Dekeday Foundation

LIFE IS LIKE LIFTING WEIGHTS – ALL PUSH AND PULL

By David Tepera, January 18, 2023

If you think about it, every movement with our bodies is typically a push or a pull. I try to explain this to people learning to lift weights. If you’re confused about which machines work on certain body parts, then this should help. Today, I’m just focusing on the push muscles. Next week will be the pulling muscle groups.

Your chest, or pectoralis, muscle’s job is to push your arms away from your body. So, any machine, no matter what angle, that pushes your arms away or together is working your chest — for example: bench press, dumbbell presses and flies.

The back of your arms, or tricep, muscle’s job is to push your hands away from your body. So, any machine that requires you to bend your arms and push your hands away is working the back of your arms — for example: cable press downs, dips and dumbbell kickbacks.

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For your lower body, it’s the front of your legs or quadriceps muscles that push the weight away from your body — for example: close stance leg press and leg extensions.

Just know, there are other machines and multiple ways of targeting push muscles. I only gave a few examples to help you get started and feel a little more familiar in a gym environment.

Now, what else in your life that needs pushing? Is it you or someone else? For all of you who at one time played sports or had a great coach, then you understand the benefits of someone pushing you to success.

I was fortunate to grow up with a father who was a high school coach. He didn’t really push me into sports, but he did push me into being a respectful young man. My parents’ teaching skills taught me many lessons that helped my own children to grow into productive citizens.

What’s it going to take to push you off the couch or away from your laptop — just like the leg press machine that strengthens the legs? It’s time to jump up and get moving. Quit wasting your life surfing the internet and thinking everyone on social media is your friend.

Yes, you’re going to encounter plenty of roadblocks and barriers, but you now understand the value of push. So, get your game face on and bust your way to success.