You may ask yourself why hand release push ups are harder than regular pushups?
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Hand release push-ups will give you much stronger pectoral contraction than a regular push-up. When you are doing hand release push-ups, each rep starts from a “dead” position where there is no contraction in the prime movers.
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During a regular push-up, the stretch reflex and pre-activation of the muscles contribute to force production at the beginning. Hand release push-ups give you 10% more range of motion than regular push-ups which is significant for muscle building.
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When doing hand release push-ups you lose the tension you built up and the rebound effect of muscles. You are also forced to complete the full push-up movement when doing them hand released versus regular pushups. Hand release pushups are a great way to help you improve your pushup game since the hand release push ups help to break down each stage of the movement.
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Hand release pushups are a step up from a regular pushup and they will challenge you to increase force production off the ground which will help you build arm strength. It also helps strengthen your shoulders and core and can help aid in tons of other shoulder pressing exercises.
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Try a hand release pushup and see how it feels!