Fitness Expert Explains Push vs. Pull Exercises
As seen in a聽聽article,聽Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences聽Alexander Rothstein, Ed.D., explains the difference between 鈥減ush鈥� and 鈥減ull鈥� exercises, and how to incorporate them into a weekly workout regimen.
While push exercises鈥攍ike bench press, push-ups, and squats鈥攅ngage arm or leg muscles as weight is driven away from the body, pull movements鈥攕uch as biceps curls, pull-ups, and deadlifts鈥攂ring weight toward the body, says Rothstein, who adds that the weight can be pushed or pulled either horizontally or vertically. Daily workouts can include both push and pull movements, or gym goers can dedicate one day to push exercises and another day to pull work; both options are an effective plan for training muscle groups, Rothstein notes.