue state. We want you to be moving, not recovering (save for obvious strength tiers).

As fancy and big worded as fitness is becoming, these principles are proven and will never lose benefit. Today’s rendition of that is manifested in tier one push pull. See how many you can find in a given week.

-Dave

First. For Structure

5 Bench Press @ 70-85%
3/s Heavy Renegade Row
8 Straight Leg MB Sit Ups
*Work for 16’
—
Then. For Conditioning.
10 Staggered Stance Swings
10 DB Suitcase Squat Cleans
10 Plyo Skaters
(x10’)
*Coach’s call 150m Sprint