If You Had To Pick Only One...

Just for fun, what's your favourite pulling and pushing exercise (dynamic or static) that you'd stick to if you could only pick two exercises to build your strength?

Mine are:

Front pulls

HSPU (or Bowers if I could do them!)

To assume I had the strength to do them, pelicans and butterflies. (cuz I'd look like a badass )

Pull: FL pull to victorian or front lever rows

Push: BL>maltese>planche or planche push-ups

I know it's not in the spirit of your question, but if I could only do one exercise of each (for a month... a year?) I would go nowhere and wouldn't even bother.

Well, I still would because I'm a sick exercise addict, but I shouldn't.

Deadlifts (with a barbell) and handstand pushups.

Haha I'm surprised by some of the answers I am getting! I suppose maybe I should have just asked "what is your favourite push/pull exercise...."

Favourite push is weighted squats, favourite pull is front lever pullups or something like that.

I chose DLs and HSPU because they're very functional movements. HSPU has tremendous carryover to overhead pressing and gives you good coordination. DL is useful for sprinting speed and picking up heavy stuff.

i'll let you know when i can do more than a knee pushup

Toast said:

To assume I had the strength to do them, pelicans and butterflies. (cuz I'd look like a badass )

there's no words for the horror on my face when i google searched pelicans. That is an insane pushup.

Come to mind in gymnastics would be IC and MU.

But I guess DL and HSPU would be good.

Clean and Jerk...Come on folks.

I think MU doesn't count since it's CPP. CnJ likewise.

Rik de Kort said:

I think MU doesn't count since it's CPP. CnJ likewise.

whoopsies! what if I just chose 1 CPP. Maybe just rope climbs and deadlifts. I'd rather be a monster puller anyway.

Ropeclimb

Hsp

Ropeclimbes with straddled legs

Definitely rope climb for the pulling... pushing would probably be one arm handstand.

Hmm, the more I think about it the more I might have to agree that rope climbs are the single best pulling exercise, since they focus on developing 1-arm pulling strength. I like front pulls since they incorporate both dynamic pulling and a disadvantaged lever position. Maybe front pulls and rope climbs can some how be combined into a frankenstein pulling movement though!

I don't know many gymnastics movements yet. Mine are muscle ups with minimal kipping (pull and push both - does that count?) and diamond push-ups.

I don't know many gymnastics movements yet. Mine are muscle ups with minimal kipping (pull and push both - does that count?) and diamond push-ups.

What are bowers?

amos said:

What are bowers?

Essentially it's a HSPU where you lower down into a bent-arm planche position, and then back. It can also be referred to as a 90 degree pushup.

Insane.

I'm looking forward to starting rope climbs. Been delaying on ordering a rope but now's the time

But I enjoy tuck FL rows and HeSPU the most. That's just what I enjoy. Not necessarily the best.

After reading this I thought I'd see what pelicans were and give them a try:

Well I just tried the basic one and I couldn't even do 2...from my knees...with piked hips!

Those things smash your biceps

Can someone describe what a pelican is? I googled it but found nothing but birds.

Look up pelican push-ups on YouTube. First video.

Gymnastics: Press handstand from L-straddle

Non-gymnastics: Clean & jerk

Fuck yeah!!!