The pushup is one of the simplest yet most effective bodyweight exercises in order to attain muscular strength and aesthetically, pleasing looking upper body.

The thing with pushup is that they do not require overly expensive gym equipment, neither do they need you to pay a hefty sum of amount for a gym membership.

You can perform this bodyweight exercise at the luxury of your home and office. All you need to have is a floor mat and the knowledge about a particular pushup style, which you want to try out.

The pushup is known to leave a compounded effect on your body. A different variation of pushups work from different angles, thus training a different set of muscles in the body.

One such versatile pushup class of the regular pushup is known as grasshopper pushup. This little-known body weight exercise movement is a great way to achieve overall body strength.

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It just doesn’t help you to attain strength, but it is also an entertaining movement to perform, keeping your fitness routine energetic. Fitness routine must have a fun element.

Most people tend to forget this and end up giving their desire of being fit. Include this variation of the pushup, if you feel the need to spice up the fitness routine.

Grasshopper Pushup

Grasshopper pushup is a challenging variation of the normal pushup that increases the flexibility in your lower body. The movements involved in this exercise are so intense that it only takes a few reps to feel the heat.

The exercise is difficult, but it will help you to enhance the flexibility in your hip and groin muscles.

The range of motion involved in this exercise is quite unique, which trains the muscles of the lower body from different angles.

This bodyweight training is a must for athletes who wish to train their legs and abdominal muscles, because of the leg involvement in their sports.

In this post, we will discuss the technique and body positioning involved in grasshopper pushup, the breathing pattern involved in this exercise, muscle group that this exercise works, the benefits of grasshopper pushup and its comparison to other pushup exercises like scorpion pushup.

How to Perform a Perfect Set of Grasshopper Pushup

For any exercise to be effective, it must be performed in the right way and with the proper technique. Unless the movement of the body follows the right positioning, attaining full benefits of the exercise is impossible.

Following are the steps that show the correct body position, in order to perform a perfect set of grasshopper pushup.

1. Initiate yourself by getting into the regular pushup position. The face should be directed down towards the floor and maintain the body weight on the outstretched hands and legs.

2. Position your hands slightly wider than the normal shoulder width, but keep them in-line with the shoulders.

3. Now tighten the core and abs muscles to get strength in your body, helping you to push back from the bottom pushup.

4. Maintain a stiff back. Do not flare it right, left and center. Do not raise your butt high up in the air. Maintain a straight line with your upper back.

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Range Of Motion

Once you have the right body positioning, you must know the technique involved in body movement during the performance of the exercise. This will let you rip off full benefits that the exercise has to offer.

Following is a step by step guide to let you know the entire range of motion, in order to complete one successful repetition.

1. Once in the starting position, that is the plank position, start bending the elbows sideways and lower the torso, down towards the floor.

2. Now step the right leg in the space between the left hand and left foot. Cross it all way to the left side.

3. As you straighten yourself with arms, get the right foot back to the starting position. Now again lower your body and cross the left foot onto the right side.

4. Again straighten your arm and get back to the starting regular push position. This set of movement from step 1 to step 4 completes one repetition.

5. Perform as many repetitions as possible. Ensure you maintain the right form and do it with the proper technique. Do not get disheartened if you cannot perform multiple reps. Increase gradually.

Breathing Pattern Involved in Grasshopper Pushup

Grasshopper pushup is a challenging exercise, can exhaust you pretty quickly. Thus, in order to make this a little easier, ensure that you breathe properly during the movements.

Breathe in as you move down to the floor. This will relax your ribcage while expanding your abdomen.

Breathe out as you push yourself back to the starting plank position. Exhaling in the upward motion releases air that helps to contract the abs muscles, making the pushup movement of the body a lot easier.

Control breathing with the right technique is the key to perform a successful set of a pushup.

Muscle Group it Works on

The Grasshopper Pushup variation works on upper body strength specially your chest, traps, triceps, quadriceps, and glutes. This exercise will help you burn a lot of fat and calories. It increases your mental strength and helps you gain confidence.

Grasshopper pushup enhances your body balance abilities. The core is engaged more in this exercise as compared to other pushup variation, so it also works on oblique muscles.

In addition to the above-stated muscle group, this exercise also increases the flexibility in your groin and hip muscles, as already stated above. It is one of that exercise, which, if performed at high repetitions helps to build entire body strength.

And when this exercise is done at high repetitions, it also acts as a cardiovascular workout.

Benefits of Grasshopper Pushup

The reason why grasshopper pushup works so effectively on the body is due to the fact that it involves angular training. When the body shifts the angle at which muscles works, also shifts.

This enables you to recruit different fibers in the body, creating an overall impact on the body. The awkward movement involved in this exercise, helps you to recruit three different nerves simultaneously, which prevents the body from falling over.

This exercise is known to enhance your reflexes and body speed.

Sets and Reps

Grasshopper pushup involves an advanced level of body movements. Thus this exercise is a clear cut no for beginner level fitness fanatics.

For intermediate level, it is advisable to execute a number of different variations of standard push up perfectly, before attempting grasshopper push up. You can try 1 – 2 sets, with 4 – 6 reps each side.

It is possible that you won’t be able to do many reps initially. But do not get discouraged. Slowly work towards it and you will be able to increase the number gradually.

For advanced level athletes, perform at least 3 – 4 sets of 8 – 12 repetitions each side. Once you reach the stage where you no longer feel challenged by the exercise, impede it by adding a weighted vest to increase the difficulty level.

Grasshopper Pushup Vs. Regular Pushup Vs. Scorpion Pushup

The range of movement involved in grasshopper pushup is completely different from most of the other bodyweight exercises/ pushup. Letting your leg slide underneath your body, without touching the floor can be quite tricky and strenuous job to accomplish.

When compared to other pushup types, this pushup exercise is extremely difficult, because the body balance required in this exercise is immense.

The angular training involved in this exercise, allows you to recruit and train different muscles of the upper and lower body, at the same time.

Not many pushup variations have the ability to work with angles, thus they are limited to work on a certain group of muscles.

However, with grasshopper exercise, the entire body is involved, which means that it is possible to attain overall body strength through this exercise.

On the other hand, the Scorpion Pushup is a little more challenging than grasshopper pushup. In Scorpion Pushup the leg doesn’t slide underneath the body but over it which makes it more difficult as that requires more balance. However, the gains from scorpion pushup are also more rewarding as that pushup variation works on more muscle groups.

Wrapping Up

Grasshopper pushup variation is not popularly known and is also one of that pushup which is not followed in high numbers. However, this exercise still remains to be one of the best pushup variations that can perform a full body workout.

If this exercise is performed with a high number of repetitions, it also creates a momentum like a cardiovascular workout.

So if you want to and like to do things which are not commonly known, grasshopper pushup can be a perfect fit for your personality. Yes, it is difficult, but it is not unattainable.

Do not waste any more time, read our guide to master the art of grasshopper pushup and you will do just fine, to pull off a perfect set of pushup in no time.

For people who still have any doubt and question, can always drop their queries in the section below, and we will be more than happy to help you out in your quest to perfect the grasshopper style.