When someone first lays eyes on the Total Gym there is not even a remote
chance they are going to visualize Total Gym knee tuck push-ups. In any event,
the knee tuck push up is a great exercise which integrates the core and upper
body pushing muscles. It can be a little tricky to set up for this exercise and
you may require you to remove the leg platform from the Total gym beforehand as
well.
To set up properly, set up the Total Gym bench on a low level and slide
bench up so it has room to move a couple feet in each direction. Once you
put your feet on it, you can perform the exercise by performing a knee tuck,
which is basically a reverse crunch with a motion similar to the
hanging leg raise (although you are in a completely different
position). At the end of your knee tuck, perform a standard push-up.
As with all resistance
training exercises you must keep proper form to get the most
benefits from your work in the gym. In the Total Gym knee tuck push-up the
most important part of the form is at your hips and lower back which must
remain in a neutral alignment (do not let your hips sag towards the floor,
arching your back) by keeping your core tight. You can use this exercise for
any chest workout or as part of a dynamic warm-up for more advanced
exercisers.
