Most people start their fitness routine with regular pushup, which is one the most basic form of the push up. Once you have mastered the art of standard pushup, incorporating new styles of pushup could be a fun way to keep your fitness routine more interesting and intense.

By including this pushup variation in your routine, you will have a great exercise working on your core and upper body. This kind of pushup is often used in military training exercises.

Dive bomber pushup is a dynamic full body calisthenics exercise that gives you flexibility and strength. This workout is also referred to as Chinese pushup. It is quite similar to Hindu pushup and mostly works on the same muscle group.

The only difference is when you do reverse the gliding motion, in dive bomber push up. This reverse gliding motion is not there in Hindu pushup.

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Dive Bomber Pushup

Dive bomber pushup is quite similar to the ‘Vinyasa Flow’ move in yoga. In this exercise, you go from downward dog position to upward dog position, which is the high plank and then again to the downward dog position. This workout literally works on all the muscle group of the upper body.

It is an effective exercise that gives you head to toe body challenge.

In this segment, we will discuss the technique involved in mastering the art of dive bomber pushup, benefits of this exercise, how to add this exercise to your workout routine and its comparison to other bodyweight exercises.

How to master the art of Dive Bomber Pushup?

Doing yoga exercises provide an unbelievable amount of benefits to the human body. Even in this digital age, a lot of people are unaware of this fact. But once you realize how great yoga might be for your health, you would definitely want to try it.

Dive bomber pushup resembles the yoga moves and thus providing its benefits as well. But to reap out all of its benefits, you need to ensure that you do the exercise in the correct form.

Following are the steps to master the art of dive bomber pushup

1. Start by getting into the downward dog position by placing your hands and feet on the floor. Raise your butt in the upward direction, just like you do in Hindu pushup. Once in the starting position, your body will look like an inverted V, if looked from above.

2. Place your hands slightly wider than the shoulder width and keep your back straight. Press your heels into the ground. Do not touch them to the ground. This will create a stretch in the hamstrings.

3. Now lower your shoulder and bring your chest closer to the floor. Then swoop through the arms while your chest arches up in between the arms, while you look up towards the ceiling. Hold your position for a second or two.

4. Now reverse the movements. Again lower your chest back to the ground and raise your hip up high towards the ceiling.

5. Repeat the desired number of repetitions.

Initially, you will be able to do a few dive bomber pushup. Try to maintain a good form throughout your exercise and gradually increase the number of reps.

Steps involved in the exercise might sound difficult, but once you get used to the movement – the exercise will be much simpler.

Benefits of dive bomber pushup

Dive bomber pushups are a total upper body workout. However, the muscle group that this exercise specifically targets are the pectorals, triceps, biceps, latissimus dorsi, deltoids and many other smaller muscles in your body. It also enhances your core strength by giving it a good stretched out movement.

Just like Hindu push-ups, this exercise creates a compound effect on your body because of the concentric and eccentric movements involved in this exercise. The range of motion in this exercise works on every inch of your body and engages several muscles at the same time.

This exercise makes use of the shoulder, increasing its strength capacity. It also enhances your ability to execute another exercise like deadlift and bench press more efficiently.

This exercise is also beneficial for your lower back and hamstrings, by giving it a decent stretch.

Do not think twice before attempting and incorporating this exercise into your full body fitness routine.

Breathing Pattern and Form

For breathing in this exercise, breathe out as you go down and breathe in while you move to the starting position. Ensure that you maintain good form as discussed above.

Sets and Reps

This versatile exercise provides you amazing physical abilities overall, and thus there is no reason for you not to try it out. Although, for beginners, it is recommended to master the regular pushup and then move to this variation of the exercise.

Initially, it will be difficult to attempt this exercise for than a few pushups. However, keep working towards it and gradually increase the reps.

For intermediate level attempt at least 8 – 10 reps for 2 – 3 sets. Remember to keep track of the body form and breathing pattern. If the form is incorrect, there is no point doing any exercise.

For advanced level. Increase the number of reps to 12 for the same number of sets. If the exercise becomes too adaptable, try to increase the intensity level and make it more challenging. This will be discussed in the section below.

Challenge Yourself – Increase the level of Intensity

Doing the same routine, with the same pattern can make any exercise monotonous. To break the repetitive routine, changing the exercise or making it difficult can be really helpful.

The dive bomber pushup can be challenging in itself. But if the body gets too accustomed to the range of motion, the muscles start to get saturated, and no further enhancement can be seen.

To avoid such instances, make use of a weighted vest and increase the intensity by taking the exercise to the next level.

Warm up

It is good to shake your muscles with some preparatory exercise before attempting dive bomber push-ups. Take a brisk walk or jog around for a couple of minutes. Increase your heart beat rate by doing this movement.

Loosen up your shoulder joints and hip by doing arm circles and knee lifts. Do this for a minute or two. Now rotate the trunk side by side to warm up your spine. Do a few sun salutation.

Take your arm up over the head and bring them down to touch your feet. And before attempting dive bomber push-ups, do a set of regular push-ups which includes 10 – 12 reps – it will help you strengthen the core before moving to the difficult version of push-ups.

Dive bomber pushup vs. Hindu pushup

Hindu pushup and dive bomber pushup, both involve the same range of motion. The only difference is the reverse gliding motion in the dive bomber variation. Both of these exercises make use of the concentric and eccentric movements.

These exercises are a great way of increasing upper body strength.

However, use only one of this exercise in your fitness routine. Anyone of this exercise can be included in your full body workout routine. It increases the flexibility in your body and makes you less prone to injuries.

Exercises that involved eccentric and concentric movements, helps you to connect your body with the mind. Thus working on the muscle group more efficiently as compared to other exercises.

Since the entire body is engaged in this exercise, the chest muscles need to carry extra baggage – which in return increases its efficiency even more.

So include one of these workouts in your fitness routine and work on the upper and lower body simultaneously.

Wrapping Up

This full body workout is an effective way to lose some of the unwanted weight and gain muscular strength. Engaging the entire body in one single exercise keeps the body active entirely. It helps you to have a stronger core and improved chest and shoulder muscles.

This workout can also be used as a progression exercise towards the pike push-ups.

Maintaining a good form and proper breathing pattern is a necessity in such exercises. To make the most out of any exercise, proper form is as essential as attempting the exercise.

Do the workout slowly, but properly. Don’t rush yourself. Take your time, generate good posture and gradually increase the number of repetitions and sets.

The more you spend time doing it, the more finesse will be seen in your body movement and posture. So stop reading and get on the floor to do some dive bomber moves. Try this exercise and build amazing muscular strength and flexibility in your body.