First, we need to set stage for this version of push-up.

To begin with, exercises that move your body rather than weight (such as push-up) have been shown to fire more muscle fibers than exercises that move weight rather than your body (such as bench press). This means that push-up has potential to activate a lot of muscle fibers.

Next, we know that exercising in an unstable environment also increases muscle fiber activation. This is because your body compensates for instability by firing more muscle fibers in order to stabilize resistance. Anyone who’s run barefoot on sand knows tremendous work your calves get from it. The same concept is put to work in this exercise.

* NOTE: Effective exercise requires progression, and that is essential for learning to perform this exercise safely. Because you will end up doing it in a very unstable environment, you need to start slowly and work your way into it. Naturally, if you’re an advanced trainer or are used to working in an unstable environment you may progress more quickly.

Only go as far as you’re comfortable with these exercise stages. Each stage holds great benefits but you should always err on side of caution.

Read through these exercise stages one at a time, then, at end of article, you’ll find a link where you can view pictures of each stage.

Stage 1 - Dumbell Push-Ups

Set two dumbells on floor in approximate hand position and spacing you would use for a push-up. You will essentially be using dumbells as push-up handles.

The plates on dumbell should be round (meaning that they’ll roll) for maximum instability. Use fairly lightweight dumbells, e.g. 15 to 20 pounds each, so they’ll move around more.

This variation by itself is an excellent exercise for beginner to intermediate trainers. You may do this variation with your knees on floor if you’ve not yet developed strength for regular, full push-ups.

Stage 2 - Swiss Ball Push-Ups

Set a large Swiss Ball (the inflatable exercise ball) on floor where you’ve got some space.

Place your hands on floor in your regular push-up position then set your legs on top of Swiss Ball. Your shins should be on top of ball, placed slightly to sides so you can use them to maintain your balance.

Every muscle in your body is enclosed in a bag of tough connective tissue known as fascia. Fascia is important for holding your muscles in their proper place in your body.

But your fascia may also be holding back your muscle growth. Think for a moment about your muscles. You train them and feed them properly. They want to grow and will grow but something is holding them back. They have no room to grow!

Because fascia is so tough, it doesn’t allow muscle room to expand. It is like stuffing a large pillow into a small pillowcase. The size of muscle won’t change regardless of how hard you train or how well you eat because connective tissue around your muscles is constricting muscles within.

The best example of this is calf muscle. The lower leg is riddled with fascia because of its tremendous weight-bearing duties in body. It is because of this fascia that many trainers have great difficulty developing their calves.

The solution: stretching.

Using pillowcase example from above, imagine you can expand size of pillowcase by stretching it. Suddenly, pillow within has more room and will expand to fill that new space.

By stretching your muscles under specific conditions, you can actually stretch your fascia and give your muscles more room to grow.

The key to effective fascial stretching is pump. The best time to stretch to expand bags that are holding in your muscles is when your muscles are pumped up full of blood.