I never got it.
Similar to Parzival, I’ve been searching for this holy grail of pushups foraging through deserted deserts, fuming swamps and orc infested caves. To no avail. Maybe the last one seems a bit far fetched, but the local baron did erect an eviction notice.
And after tens of thousands of (bosomically suboptimal) repetitions, destiny finally deigned to grant its fickle grace. The answer appeared to me in a dream.
So why should you care?
Obviously, a good studio might have a selection of decent machines capable of targeting all your upper, lower, inner or occult chesticles. And talented athletes always use your basic dumbbells for some flyes, which, along with heavy pressing seems to be more than enough for many trainees.
But what if you don’t enjoy access to a studio because a Russian invasion brought us neo Covid?
Or maybe it doesn’t work for you?
Maybe you’re just like me and you like to keep it spartan from time to time?
Maybe you just like the pushup?
Pushups are time-tested, after all. However, the anterior delt always gets the brunt of the exercise, no matter which variation you try. Either that, or the chest gets only a partial stretch, usually at the bottom - which is great, don’t get me wrong. Other variations seem to get it right but there’s always something missing.
Still, in all my years I never found a not too crazy pushup which lets me feel the pectorials initiate, engage throughout the exercise, push real weight and also enjoy a nice stretch while providing plenty of TUT.
Well, now I do.
Enter the Cuneus Pushup.
Here’s how my solution works and you only need the most trivial of equipment pieces for it: Two simple squat wedges are enough. You could also use a Yoga Foam Wedge aka calf stretcher for less than ten bucks. Basically the same thing for our purposes. Frugal characters may carve their own little wedges in the shed, whatever.
You just need two stable platforms of the right height (about four inches in my case), where, assuming it’s basic pushup form, the thumb will be situated higher than the pinky because of the mini incline.
That’s it.
There’s no inherent wobbliness like with so many gimmicky variations we ripped off from Rocky’s training camps. It’s a rock-solid chest push exercise.
Fabio will have to move into the poor house.
Enjoy the pump!