What Are Bulgarian Push-ups
Bulgarian push-ups are a variation of push-ups done on gymnastics rings by bringing the rings together at the top and flaring them out at the bottom.
Muscles Worked By Bulgarian Push-ups
Bulgarian push-ups preferentially target the chest while because of the exaggerated abduction and adduction that is part of the exercise.
The exercise also actively works the shoulders, triceps and serratus anterior like other push-ups variations while working the glutes, quads and abs in isometric contraction.
How to Do Bulgarian Push-ups
Bulgarian push-ups are a dynamic push-up movement that combines wide and close grip push-ups in one movement.
Equipment Required For Bulgarian Push-ups
To perform Bulgarian push-ups you’ll need some equipment.
The best piece of equipment for Bulgarian push-ups are gymnastics rings.
Gymnastics ring allow for free movement of the hands during Bulgarian push-ups which other pieces of equipment do not.
This free hand movement is critical to the proper execution of Bulgarian push-ups because it allows for free abduction and adduction of the shoulder joint during the exercise.
But if you don’t have access to gymnastics rings, you can still perform Bulgarian push-ups using:
1. Furniture sliders
2. Socks on you hands
3. Towels on the ground
Bulgarian Push-up From:
To do Bulgarian push-ups:
1. Take a narrow grip on the gymnastics rings, coasters or whatever piece of equipment you choose to use from the list above.
2. Get into the high plank position by stacking your shoulders above your elbows and wrists and squeezing your glutes, quads and abs.
3. Take a deep breath and lower your chest and torso to the floor while pulling the rings apart. Make sure to keep forearms at a 90 degree angle with respect to the ground.
4. From the bottom, exhale while pushing yourself back to the starting position while turning the rings out and bringing them close to each other at the top.
Congratulations on doing your first Bulgarian push-up.
Common Errors When Performing Bulgarian Push-ups
The most common errors when performing Bulgarian push-ups are:
1. Opening the elbows at the bottom of the movement – Pulling the rings apart too wide so that your elbows are no longer perpendicular to the floor reduces triceps activation. If this happens, you’re performing ring flys instead of Bulgarian push-ups. To ensure this doesn’t happen, keep your elbows perpendicular to the floor throughout the exercise.
2. Flaring the elbows out too wide – Flaring the elbows out during Bulgarian push-ups increases shoulder adduction, which is desirable for chest involvement during the exercise. But excessive shoulder flaring can cause excessive stress on the shoulder joint. Thus, caution is required when flaring the elbows out being 45-60 degrees during Bulgarian push-ups. To be safe, start the exercise with minimal elbow flare before experimenting with larger degrees of elbow flare. In fact, you can still reap the benefits of Bulgarian push-ups by doing regular ring push-ups and turning the rings out and bringing them together at the top of the movement.
Benefits Of Bulgarian Push-ups
The main benefit of Bulgarian push-ups is the ability to preferentially target the chest, while still working the shoulders, triceps and serratus anterior.
That’s because Bulgarian push-ups combine two different push-ups into one single movement – diamond push-ups and wide grip push-ups.
Bringing the rings together at the top of the push-up increases peak contraction in the chest, while pulling the rings apart at the end of the exercise increases abduction. This means that Bulgarian push-ups offer maximum adduction and abduction of all push-up variations.
Variations Of Bulgarian Push-ups
There are several variations of Bulgarian push-ups that can be attempted by beginners, intermediates and advanced trainees alike:
Beginner Bulgarian push-up variations:
1. Knee Bulgarian push-ups
2. Incline Bulgarian push-ups
Intermediate Bulgarian Push-up Variations:
1. Paused Bulgarian Push-ups
Advanced Bulgarian Push-up Variations:
1. Weighted Bulgarian Push-ups
2. Decline Bulgarian Push-ups
Alternatives to Bulgarian Push-ups
The following are the main bodyweight alternatives to Bulgarian push-ups:
1. Bulgarian Dips
2. Ring Flys
Conclusion:
Bulgarian push-ups are one of the best chest building exercises when it comes to calisthenics.
That’s because Bulgarian push-ups take the chest muscles through a deep stretch, large range of abduction and peak contraction (adduction) thereby building muscle and strength in a large range of motion that is not available to other exercise. All this while also building the shoulder, triceps and serratus anterior during the exercise.