Muscle & Fitness Australia - Issue 352 - June 2017

20 MUSCLE & FITNESS JUNE 2017

Explode back up,

workingtokeepthe

bar from tilting forwards

or backwards.

GROOMING BY ALEXA GOULD

HOWTODOIT

Placea20-kilo

plateon each

sideofthebar.Getin

apush-upposition

with your hands in the

middle of each handle.

Allow yourself to

stabilise,then lower

yourself, keeping your

core tight and your

back straight, until your

arms break parallel.

QUICK

TIP

There are countless

ways to execute

push-ups, so if the

hex bar’s wider grip

causes shoulder

discomfort, abandon

this version. Listen

to your body.

What the hex?

The hex bar can

be used for more

than deadlifts,

including joint-

friendly push-ups.

BY ANDREW GUTMAN

MOST PEOPLE SAVE
the hex bar – aka the trap
bar – only for deadlifts. A
smart move, considering
that its hexagonal design
and elevated handles allow
taller lifters to pull from a
more comfortable distance,
with the weight sitting at
their sides, as opposed to
in front, which is more
mechanically natural. But
the hex bar can be used
for more exercises than
just the deadlift, such as
floor presses, farmer’s
walks, bentover rows and
push-ups.
With push-ups, adding
plates to the hex bar causes
the bar to tilt forwards and
backwards, forcing you
to stabilise yourself, leading
to “increased activation
in your core and triceps,“
explains trainer Eric Pellini.
What’s more, the neutral
grip (palms facing each
other) helps alleviate wrist
pain compared with the
discomfort someone might
experience when doing
standard push-ups with the
wrists flexed. Performing
push-ups on your knuckles
or parallette bars will also
allow for a neutral hand
position, but you won’t
achieve the same level
of core activation.

EDGAR ARTIGA

12 3

TRAIN MOVE OF THE MONTH