Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

Well, I've completed 8 weeks out of 28 at the academy. We completed firearms and we start the driving course tomorrow for two weeks. PT has been challenging, but I can't argue with the results. We are required to do all of our push ups on our knuckles and I have yet to figure out the advantage of performing them this way. Did any of you LEOs have to perform them this way while you were in the academy? What's the advantage or purpose?

There is no advantage to doing push-ups on your knuckles... unless you plan dragging them there knuckles and want to toughen-up the skin. : )

Knuckles? Do you mean you make a fist and do pushups that way? If so, pushups like that place less strain on the wrist.

Knuckles? Do you mean you make a fist and do pushups that way? If so, pushups like that place less strain on the wrist.

That would be assuming that a person is either doing them incorrectly or a victim of some disability. I would put that right on par with blaming sit-ups for neck strains when idiots pull on their head to do a sit-up.

Show me ANY REPUTABLE source that attributes push-ups with straining wrists.

Sorry, brother. I don't have an online source. After my rotator cuff problem, my ortho said push ups on my fist would place less strain on my wrist, elbows and ultimately my rotator cuff as I do my push ups with my elbows tight to my torso, using lots of triceps.

I wish I had an "reputable source" to refer you to, but that's all I've got.

Sorry, brother. I don't have an online source. After my rotator cuff problem, my ortho said push ups on my fist would place less strain on my wrist, elbows and ultimately my rotator cuff as I do my push ups with my elbows tight to my torso, using lots of triceps.

I wish I had an "reputable source" to refer you to, but that's all I've got.

You are speaking of you dealing with an injury. That is completely different. I am speaking in regards to the run-of-the-mill person working out.

There is no need to take it personal. I merely looking at it from the fit side of things. And, having been sent through a few nationally recognized instructor certs, it would be news to me. So, while not saying that it is necessarily wrong (as I don't claim to know everything), I would like to see a source to such a blanket statement.

I can, however, see why the theory may arise... but it seems to be about hand placement. I could probably put my hands in a position to make the wrists uncomfortable, but why? :) Even you say that you hold your hands very close to your body, contrary to the general description of how to properly perform push-ups.

PotAto/potato, I guess. :)

You are speaking of you dealing with an injury. That is completely different. I am speaking in regards to the run-of-the-mill person working out.

There is no need to take it personal. I merely looking at it from the fit side of things. And, having been sent through a few nationally recognized instructor certs, it would be news to me. So, while not saying that it is necessarily wrong (as I don't claim to know everything), I would like to see a source to such a blanket statement.

I can, however, see why the theory may arise... but it seems to be about hand placement. I could probably put my hands in a position to make the wrists uncomfortable, but why? :) Even you say that you hold your hands very close to your body, contrary to the general description of how to properly perform push-ups.

PotAto/potato, I guess. :)
I didn't take it personal at all. I'm sorry if it came across that way. I just wanted to be sure you knew my info didn't come from some random online source.

I didn't take it personal at all. I'm sorry if it came across that way. I just wanted to be sure you knew my info didn't come from some random online source.

Oh, I feel your pain in that regard. Well, not the shoulder, but a few torn disks in the back. So, I am all too familiar with having to accommodate a broken body. :(

That would be assuming that a person is either doing them incorrectly or a victim of some disability. I would put that right on par with blaming sit-ups for neck strains when idiots pull on their head to do a sit-up.

Show me ANY REPUTABLE source that attributes push-ups with straining wrists.

I agree with you fully sir. Actually I have a gym story related to this topic. I had been seeing a regular at my gym doing the fist push ups often, and while working on the mat next to him I asked if he found that form beneficial. (mostly curious why he was doing it) He said "Well I'm busting out 10 sets of push ups every day and it was hurting my wrists"

I just said, ok well that makes sense. I would imagine as you said, he also pulls on his neck to do sit ups :p Apparently he has never heard of muscle recovery...sigh :rolleyes:

(On a sidenote, firearms was a blast. Unfortunately, due to magazine load jam problems with the Glock 22, we're being issued the Glock 17.


Hmmm...I'm more interested in this comment. Can you please elaborate on these "load jam problems" sir? :confused:

Apparently not...

Check your PM. I didn't get a chance to get to a computer last night.

Knuckle pushups are an urban myth along the lines like that 'creatine is too new to know it's long term effects" (creatine has been studied going on 30 years now). As far as wrist and shoulder problems I do them on rings. blast straps, or just plain ole $10- push up handles that you can get anywhere.