Try This Press-up Combo to Get a Super Quick Chest Pump
There's never a bad time to get a great pump, but when your window of opportunity is limited, sometimes all it takes is a few press-ups to get your chest thumping.
Take this archer press-up to press-up count-up series. The whole workout requires just slightly more than a dozen reps to complete, but you will certainly work to get that much-desired chest pump with each and every rep, says Men’s Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel.
What makes the archer press-up such an effective and challenging chest move for both novices and gym vets is that it forces one side of your body to work at a time, loading up all of your bodyweight on one side of your chest. This is a tough task, but it's an exercise sure to help facilitate some upper chest size and strength — and as an added bonus, if you're strict with your form, you'll hit your core as well.
The standard press-up within the finisher forces you to keep you working, but at the same time allows you to take a slight “break” from the aggressive challenge each archer press-up rep presents.
“It's a recipe that will take your chest to the limit and attack your abs more than you think,” Samuel says. “I like it as a finisher in a chest workout, or as a quick chest pump whenever I need one with bodyweight anytime, anywhere.”
How to Do the Archer Press-up to Press-up Count Up
Start off in a solid position for an archer press-up. Start in a standard press-up position, squeezing your glutes and abs, then shift both hands out so that they're wider than shoulder-width apart. Turn your palms so your fingers point out, away from your torso.
Performing an archer press-up rep by lowering your weight down to one side, keeping the opposite arm straight. Pause when your face is near the ground, then press up.
After completing one rep, “jump” your hands back to a standard press-up position. Perform one press-up.
Shift your hands back out to the archer position, this time working the opposite side for one rep.
From there, work back to the first side and bang out two archer reps, followed by a single press-up. Continue this cycle until you reach three reps on each side.
If this isn't tough enough, go for an additional round or two, but after these three rounds—15 reps total — your upper body should be smoked much more than you might think.
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