Home fitness gadgets are nothing new, but few experienced the level of success that Perfect Pushup did. You can pick this up in department stores like Bed Bath and Beyond for an Andrew Jackson, but before you do, it’s also good to see if it actually works. There’s not much to this device, it’s really just a pair of swiveling handles, but the genius lies in its simplicity.
Overview
Perfect Pushup received a lot of attention when it first debuted on television commercials. It looked simple enough and the buzz went around that it worked the way it said it did. The success of this product led to more by the same company, including the Perfect Sit Up and the Perfect Multi Gym.
The Claim
Perfect Fitness claims that because of the swivel motion, it’s a more natural movement for your body, like when you throw a punch or lift a free weight. This makes using it even more effective than an ordinary, standard push up.
The Hype
There’s not really much hype, other than this product falls into the category of a company trying to point out the inefficiencies of long-held tried and true methods of working out. Many people have done push ups, and even the armed forces use them as a form of punishment and strength training, so how can they be wrong? To convince people that push ups need enhancement requires a little bit of sensationalism.
The Cost
You can get the basic version that was originally sold on TV for $19.95 plus shipping. The newly released V2 is twice the price at $39.95, looks pretty much the same, but is said to have more features than the original. How they put enough new features in a similar looking product to justify double the price remains a mystery. Go with the original on this one and save your money.
The Commitment
Push ups are hard. There’s no way around it. Any exercise that has a special version for women should not be taken lightly. It works out several of your muscle groups at once, including biceps, triceps, your back muscles, shoulders, and of course your chest. When done properly, your body weight is all that’s needed to make doing multiple sets a major accomplishment.
Perfect Pushup will not make doing these any easier, in fact you might even notice that it’s harder to do a push up when you’re gripping the handles, because it forces you to maintain the proper position and movement throughout the exercise. You may get frustrated that you can only do less push ups when you use it. It’s important to remain positive and realize that it’s better to do 5 push ups the right way than 10 the wrong way.
Evaluation
Even though it doesn’t look like much, the Perfect Pushup is designed to help you stay in the proper position during a push up, and to swivel in a way that makes it more comfortable. Just because it looks simple, doesn’t mean it’s ineffective. Many personal trainers have their clients use these in gyms to give them a serious workout in a short period of time.
It’s important to note that this is not an end all to search for the perfect workout. It’s just a piece of the puzzle and can help you get and stay fit. It’s not a quick fix or a magic wand that will give you the perfect body in few short weeks, but you should see added strength gains through regular use, even more than you would by doing regular pushups alone.
Does Perfect Pushup Really Work?
Perfect pushup can’t not work. All it is is swiveling handles that keep your body in the right position so you don’t cheat or do the wrong form. By swiveling it makes sure that you are working out all of the muscle groups that you can, thereby getting the maximum effectiveness out of your pushups.
Our Recommendation
Push ups are a great workout, and Perfect Pushup will make sure that you’re doing them right and getting the most out of your exercise time. By incorporating push ups into an overall workout regimen, you’ll see good results. Push ups alone probably won’t give you the body of your dreams, but when you combine them with a proper diet, weight training, aerobic workouts, you get the complete package.
This product is recommended for those that have a history of training and fitness behind them, but have fallen behind in their working out. It’s not recommended for those just starting out in the world of fitness, as push ups are an exercise that’s hard to make a habit out of. Start with something less strenuous and demanding until you reach moderate levels of fitness.
I looks like something to assist you in doing push-ups but if it’s more challenging like psychosinger mentioned, I wonder how it will work on me. One of the most difficult forms of workout for me to do is push-ups because I can never seem to get my body to push down where I need it to. But I’m sure it’s to have to help improve your ability to do push-ups. But I’m sure it could make the perfect complement to your workout overall. On the other hand, $40 is a bit steep but if you can get results from then why not try it out!
My husband purchased one of the Perfect Pushup sets and (wow!) it really does make for the most difficult, but rewarding, push ups I have ever seen. Like the previous commenter if you are normally doing 20-30 push ups, the Perfect Pushup will probably only see you make it to 15. The swiveling effect can take your workout to an entirely new level that your normal body weight and strength could never provide. The cost is reasonable if you are going for the original version. $40 for a new version does not really seem worth it and its previous copy works just fine.
I purchased this and got exactly what I was expecting.. A dramatic, more challenging pushup. Not only are you lifting yourself from a higher start point, but on your descent you can drop lower since the handles are higher than the ground itself. Increased range of motion is always good.
I’m not amazingly fit but can normally do about 20-30 pushups at one time. With the perfect pushup though, I am struggling to get to 15. My upper arms are burning by then. It’s a tad uncomfortable with the handles; even though the handles are cushioned.
It’s not for everyone but you will surely feel the burn after just one set.