Walking Lizard Push-Up

The Walking Lizard Push-Up: A Unique Exercise for Full-Body Strength

Are you searching for a dynamic workout routine that targets multiple muscle groups while also improving your cardiovascular fitness? Look no further than the Walking Lizard Push-Up. Combining the benefits of a traditional push-up with the added challenge of stability and mobility, this exercise engages your entire body, helping you build strength and improve performance. In this article, we will delve into the various benefits of the Walking Lizard Push-Up, discuss how to properly perform the exercise, and highlight some variations to add variety to your routine.

The Benefits of the Walking Lizard Push-Up

1. Full-Body Engagement: Unlike traditional push-ups that primarily focus on the chest, shoulders, and triceps, the Walking Lizard Push-Up engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously. This exercise targets not only the chest, shoulders, and triceps, but also the core, glutes, quadriceps, and hip muscles. By incorporating so many muscle groups, this exercise promotes overall strength and stability.

2. Increased Core Strength: As you perform the Walking Lizard Push-Up, you engage your core muscles to stabilize your body. This constant engagement not only strengthens your abs but also improves your overall balance and stability.

3. Enhanced Mobility: The Walking Lizard Push-Up is a dynamic exercise that requires movement between positions. This movement helps improve your joint mobility, especially in the shoulders and hips. By regularly practicing this exercise, you can increase your range of motion and reduce the risk of injury during other activities.

4. Improved Cardiovascular Fitness: Performing the Walking Lizard Push-Up at a brisk pace elevates your heart rate, making it an effective cardiovascular exercise. This added cardio component helps boost your endurance, burns calories, and promotes overall fitness.

How to Perform the Walking Lizard Push-Up

To properly execute the Walking Lizard Push-Up, follow these instructions:

1. Starting Position: Begin in a traditional push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, core engaged, and your feet together.

2. Push-Up: Perform a push-up by bending your elbows, lowering your chest towards the ground while keeping your body in a straight line. Aim to descend until your chest is about an inch off the ground, or as low as you can comfortably go while maintaining proper form.

3. Step Forward: After completing a push-up, step your right foot to the outside of your right hand, bringing your right knee towards your right elbow. Ensure your right foot is placed firmly on the ground.

4. Return: Move your right foot back to the starting position, aligning it with your left foot. Perform another push-up, then step forward with your left foot. Repeat this sequence, alternating legs with each step.

5. Repetition: Aim to perform 10-12 repetitions on each leg, gradually increasing the number of reps as your strength improves.

Variations of the Walking Lizard Push-Up

To add variety and challenge to your routine, consider trying these variations of the Walking Lizard Push-Up:

1. Elevated Feet: Place your feet on an elevated surface, such as a step or a stability ball, to increase the difficulty of the exercise. This variation engages your upper body muscles even more and intensifies the core challenge.

2. Rotational Reach: After completing a push-up, as you step forward with your right foot, lift your left hand off the ground and rotate your torso towards the right. Return your left hand to the ground before moving your right foot back to the starting position. This variation incorporates rotational movement, engaging your obliques and enhancing spinal mobility.

3. Single-Arm Reach: Instead of placing both hands on the ground, perform the Walking Lizard Push-Up by placing one hand on the ground and the other on an elevated surface, such as a yoga block. This variation increases the load on one side of the upper body and challenges your stability.

Conclusion

The Walking Lizard Push-Up is a unique exercise that combines the benefits of a traditional push-up with stability and mobility challenges. By engaging multiple muscle groups simultaneously, this exercise enhances full-body strength, improves core stability, increases joint mobility, and boosts cardiovascular fitness. Remember to maintain proper form and gradually increase the difficulty as your fitness level improves. Incorporate variations to keep your routine exciting and challenging. Start incorporating the Walking Lizard Push-Up into your workout regimen, and you will soon reap the numerous rewards it has to offer.