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Colorado Motocross Magazine Training Tips

Push Up Rows

This movement is one of the more challenging exercises around today. It is definitely an advanced motion, and I do not suggest just walking into any gym and trying it unless you have a solid one year strength and conditioning foundation in place. Excellent form and body awareness are essential in all resistance movements, but as the exercises become more challenging, perfect form is a necessity. Because this movement involves a tremendous amount of “CORE” strength and Shoulder Stability, I recommend going extremely light (5–7lbs) the first time you try this exercise. Once you have perfected the motion, then you can begin to challenge yourself with heavier weights.

Push Up Row Step 1

STEP 1: Start out in a push up position with your hands firmly grasping a set of dumbbells. The dumbbells should run parallel with you body.


Push Up Row Step 2

STEP 2: Do a push up. Slowly lower your body towards the floor until you chest passes in between the dumbbells.

STEP 3: Once your chest has almost reached the ground the ground, push your body weight back up, just as if you were doing a push up.


Push Up Row Step 3

STEP 4: As you rise from the floor, shift all of your body weight and tension to your left arm, and begin to raise the opposite dumbbell off the ground toward your chest in a classic ROW motion. Make sure you do not bend at the waist or stick you butt out when executing the ROW motion. This is should all be one motion. No pushing up and stopping, then trying to do the dumbbell ROW. Make sure you are fluid and working in a continuous motion.

STEP 5: After you have completed the ROW, place the dumbbell back to its starting position and start over from the beginning, only this time switch which arm you perform the classic ROW motion with.

STEP 6: Continue alternating arms and doing push ups for sixty seconds. This is not an exercise you are going to count reps on. It is a timed exercise, and should be challenging from the time you begin. The longest I’ve seen a rider last doing this motion non-stop without the slightest rest is five minutes and twenty-three seconds. Good Luck!

Helpful Hints with the Push Up Row: If you have weak shoulders or wrists, I recommend doing this motion without the dumbbells at first. This will help you develop the necessary tendon, ligament, and stabilization strength necessary to eventually graduate to the dumbbells. Most riders fairly new to training start out this way. It is also important to realize with this or any other exercise that if you have to swing or use momentum to lift the weights, you should use lighter weights or try an exercise that is not as challenging. If you have any questions concerning MX Conditioning please contact me at: shane@ngumx.com.